The beginning of summer vacation for Bulloch County school kids also means the beginning of the Statesboro Bulloch County Parks and Recreation Department’s summer camp program.
    Statesboro began offering summer camps in 1969 with Camp Cherokee. Now in its 41st year, the program serves about 150 children each week and includes three camps, Joy Deal, Program Supervisor, said.
    Camp Cherokee is for children that have completed pre-kindergarten and kindergarten, Camp Apache is for first and second graders and Camp Tomahawk is for third through fifth graders.
    All three camps are being held at local elementary schools and run through July 30 from 8 a.m. until 2 p.m. for $85 per week. Each camp offers extended care until 6 p.m. for an additional $40 per week. Except for the final week, July-26-30, there are openings at all the camps. Parents may sign their children up on a weekly basis or for the summer, Deal said.
    The theme for summer 2010 is “destination vacation,” in which campers will vacation to different destinations each week at camp, Deal said. The “Mighty Smokey Mountains,” Niagara Falls and a “Pearl Sea Oasis” all are on the itinerary.
    Also, campers will visit Splash in the Boro each week and take weekly field trips to places such as Hacker’s Golf Park, Free Spirit Pottery and ice-skating in Augusta.
    “My favorite part is Splash in the Boro,” Maggie Smith, a camper at Camp Tomahawk, said. “I also like the teachers because they’re nice.”
    Daily activities for the camps include arts and crafts, science, as well as dramatic and educational play. There is also a Nintendo Wii at every site, Deal said, so that children can play while being active.
    “We are very much into the physical activity aspect right now,” Deal said. “The children will be in the gyms or on the playgrounds doing activities led by some our P.E. activity coordinators.”
    Each camp is supervised by a site manager who has worked with the camps for at least six years and is also employed as a certified teacher or paraprofessional with the Bulloch County School Board. Those working under the site manager as camp counselors have worked with Recreation Department’s afterschool program, Deal said.
    In addition to site managers and counselors, Counselors in Training are on duty at every site. This summer’s C.I.T. program boasts the most participants in its history, with 30 volunteers between ages 13 and 15 working to assist the camp’s site manager and counselors.
    “Over the summer I get to know the kids really well,” KK Freeman, activity coordinator for Camp Tomahawk, said. “From summer to summer the children make really good friends and create lasting friendships.”
    For more information about the summer camp program contact Joy Deal, Program Supervisor, at (912) 764-5637.