ARKANSAS, USA — Summer break for students in both high school and college is just around the corner— and as this time rolls around, many parents are looking for ways to keep their kids occupied.
For working families, having a place to send their kids for the day or an activity to keep them active can be a real help.
From Little Rock to North Little Rock to Benton, there's a pick of the litter for summer programs— ones that offer more than just a place to go.
"We have so much fun during the summer, we have all kinds of activities," said Cindy Doramus, CEO of the Boys and Girls Club of Central Arkansas.
The Boys and Girls Club of Central Arkansas has a specific focus on their club kids. They engage in everything from academics, healthy lifestyles, character development, leadership skills, and fun.
"We get them at six years old, and we keep them engaged until they're 18, they're prepared for their future, learning about who they are and finding their strengths,” Doramus explained.
There are 6 locations across this area of the state, including the Billy Mitchell Club, Hamilton, Penick, Thrasher, Wellington, and Dalton Whetstone.
Doramus added that on top of a wide range of clubs, there are even more activities for younger kids.
"A wide range of activities for all ages,” she described. “There's all kinds of games to play, we'll do field trips."
The club also has special events for teens.
"For the teenagers, we do things we called Career Trips, where they get to go to businesses, and maybe get some ideas of what they might want to explore for their future," Doramus said.
Some of the clubs offer summer baseball or basketball leagues and have pools to enjoy the summer heat. Even when the summer fades, the clubs are still open.
"We are open in the summer from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., those are our summer hours,” Doramus explained. “Every child will get a get breakfast and lunch, breakfast, and lunch will be served during the summer hours, but we continue on during the school year."
In Benton, the city's Parks and Recreation department has a large pick of summer programs.
"We have ‘Little Putters’, which is a new program that will introduce them to the game of golf and we have ‘Little Olympians’, which introduces them to Youth Track and Field," said Ryan Grist, Recreation Manager of Benton Parks and Recreation Department.
‘Little Putters’ and ‘Little Olympians’ are for kids aged 3 to 5. For older kids, there are clinics for disc golf and pickleball.
“Then in the next summer session, we will have youth sand volleyball that they can take part in,” Grist said.
16-year-olds can even be on the other side of things.
“At age 16 you can actually work for the city of Benton, for me and my team,” Grist explained. “You can be scorekeepers, adult softball umpires and we also need youth instructors.”
Another option for parents with high school or college students is the North Little Rock Mayor's Summer Youth Program. The program is a long-standing initiative that aims at introducing students aged 16 to 24 to the workforce.
Jobs through the program are available in three areas: clerical, labor, or recreation.
If selected for the program, the job is just like any other one, the student will work 40-hour weeks while making minimum wage, or $11 an hour.
The registration deadline for the North Little Rock Mayor's Summer Youth Program is May 5 at 4:00 p.m.
Students must be a resident of North Little Rock and have a valid driver’s license.
For more information on the above programs, please visit the websites linked below: