Day camp keeps kids busy

CLOVIS - In an attempt to fill the void brought on by spring break, Curry County Youth Services and the Three7Project, a local nonprofit, are once again teaming up for day camp 2018.

Three7Project Executive Director Mitch Gray said the day camp, now in its sixth year, started as a way to give kids something to do during the week off from school.

"Really it began because a lot of kids don't have much to do during spring break," Gray said. "Parents still have to work so a lot of kids are just at home. We thought it would be a good idea to maybe give them something to do, something productive."

The day camp takes a sort of holisitic approach to wellness with multiple strategic activities that require the students to work together and think critically, along with activities like a kettle bell workout that focus on physical well-being.

"So kind of teaching them about being healthy mentally, being healthy emotionally and being healthy spiritually and physically," Gray said.

One of the activities, titled the lava game, requires the students to work together to bring each team member across a specific path made up of pieces of paper on the floor.

"Sometimes teenagers don't see anything outside of themselves, so it's cool to put them in situations where they have to consider other solutions and other people," Gray said.

Gray said guest speakers like Curry County Commissioner Chet Spear and Curry County Adult Detention Center Administrator Mark Gallegos are brought in to give the kids a taste of what life will be like in the community after graduating from high school.

"We kind of like to expose the kids to what's happening in their community," Gray said. "What happens when you become an adult? How can I get involved?"

Gray said he has received feedback from mutltiple students that their family made them attend the camp but after actually taking part in the activities, the kids wanted to be there.

"I like it. It teaches me a lot like how to grow and how to keep my body healthy and it teaches me just listening skills and stuff like that," 10th grader Rose Bradley said. "It's a really good program and I encourage it for every other kid."

For Gray, he sees the camp as a way to make a mark on the students' futures, not just give them some fun activities to pass the time during their days away from the classroom.

"We play the long game," Gray said. "In other words if we have a 14-year-old that we can influce, they become better fathers, better mothers, better husbands, better wives, better business people, better community members.

"If we can do that, so in 10, 15, 20 years they become more effective in their life, then we've done our job. We're not all about did we change it now - I mean hopefully we do - but we're about how does this impact people years down the road."

Gray said the day camp is targeted towards students ages 12-18, but they do allow younger children to participate. The camp is free to attend and includes lunch each day.

Gray said additional students are welcome to attend the camp which continues today and Thursday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Curry County Fairgrounds Pavillion.