Parents should have an easier time this year finding the local summer camps that best fit their children.
Paris Nicholson, youth outreach specialist for Yak, a program of St. Luke's Center for Community Health, worked over the winter to strengthen the valley's youth programs, especially for summer.
"Many parents feel like organizing their kids' schedules is like a big Tetris game," Nicholson said. "Working together provides ease for the parents trying to get kids to programs."
Nicholson reached out to school social workers and valley youth group leaders to create an Excel spreadsheet that includes all the youth programs and their organizers.
"There was no list," Nicholson said. "After the list was organized, a group of 30 youth group leaders got together at the YMCA to see what everyone was doing and what they were offering."
The outcome of the brainstorming session was to offer expos for youth summer camps put on by the Blaine County Recreation District in Hailey and the YMCA in Ketchum. The Wood River Valley Youth Summer Camp Fair will take place on Monday, May 10, from 5-7 p.m. at the Community Campus in Hailey and on Tuesday, May 11, from 5-7 p.m. at the Wood River Community YMCA in Ketchum.
"It's nice that so many youth organizations are working together," Nicholson said. "They are not competing. The organizations are becoming stronger and utilizing the community."
Nicholson said the cooperation gives parents additional resources such as learning about the Hunger Coalition's free lunch program or Big Brothers, Big Sisters. In addition, Mountain Rides will host a booth to talk to parents about the bus system and its routes.
"Parents can talk about safety of the bus system for kids to get around the valley," he said. "It saves money and it's sustainable."
Mountain Rides is working together with the Recreation District and the Sawtooth Botanical Garden to set up a route from Hailey to the garden with kids in mind.
"The expo will be a great way to bring parents together," Nicholson said. "It will be a one-stop shop open to the entire community and no one is excluded."
For details, call Nicholson at 727-8736.
