Et cetera NCCC’s Maple 1: Ready for Summer Camp!

By: Rachel Ruggles

Water balloon fights, capture the flag, arts and crafts, and more are in store for Maple 1 as they pack their bags and head to Plover, Wisconsin for the next two and a half weeks. The NCCC team is working with The Boys and Girls Club of Portage County to provide summer camp programming for youth, ages 6 to 18, and take care of basic club maintenance needs.

The team of 10 is using three different themes - Boys vs. Girls, Creepy Crawlers, and Hollywood Heroes - to facilitate activities in the following areas: character & leadership development, health and life skills, education and career development, sports, fitness and recreation, and the arts. They are currently working toward finalizing their programs, and will put them into action next week for the 160-300 youth the club serves daily.

“I am looking forward to working with the youth of Portage County and having a positive impact on their lives,” says team member Adam Marbes from Homer Glenn, Ill. Maple 1 is thrilled to be able to work with the kids at the club, putting forth effort to create effective and fun summer programming.

The mission of The Boys and Girls Club of Portage County is “to inspire and enable all youth, especially those that need us most, to realize their full potentials as productive, responsible and caring community members,” according to bjclubpc.org.  The club was founded in 2002 and currently includes seven club sites located throughout Portage County, Wis. They serve more than 1,000 youth annually. To enrich the lives of youth in the community, the club is open every day after school and all day during the summer. They offer more than 20 structured programs for youth from diverse socioeconomic and cultural backgrounds.