Buffalo, N.Y. (WBEN) - For Buffalo's youth, it's the perfect balance of learning, making new friends and having fun. Say Yes Buffalo's free summer camps are back for a 9th year.
"It has just been a wonderful experience for my staff, professional development, for our children, for our families. And each year, the services and supports are greater. The Say Yes Summer Camp is a godsend for families in this community, for the City of Buffalo. We are so grateful for the support of all of you, and the funders, for giving us the opportunity to provide services for our children who otherwise would have difficulty and experience summer learning loss," said Delavan-Grider Community Center Executive Director Candace Moppins.
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Starting this Tuesday, 27 campsites throughout the City of Buffalo will accommodate over 1,400 students in grades Pre-K all the way up through Grade 6.
"Our summer camps provide a blend of academic and enrichment activities that enhance both academic growth and social emotional learning. We are continuing to use evidence-based curriculum in all of our sites, and students will get to go on multiple field trips throughout the summer," said Leah Rush, Say Yes Buffalo's Extended Learning Time Manager.
"They'll also be participating in the Mayor's Summer Reading Challenge. As part of that, students are served healthy meals and snacks in addition to engaging in physical activities in a fun and safe environment. An initiative of this size is only made possible with our incredible partners such as the Delavan Grider Community Center, each of the 27 sites have been working diligently for months to prepare for a fun and engaging summer of learning, new experiences, physical activity and personal growth."
Through funding from the City of Buffalo, the students will have access to racial equity training through Say Yes Buffalo's Boys and Men of Color and mobile health clinics provided by Neighborhood Health Center.
"The multiple health clinics will provide needed primary health care services and immunizations for students in our community. Students will also have access to Buffalo Hope Healing circles at select sites. This year, we also added a partnership with Read To Succeed Buffalo, which enables students that were linked with their one-on-one literacy tutoring during the school year, to continue that tutoring at two of our summer camp sites," added Rush.
Major funding for summer camp comes from Buffalo Public Schools, the Cullen Foundation, Erie County, the Oishei Foundation, and the City of Buffalo. Additional funding comes from the National Grid Foundation, and the Children's Foundation of Erie County.
“This has become one of my favorite days of the year,” said David Rust, Say Yes Buffalo Chief Executive Officer. “I am incredibly grateful to all of our partners and our team at Say Yes Buffalo who worked tirelessly to make this program a success. Like many of our programs, summer camps are a real lifeline for parents and families and above all, students who relish the opportunity to stay active and have fun during the summer months.”