RED BANK— The borough public school district’s summer program aims to bridge the gap between school years with the help of several community partners.
The Boys and Girls Club, Navesink Maritime Heritage Association and New Jersey Sea Grant Consortium (NJSGC) will provide activities for the enrolled students, Superintendent Laura Morana said at a press meeting on June 9.
“We’re looking forward to a very exciting program again this year,” said Samantha Maurer, grant coordinator for the 21st Century Community Learning Center.
The learning center program is funded through a federal grant and aims to create academic enrichment opportunities during nonschool hours for children in underprivileged areas. The grant funds the Red Bank Middle School’s after-school care during the year and this camp during the summer, Morana said.
Newthis year, Maurer said, is the pre-summer camp enrichment program, which will run from June 20 to June 30.
Students in grades four to eight will participate in interdisciplinary activities similar to the regular camp programs, Maurer said.
During the regular camp session, the Boys and Girls Club Red Bank unit will conduct an afternoon recreation program for the students, Maurer said.
Additionally, the Boys and Girls Club will provide care until 6 p.m. at its Drs. James Parker Boulevard facility for a small fee and provide breakfast and lunch to all students for free .
The NJSGC will sponsor a different grade each week from among the fourth- to eighthgraders on a trip to Sandy Hook.
“[The NJSGC] will provide hands-on activities both in the classroom and out on Sandy Hook,” Maurer said.
The River Rangers, through the Navesink Maritime Heritage Association, will offer a group of up to 20 students the opportunity to explore the area’s rivers in canoes and kayaks.
“The kids who went last year absolutely loved it, and they grew tremendously from it,” Maurer said.
“They learned about the estuaries and the marine environment that’s right here in the Red Bank area.”
Trips like these re-enforce and build upon traditional lessons, Maurer said.
“They’ll be applying some of the things that they’re learning in the classroom,” she said.
Count Basie Theatre will also conduct musical and cultural activities with the students during the camp.
Because the camp has been relocated to the Red Bank Primary School on River Street — previously it was housed in the middle school — organizers have had to rethink the walking distance field trips, Maurer said.
Maurer said that they are working on bringing trips and organizations to the school, rather than transporting the students.
In addition to the students’ benefits, Morana said that the free program greatly benefits working parents as well.
“If you are working as a parent, you will have your child in a nice, fun, secure, wonderful place.”
The camp’s activities, which enhance the district’s curriculum, help prevent the academic regression that can take place during the summer, Morana said. She said 170 students are enrolled in the primary program, which runs from July 5 toAug. 5, and that they continue to receive registrations.