This summer, Pearl River Community College will host Wildcat Way 2 Adventure, a kid’s college for elementary students.
It’s the first year the college has offered this type of program and PRCC Director of Institutional Research/Director of Professional and Community Development Brenda Wells said she hopes to see the program grow.
“We are so excited to be able to offer these summer day camps to children in our district,” she said in a PRCC release.
The camp is partially funded by an $8,775 grant from the Lower Pearl River Valley Foundation, the release states.
“This grant will provide an opportunity for students to reinforce their education in the summertime through academic day camps,” Clyde Dease, president of the Lower Pearl River Valley Foundation, said in the release. “The foundation looks forward to partnering with the college to help students improve and retain their education in science, math, reading, socialization and the arts.”
There are five camps available for students. The first is an environmental camp adventure. The college partnered with the Environmental Protection Agency’s Gulf of Mexico program and experts in the field will be leading that class, Wells said. The class will be held on June 8 and costs $20. It is open to students in third, fourth or fifth grade.
The second program will provide participants an opportunity to build a LEGO robot. It will be taught by representatives from Mississippi State University, Wells said. The date of the camp is June 27-30 and costs $85. This program is open to students in third, fourth or fifth grade.
The third program involves discovering science superpowers and will be taught by PRCC staff. It will be held on June 28-30. The price of registration is $45. It’s open to students in fourth, fifth and sixth grade.
On June 29, students can explore their creative writing skills in the “See you in the Funny Papers.” This program costs $20 and is open to students in seventh, eighth and ninth grade.
The final program is a library learning kids adventure, which will include fun reading activities, scavenger hunts, and computer activities at the college’s library. This event will be held on July 1, is free to attend, and is open to students in first through fourth grade. Participants will also receive a PRCC ID and lanyard and a book to take home.
“The primary goal of the summer day camps is to provide a safe, fun and challenging camp session that will inspire participating students, create an on-going love of learning and hopefully create a bridge to higher learning,” Wells said in the release. “Research has shown that children experience learning loss during the summer and we hope that the camps will reduce that loss.”
The deadline to register for the day camps is May 13. For more information contact Wells at 601-403-1379 or 601-403-1420. Visit the website at www.prcc.edu/camps.