Y Day Camp helps area youth learn, grow and thrive throughout the summer

Meeting Waters YMCA offers camps for ages 5 to 15. All camps are based at the regional Y’s 52-acre Lewis Day Camp facility, located on Route 5 in Springfield.
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Y Day Camp helps area youth learn, grow and thrive throughout the summer Apr 02, 2015 Photo by: Courtesy Meeting Waters YMCA offers camps for ages 5 to 15 from throughout southeastern Vermont and southwestern New Hampshire. All camps are based at the regional Y’s 52-acre Lewis Day Camp facility, located on Route 5 in Springfield. SPRINGFIELD — Over the past 50 summers, Meeting Waters YMCA has helped more than 12,500 area youth learn, grow and thrive in the summer months. Once again, Y Day Camp will help hundreds of young people “hop the gap” between the close of school and the start of the new school year. When children and teens are out of school, they can face challenges related to hunger, health, learning, water safety and accessing safe spaces. Y Day Camp is one of very few places in the region where all five needs are met each and every day throughout the summer. Meeting Waters YMCA offers camps for ages 5 to 15 from throughout southeastern Vermont and southwestern New Hampshire. All camps are based at the regional Y’s 52-acre Lewis Day Camp facility, located on Route 5 in Springfield, just off I-91. The camp property is bordered by the Springfield Town Forest and the Black River, creating a unique natural setting for the programs. Bus service is provided to and from camp each day from Brattleboro, Putney, Westminster, Bellows Falls, Chester, Springfield, Walpole, North Walpole and Charlestown. Meeting Waters YMCA offers four different camp experiences. It’s Y Day Camp for ages 6 to 13 offers eight one-week and four two-week sessions between June 29 and Aug. 21. Y Day Camp features canoeing, archery, swim lessons, sports and adventure games, arts and crafts, and environmental education. The Y’s Leader-in-Training program provides a week of leadership development with youth leadership author and consultant Steve Fortier, followed by three weeks working alongside camp staff to practice the leadership, group management and facilitation skills they have honed during the week-long training. Family Camp, held Saturday, July 25, provides an opportunity for parents to join their children in enjoying various camp activities. KinderCamp provides children entering kindergarten in the fall these same experiences as they transition from child care to school. It takes place from Aug. 17 through Aug. 21. The regional Y’s camps participate in the federal Summer Food Program through a partnership with Springfield Family Center. All campers — regardless of town of residence or family income — qualify for a free healthy lunch each day. “Meeting Waters YMCA’s camps provide a variety of opportunities to help ensure that youth are learning, eating healthy, and being physically active in the summer, a time that much research shows many children experience summer learning loss and summer weight gain,” said Susan Fortier, Meeting Waters Y’s Program Director and Y Day Camp Director. “Our campers also further develop key skills in leadership, followership, community-building, character development, and more -— all while having lots of fun and making new friends.” Registration for the upcoming camp season has begun. Meeting Waters YMCA encourages parents to give their kids the gift of camp. And, to ensure that all youth have the chance to experience camp, The regional Y offers financial assistance from donations to its Reach Out to Youth fundraising campaign and it accepts state child care financial assistance from both New Hampshire and Vermont. Camp Open Houses will be held from 1 to 3 p.m. Saturday, May 16; from 5 to 7 p.m. Monday, June 15; and from 5 to 7 p.m. Thursday, June 25. For more information or to enroll, visit www.meetingwatersymca.org or call the Y at their office nearest you — Brattleboro area: (802) 246-1036; Springfield area: (802) 885-8131; or the Bellows Falls and Fall Mountain area: (603)463-4769.