THE JOURNAL & TOPICS NEWSPAPERS | THURSDAY, MARCH 20, 2008
Summer Stretch
'Kids On Track' Summer Camp Designed For Children, Families Living At Arlington
Children whose families live in Arlington Park Racetrack's dormitories will again have the chance to stay active during their time off school this summer.
Township High School Dist. 214's summer camp program "Kids on Track" (KOT), is designed specifically for children ages 3-13. The program is developed to share resources in order to make the community a better place for the target population to live, according to district officials. It also provides children of parents who work in the park the chance to be part of a program and stay busy when their parents are working.
The program will be held this year beginning the second week in June. Last year's schedule extended from June 11 through Aug. 3. Activities began every morning at 8 a.m. and concluded at 2 p.m. A total of 222 children enrolled in the 2007 program. The average daily attendance was 176 children on Mondays through Fridays, 127 children on Saturdays, and 108 children on Sundays.
The groups rotated through different "stations," each focusing on a specific type of learning activity within the following categories: academic/tutorial, art exploration and crafts, garden, computers, and library/reading.
The program also featured numerous field trips.
Every Monday, the Arlington Heights Memorial Library bused 150 children to the library. The Arlington Heights Library Bookmobile also made a three-hour stop at the camp every Friday for children as well as adults to borrow and return books.
Throughout the program, children, staff and parents also visited Camelot Park in Arlington Heights to swim, visited Kimball Hill Park in Rolling Meadows to have a picnic and participate in numerous activities, Lincoln Park Zoo in Chicago and enjoyed activities at the Wheeling Aquatic Park.
Community volunteers were a significant source of manpower in the 2007 KOT Summer Camp, according to district officials.
Fifty-two individuals donated 1,863 volunteer hours to the summer program, for an average of over 35 hours per person.
Volunteers served in numerous capacities, including teacher's aide; reading and math tutors; administrative assistant teaching stringed instruments, origami, knitting, computer skills, gardening, and arts and crafts projects; coaching sports; serving food; chaperoning field trips; and hand-washing.
Volunteers represented a variety of backgrounds and ages, including nine high school students; nine certified teachers; nine senior citizens over the age of 60; 11 Read to Learn adult literacy students; eight Read to Learn literacy volunteers; two mother/daughter teams; and one college student.
"Our goals continue to be to encourage communication with the Backstretch community, to provide a safe environment in which to live and work and to provide educational services that will improve the quality of life for those living on the Backstretch," said Mike Field, director of Community Education and Services for Dist. 214. "As the coordinating organization of KOT, Dist. 214 Community Education is committed to meeting the identified needs of the hundreds of children and their families living on the Backstretch from June through September."
Arlington Park, the Illinois Thoroughbred Horseman's Association (IHTA) and the Illinois Community College Board provided direct financial support for the KOT Summer Camp.
"We are proud to be involved with Arlington Park in its endeavors to provide a model program for its seasonal workers and their families, contributing to a positive learning experience for children and a safer environment for all," said Field.