Summer Camp

YEP operates an annual Summer Camp that provides close to 100 Central City youth ages 7-15 with a fun, free, and engaging summer experience. During the 2-month summer camp, youth participate in a diverse arrange of field trips that include the Audubon Zoo; Children’s Museum; Aquarium; D-Day Museum; local sporting events; Essence Festival Empowerment Seminars; and the IMAX. Additionally, youth receive a hot lunch daily; have swimming lessons twice per week; work on different arts and crafts projects; and participate in a variety of educational and conflict resolution groups led by YEP staff.

YEP started the summer camp program in 2010 because many children and youth in Central City were not able to participate in or access other summer programs due to a lack of transportation or prohibitive enrollment fees. If not for YEP’s program, there would have been a large number of youth who were simply hanging around in the neighborhood and not participating in any structured or positive summer activities. YEP served nearly 50 youth during the summer of 2011, and this summer have nearly 100 youth enrolled!