Summer Opportunities for Teens

Summer break provides children and youth with a bit of respite from the routine of the school day and time to spend with family and friends, but quality summer programming also allows youth to find their spark.

Think of your most favorite summer camp and I’m sure you’re able to recall a new skill, a new sport or new area you were able to explore.

For Urban League of the Upstate CEO Dr. Gail Wilson Awan, it was a science camp that so ignited her spark that she can still identify multiple species of snakes.

Dr. Awan shared her summer camp memory during the recent Coffee and Conversations sponsored by United Way of the Piedmont and led by Savannah Ray, who serves UWP and SAM, Meghan Smith, SAM’s director of college and career readiness, Spartanburg Science Center Executive Director, Mary Levens and City of Spartanburg’s Director of Parks and Recreation, Kim Moultrie.

“If a child doesn’t do anything in the summer, they tend to lose skills,” Levens said. “Summer is a time when we look for the sparks. We look for the aha moments. At the Spartanburg Science Center, we have an animal care camp that books up really fast where children can take home animals and keep them for a week and for many, it’s the first time they have made the connection between animals and science.”

The COVID pandemic highlighted that learning takes place outside of the school buildings, and taking advantage of summer months is critical, Smith said.

SAM’s Out-of-School Time Collaborative has partnered with summer programming organizations to offer scholarships for those who wouldn’t be able to otherwise experience the magic of summer camps. SAM’s Summer Shakedown offers scholarships for middle and high schoolers with a limit of application per student and priority for those who receive free or reduced lunch.

There are plenty of offerings for those interested in sports, music, SAT and ACT boot camps, a youth empowerment leadership camp, the city’s SAIYL youth leadership camp, art classes and more.

“What many parents and guardians don’t realize is that network is so important, so building relationships with camp leaders and community leaders is so important,” Levens said. “Participating in a summer camp is a great opportunity for middle and high schoolers to make those connections.”

Learn more about summer camps and scholarships at www.connectspartanburg.org/summer-shakedown-2022.