By Eelisa Jones
The YMCA of Metro Milwaukee and the County Department of Parks, Recreation, and Culture recently announced a partnership that will bring YMCA programming to 8 county parks this summer.
The YMCA will offer children’s day camps at Lincoln Park, Wilson Park, and the Milwaukee County Sports Complex.
Certified YMCA swim instructors will offer all-age swimming courses at Lincoln Parks’ Schultz Aquatic Center and Kosciuszko Park’s Pelican Cove in addition to the pools at Jackson, Washington, and Sheridan Parks as part of the YMCA and Department of Park’s “Milwaukee Swims” initiative.
The Y has implemented a summer learning loss prevention curriculum into the structure of all its children’s day camps.
The curriculum, known as Fun Learning for Youth (FLY), dedicates about two hours of the camp schedule to maintaining and developing math and literacy skills.
“All camp kids want to have, but they will also have the opportunity to better prepare for their upcoming school year,” says Julie Tolan, YMCA of Metro Milwaukee’s CEO, about the FLY curriculum.
Tolan says that summer learning loss – the deterioration of academic skills over a summer break – is a significant challenge for the Milwaukee community.
By adjusting all summer camps to meet the FLY curriculum, the YMCA hopes to meet this challenge and strengthen youth education.
In addition to offering FLY day camps this summer, the YMCA has expanded its efforts to provide swim certification to Milwaukee residents of all ages.
The CDC reports that black children between the ages of 5 and 14 are three times more likely to drown than their white counterparts. The Metro Milwaukee YMCA and the County Department of Parks started the Milwaukee Swims initiative to address these statistics.
Milwaukee Swims organizers will offer scholarships for 10-lesson packages. Summer registration begins on May 1.
For more information about YMCA day camps, you can call (414) 276- 9622 or visit http://www.ymcamke.org/daycamp
For more information about the Milwaukee Swims Initiative, you can call (414) 357-2838 or send your inquiries to milwaukeeswims@ymcamke.org