Mar
Mar
A successful March break programme for inner-city kids is expanding its intake this year giving more children from some of Ottawa's poorest families the chance to enjoy a safe and fun-filled holiday they couldn't normally afford.
Thanks to a new partnership with the Ottawa-based Muslim charity Human Concern International, York Street ULTIMATE will be accepting 35 kids ”“ up from 20 children last year ”“ into its high quality children's day camp in the Lowertown area during March break.
Lowertown, nestled near the core of downtown Ottawa, is home to a high population of low income, visible minority families -- mainly due to a large social housing presence ”“ and is known for its high crime rate.
Regular recreational programming in the area is limited to mostly low-budget, low-organization activities which primarily serve to provide a safe, supervised alternative for children to spend their free time and keep them off the streets. Many inner-city children who would benefit greatly from camp never have the opportunity to attend due to financial constraints.
York Street ULTIMATE's mission takes the concept of safe, supervised recreation, and builds on it, offering kids the chance to enjoy the beginning of spring, get physical activity and try out new hobbies ”“ at no cost to their struggling families.
Working with the Lowertown Community Resource Center, YSU organizes March break camps that are centered on the idea of bringing enriched activities to economically-disadvantaged kids. These enriched activities are supplemented with traditional camp activities so that the children participating experience a memorable, eye-opening adventure.
In a traditional day camp, most activities are centered on low-organization group games, sports, crafts, and the occasional field trip. YSU's enriched program provides all of that, in addition to specialized hands-on science workshops, field trips to zoos, museums, and play places, educational and musical presentations, and much more.
The positive social and psychological effects of attending camp are well known. In addition, YSU gives less-advantaged kids a rare opportunity to engage in stimulating play, interactive learning, and skill building.
What makes the YSU camp even more unique is that it is run by youth volunteers who double as mentors to the children. The volunteers are selected on merit and experience and come from similar backgrounds and locations as the children. Many of them are trained child/youth workers who are able to create strong bonds with kids right from the get go.
In 2010, York Street ULTIMATE offered its day camp program in Lowertown for the first time for twenty participants between the ages of 6 and 12. The highly successful program received praise from many members of the community, including parents, participants, community members, and media. In November 2011, the camp project was acknowledged at the national Corporate and Community Social Responsibility Conference held at Algonquin College.
Although last year's fully booked camp received superb ratings, the initial community demand from Lowertown was forty four applications, which resulted in more than half of these applicants being denied.
This year, partnerships with Human Concern International and the Max Keeping Foundation will make it possible for York Street ULTIMATE to take in 35 qualifying participants for free, while training and certifying ten youth to run the program.
The camp will take place at York Street Public School from Mar. 12 to 16.
Learn more about the York Street ULTIMATE project at: www.yorkstreetultimate.ca. To make a donation with HCI to send an underprivileged child to day camp please visit: http://www.humanconcern.org/day-camp-appeal.php
Mahmuda Khan works as a Communications Officer for Human Concern International.
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