Now that the school year has ended, many parents are looking for ways for their children to have a fun but productive vacation.
While most children would prefer to play all day, it is usually very easy for children to get into trouble while having ‘fun’ especially if unsupervised. So a better option for children would be to have them join one of the several programmes available which are fun and beneficial.
Some of the program-mes this year include the Guyana Bank for Trade and Industry Early Savers camp which is a yearly programme created to benefit students who have accounts at GBTI. It runs from July 15th to July 19th at the Bel Air Recreational Facility and the children are randomly chosen from ages 7-11 and 12-16. They can participate in literacy, arts and craft, and this year, tennis has been added. The Kids Today Leaders Tomorrow Programme has collaborated with GBTI for its second consecutive year to assist with the learning sessions.
The National Sports Commission’s “Learn to Swim Programme” commenced this year from July 8th and ends on August 16th. The registration for the programme started in June and closed on July 3rd and parents were asked to present their children’s birth certificates along with the registration fee of $1000. Children from ages 6-10 were required to report to the Colgrain Swimming pool at Camp Street, North Cummings-burg, Georgetown, while older children from 11-16 were asked to report to the National Aquatic Centre at Liliendaal on the Railway Embankment, East Coast Demerara, at 9 in the morning on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays at both locations respectively.
The Everest Cricket Club also began its annual Cricket Camp on July 17th – 21st. Koulasir Sudama, a member of the club told Stabroek News that the camp usually does a lot of training for cricket but that the coach, Saheed Mohammed and the other members involved, also try to educate the club members on health and teamwork. He also informed this newspaper that in order to participate in the camp, students have to join the Everest Cricket Club before the August Vacation starts.
The Foundation Seven Music School which is located at 56 Brickdam and Austin Place, Georgetown, has a programme for students (ages 4 and older) and adults who would be interested in learning to play any musical instrument. The programme commenced on July 15th and is expected to end on July 26th. A representative from Foundation Seven told Stabroek News that there would be a second session from the 19th – 30th of August. Upon registering, instruments will be provided for those without, along with a T-shirt and water bottle. This newspaper was also told that there would be a graduation at the end of the programme to be held at the National Cultural Centre.
“Karate is a great sport to teach discipline and make oneself stronger,” Wanda Agdomar who teaches beginner and intermediate-level Karate classes for Association do Shotokan Karate Guyana (ASK- G) told Stabroek News. She also mentioned that the classes they provide are not a part of a summer programme but that students both young (ages 5 and up) and old can register at any time for Beginners Karate classes at the YMCA Building, Thomas Lands, George-town. The classes start at 3:45 to 5:15 on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays in the afternoon, and enrollers can continue classes to progress onto other coloured belts (grades) even after the August vacation is over. A registration fee of $3,000 is required to enroll and the cost of the training uniform (gi) will be given when uplifting the form.
