 | Jon McReynolds
is the Greater Wichita YMCA's Metro Camping Director. He graduated from SWOSU with a degree in psychology and has been working for the YMCA for 14 years. His YMCA experience includes 4 years at a resident camp in Oklahoma serving in roles from counselor to Asst. Program Director; Child Care Director for 5 years in OKC; and the past 3 years as the Metro Camping Director for the Greater Wichita YMCA. Jon and his wife are proud parents of two daughters. You may contact Jon via e-mail at: jon@wichitaymca.org |
Youth
2003-04-01 11:29:00
No jobs...what do we do?
QUESTION: With unemployment like it is, jobs for teenagers are going to be hard to come by. What are some of the different programs that are available to occupy their time throughout the summer?ANSWERS: 1) GO TO CAMP! The Greater Wichita YMCA provides a wide variety of age-appropriate summer day camps starting May 27 and running through August 15 at many convenient locations throughout Wichita. For teens, options include:• TEEN CAMP at Camp Hyde gets kids out of the city and into the action! Climb the 50 ft. tall Alpine Tower, grind a rail at the NEW Skate Park at Camp Hyde, and cruise the nature trails on mountain bikes (also new this year!). Campers can also swim in the outdoor swimming pool and canoe on the pond. Transportation to Camp Hyde is provided. Programs are also available for kids ages 7 to 12.• Teen Adventures for youth ages 13 to 15. Based at the Central Branch YMCA, these field-trip camps include themes such as "Hair-Raiser," "Community Strikes Back," "Extreme Activities," "Everybody is a Star," "Head Spinner", "H2OOOhhh", "History in the Making", "Coasters Last Stand - at Kansas City's World's of Fun", "Career Search", and "End of Summer Jam." • Leaders in Training, for youth ages 13 to 15, is a four week in-depth look at what it takes to become a camp counselor, a Wrangler and a Life Guard. Transportation is provided to YMCA's Camp Hyde, where teens will get a real hands-on camp experience. Camp opportunities for the younger kids include:• Summer Adventure Club (Kindergarten to age 12) provides children activities such as: arts & crafts, field-trips, sports, special events, cookouts, Character Development Challenges, and recreational swims. • Sports Camps (Kindergarten to age 12) provides your child with a brief encounter with a variety of sports and activities: "Y's World of Sports", "Extreme Sports", "Great Outdoorsman", "Punt, Pass, Kick, Yell", "Take me out to the Ball Game", "Hoop Action", "Water Sports" and "Games with a Ball". • Field-Trip/Specialty Camps (Kindergarten to age 12) are designed for campers looking for an opportunity to broaden their creative experiences. These include: "Dance Camp", "Technology Camp", "Home Improvement", Gymnastics Camp", "Man's Best Friend", "This Place the Zoo”, "Camp Hollywood", "A Bug's Life”, "Creative Campers" and "Space and Science Camp". Financial assistance is available for Summer Day Camp. Additional details on all these camps can be obtained at any YMCA branch or at http://www.wichitaymca.org/ 2) VOLUNTEER! It's a popular activity among teens: Young people want to make meaningful contributions to community life. Parents like it because it reinforces good values and it gives their kids a safe, structured, and supervised activity. Kids like it because it gives them a sense of self-esteem and 'connectedness' to others. In other words, it's fun! At the YMCA, volunteer opportunities include: · Youth Sports · Grounds Upkeep · Office/Member Service Desk assistance Contact Jeremy Kindy at 264-4066 ext. 244 for more information.3) LIFEGUARD! The YMCA employees teens as young as sixteen years of age for lifeguards at the outdoor pools at the North and South Branches and Camp Hyde, or the indoor pools at the Central, East, South, North and West Branches. A Lifeguard Certification Class, CPR and First Aid are required for the positions, and all classes are offered at the YMCA. Contact the Aquatics Director at any branch for information on these certifications as well as employment opportunities.
