Arizona families can enroll their kids who are in preschool thru 12th grade for free learning summer camps! When it comes to learning, the last couple years of the pandemic have been tough on just about every student. To help students catch up on both the academic and the social aspects of learning, Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey budgeted $100 million in state funds so any Arizona school age youth can attend AZ OnTrack Summer Camps for free.
“These past two years have been hugely difficult on students because of the pandemic, because they were not in school,” explains Camp Director Lisa Graham Keegan. “So their academics certainly suffered, but also their social skills and their social comfort and their CONFIDENCE. It’s been very difficult on children to not be together.”
About 600 camps—enough to handle around 120,000 happy campers—are set up already, and the state expects even more. “It looks like school campuses will be the biggest piece (of AZ OnTrack Summer Camps). But we also have the libraries, the Arizona Science Center, the Boys and Girls Club, and the YMCA. The Boy Scouts (Grand Canyon Council) are offering overnight camps—it’s crazy fun!” Graham Keegan says. The Council also offers day camps. Girl Scouts Cactus-Pine Council is partnering with other camps to provide its services.
So visit AZOntrack.com and make plans with your parent. Having your friends attend with you will make going to camp even better! “They should go to AZonTrack.com , and click on the ‘For families’ button. And there’s a link to camps near you,” Graham Keegan says. “As you click on those camps, it will give you more information—what’s their start date, for how long, what ages are they targeting, what are they offering. And then you can contact the camp directly to get enrolled.”
Food and transportation will be provided by each site. “Everybody just really wants to make this happen. It’s just a joy to see the schools, the teachers, the youth groups understand how important this is right now,” Graham Keegan says. “There’s nothing more fun than doing work that you think matters and that people are excited about, so it’s a huge honor.”
