FORTVILLE — The Boys & Girls Club of Hancock County is branching out in Fortville with a new summer camp this year.
Robb Reed, Director of Resource Development & Administration, said it’s part of the nonprofit’s plan to eventually have a club for kids in every corner of the county.
The Boys & Girls Club will host summer camp at its Greenfield location at Riley Park as well as the Fortville Community Center at Fortville Park.
“The Fortville center is within walking distance of five little playgrounds, and there’s a baseball field right behind us with tennis courts right across the street and a dog park, and we’re right on either side of a neighborhood,” said Reed. “It’s a beautiful park. The way it’s laid out is fantastic.”
Campers will also have use of the community center’s gym, and will engage in environmental-themed programs at nearby Flat Fork Creek.
“I’m very excited to extend our reach to the surrounding areas, giving more youth the opportunity to experience the club setting,” said Maria Borgman, who will serve as site supervisor for the summer camp at the Fortville Community Center, at 400 W. Church St.
She currently works at the Boys & Girls Clubs’ Greenfield location.
Reed said Borgman was a great choice to lead the Fortville camp because she worked last year’s summer camp in Greenfield, and has a relationship with many of the kids already.
The Greenfield-based club draws youth from all over the county for summer camps, school breaks, e-learning days and before and after school care.
Reed said the programs go far above simple childcare, but focus on instilling traits in children that boost their academic success and give them access to a healthy lifestyle, ideally instilling traits that will last a lifetime.
The club’s programs are also at the lower end of the price point for summer camps and before and after school care, he said.
While the programs serve a wide range of kids ages 5-18, “we’re really there to help those kids who we feel like need us the most, those from lower income single family homes,” said Reed.
“The cost of after school care for those families is difficult. We never want to turn anyone away for (financial reasons),” he said, adding that the club offers scholarship assistance and that families with Anthem’s version of Medicaid can receive a free week of summer camp per month and a free monthly membership for after school programs throughout the school year.
“Our goal is to offer a club for every kid in the county to make it easier to access,” said Reed, adding that club officials are also looking into ways to expand into New Palestine and other parts of the county.
“We have talks with other potential projects in other parts of the county, but we can’t say too much because it’s in the works. We want to make sure that when there is growth that we’re doing it in the right way to make it a really amazing opportunity for the kids,” said Reed.
“We’re already at Eastern Hancock schools, but we want to make sure we have an area in southern Hancock County. We’ve got room to have a large footprint here in Greenfield and the northwest part of the county, and we’ve got other places like Knightstown asking if we can offer something there,” he said.
Starting in the fall, the Boys & Girls Clubs will host an art school program that’s open to Mt. Vernon schools.
The club currently provides after school programming at Eastern Hancock schools while New Palestine schools offer after school programs through the YMCA.
The Boys & Girls Clubs do pick up children for after school care from Brandywine Elementary in New Palestine, however, in addition to all seven Greenfield-Central schools.
Registration for this year’s summer camp offered through the Boys and Girls Clubs of Hancock County is now open.
Camps are for ages 5-18 and run June 3-July 19. Cost is $75 per week, which includes pool time, sports, games, STEM labs, Spanish lessons, arts and crafts, community service projects, field trips and more.
To register, visit bgchc.com/summer2024 or learn more at facebook.com/BGCHancockCounty.
