Riis Academy’s Summer Camps kept kids engaged and excited about learning during their break from school. Our theme for this year was ‘Under the Sea.”
Over 130 elementary school children signed up for Riis Academy-P.S.166’s summer camp. Participants explored the role of a marine biologist as they studied and discovered life under the sea. They also had the chance to pick a visual art medium and be coached by a professional teaching artist from the Joan Mitchell Foundation. Other activities included sports, recreation, dance and theater workshops along with excursions to Rye Playland and Luna Park at Coney Island. Riis Academy-P.S. 166 wrapped up the summer with their end of camp celebration. Students showed off their talents with choral and dance performances.
The Riis Academy-Queensbridge elementary summer camp program worked with Sprout by Design to learn about the life cycles of chickens and butterflies. They worked with some of the older adults in our Riis Settlement senior center to replant bottle gardens. During the month of July, all the students from each of the campuses went to Lake Compounce Amusement park to enjoy the day. This joint trip was designed to build relationships and friendships among participants across Riis Settlement’s campuses and it was very successful indeed.
The middle-school students of Riis Academy-Queensbridge also had lots of fun over the summer. Field trips during the month of July included a beach day at Coney Island, visits to both Central Park and Brooklyn Bridge Park, and outings to the movies. In August, they were able to spend time at Club Getaway, an overnight camp just 90 minutes north of New York City, which promotes team building through its many outdoor activities.
Riis Academy’s dedicated summer camp workers were assisted by interns from the Riis Academy-InfoTech Campus who were part of a six-week paid program. The selected interns had a specific interest in working with children or had previously worked at Riis Academy. The Riis Academy-InfoTech campus teens really enjoyed the experience, and appreciated the help of their direct supervisors. They did express, however, that one of the biggest challenges was keeping up with the energy of the smaller children, which any parent can relate to! They managed to do a fantastic job and we hope they will work with us again next year.
