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Longer summer camps eyed
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Posted on Aug 06 2019
Looking at the successful completion of the 2019 Summer Youth Empowerment Camp, the Carolinian Affairs Office and the Division of Youth Services are interested in planning for a longer summer camp next year.
According to CAO office manager Vivian Nogis, the original plan was to make the camps longer, about four weeks, but in the aftermath of Super Typhoon Yutu, that delayed their plans with the recovery efforts and the ongoing austerity measures that the CNMI Executive Branch implemented.
Since some facilities were still being repaired, the two agencies decided to try to use the San Isidro Youth Center for the first time.
Last year, the two agencies were able to run simultaneous camps at the Kagman Community Center, the Tanapag Youth Center, and the Carolinian Utt in Garapan.
This year’s camps were held in separate two-week camps, with the first camp being at the Tanapag Youth Center and the second camp at the San Isidro Youth Center.
“Next year, we’re looking at running it for four weeks in one area, or splitting it up to different areas,” Nogis said.
Possible locations for the next camp are at Koblerville, the San Isidro Youth Center, and the Tanapag Youth Center.
Nogis said both camps had about 88 total participants. The children were separated by age groups from ages 6 to 12.
Participants were introduced to playing the ukulele, bead making, and other traditional Carolinian arts. They were also introduced to different sporting activities.
According to DYS Family and Youth Enhancement Program supervisor Jennifer Tanaka and DYS administrator Vivian Sablan, the DYS is interested to partnering up with the CAO for another camp and that they hope to be able to make next year’s camp go for a longer duration and are able to introduce the participants to more activities.
