May - Albany Colonie Regional Chamber of Commerce

HappycampersSummertime means camps galore at region’s schoolsSchool’s almost out for summer, butthousands of local schoolchildren soonwill be heading right back to school whensummer camps open on several campusesacross the region.Kids obviously enjoy theopportunities that summer campsprovide, but the schools themselvesalso appreciate the additionalexposure and the recruitingpotential that these programs offer.For the kidsJoe Urschel runs JMU 4 KidsSummer Camps at The DoaneStuart School, Academy ofthe Holy Names and SaintGregory’s School and says varietyis the key to success and satisfaction.“Part of the reason we do itis self-serving,” he said. “We wantthe kids to be engaged for as manyhours as possible. We have many ofthese kids 10 hours a day, and ourjob becomes easier when kids haveso many different activities to do.We have an assortment of specialtycamps that attract kids when theyget to be seven, eight or older.”The main camp offered by JMU4 Kids is a variety day camp, whichincludes: crafts, drawing, karate, computertraining, golf and tennis instruction, storytime with guest readers/speakers, outdoorand indoor sports and recreation, reading,fitness, a “virtual learning” room andswimming.10 | acchamber.org | techvalley.orgThere’s an extreme camp, where kidsparticipate in paintball, mountain boarding,kayaking, survival skills, an obstacle courseand archery. At the performing arts camp,JMU 4 Kids offers summer camps at The Doane Stuart School,Academy of the Holy Names and Saint Gregory’s Schoolkids get to sing, dance, act, learn Africandrumming and perform a show.The Doane Stuart School will even betransformed into the School of Hogwartsfor a Harry Potter Camp. “We’ll devotepart of each day to discussing topics raisedin the books, and we’ll have a differentbook as a theme each week and facilitatedialogue among the kids,” Urschel said.JMU 4 Kids has experiencedsteady growth during the past fiveyears, which is mutually beneficialto Urschel and the schools hostingthe camps.“We have grown by 25 percentevery year, and one of the keys toour success is our relationship withthese three prestigious schools,”he said. “The fact that we’re ableto attract a lot of kids to thosecampuses for the purpose of ourcamp gives them a chance to visita school they didn’t know muchabout. Each of the schools hasenrolled some extra students basedon their positive experience withus.”Richard Enemark, headmasterof The Doane Stuart School, can’timagine his school without summercamp.“The JMU 4 Kids SummerCamp is a wonderful opportunityfor Doane Stuart families, as well asfamilies in the Capital Region,” hesaid. “The camps are favorites ofparents and students alike, and they serveas an introduction to the many benefitsof Doane Stuart for families new to ourschool. JMU 4 Kids Summer Campsprovide important revenue to the school