MR. KOJO NNAMDIFrom WAMU 88.5 at American University in Washington, welcome to "The Kojo Nnamdi Show," connecting your neighborhood with the world. At one time, summer camp meant a cabin in the woods and singing around a campfire at night. Today, it can include going on an archeological dig or trying fashion design or creating a videogame. Just about anything a kid dreams is possible. There are hundreds of programs for every budget.

MR. KOJO NNAMDIAnd, for many of them, you don't have to leave town or even the neighborhood. You can sign up at the local YMCA or check out the many free and low-cost summer camp choices at your local recreation center. And while many campers signed up back in February and March, last-minute spots are available in many programs. Joining us in studio is Jacky Dooly, the Guides editor with the Washington Parent magazine. Jacky, thank you for joining us.

MS. JACKY DOOLYThank you.

NNAMDIAlso with us is Jesus Aguirre. He is the director of the D.C. Department of Parks and Recreation. Jesus, thank you for joining us.

MR. JESUS AGUIRREThank you, Kojo.

NNAMDIAlso with us is Ellen London, president and CEO of the D.C. Children and Youth Investment Trust Corporation. Ellen, good to have you here.

MS. ELLEN LONDONVery happy to be here. Thank you.

NNAMDIJoining us from studios in Bloomington, Ind., is Peg Smith, CEO of the American Camp Association. Peg, thank you for joining us.

MS. PEG SMITHOh, thank you.

NNAMDII'll start with you, Peg. Summer camp has changed a lot over the last couple of decades. What are some of the trends that you have seen?

SMITHWell, there have been several. I do think, today, the camp experience is really designed to meet societal needs, as you've indicated. So there are day camps. There are family camps. There are resident camps, special need camps, specialty camps, trip-and-travel camps. And two of the areas that we've probably seen the most growth the last two decades, one would be day camp that we've just seen tremendous growth in day camps, and also in the last, probably, decade and particularly in the last five years, a significant growth in family camp.

NNAMDIWell, you mentioned the last few decades. Camps have been around a long time. What's the history? How long have camps been around?

SMITHCamp is 150 years old this year.

NNAMDIWhoa.

SMITHSo it is a strong American tradition and a very highly effective learning environment for children and youth.

NNAMDIPeg, traditional camps, sleep-away camps in the woods have not been completely squeezed out. Are they still popular?

SMITHOh, absolutely. And what's interesting, many of those traditional sleep-away camps that you're talking about have actually developed programs around that traditional program. So some of those traditional sleep-away camps now have a day camp component. They now have a family camp component. And many of them will have -- tag on either at the beginning or the end of the season a special needs program or a specialty program.

SMITHSo they didn't go away. They actually diversified and grew in terms of kinds of programs and services they're offering families today.

NNAMDIMore specifics later. But if you'd like to join the conversation, you can call now, 800-433-8850. Are you still looking for a summer camp? What kind of program are you hoping for? 800-433-8850. Or go to our website, kojoshow.org. Send us a tweet, @kojoshow, or e-mail us at kojo@wamu.org. Jacky Dooly, what should people think about first when they're considering camp?

DOOLYWell, they want to look at what their specific needs are. Do they need a full-day or maybe just a half-day option? Or do they also need extended day? Camp is actually not really a luxury for many parents. It's an extension of their daycare needs. So they want to start by looking at what they need, and they also want to look at what their children's interests are. Summer is a great time to hone in on your child's skills or talents.

DOOLYA sports camp may give them just the edge they need in the regular season. So you definitely want to speak to your child.

NNAMDIJesus, there's a range of summer camp programs offered by the Department of Parks and Recreation at a very low cost. What are some of the things that kids might be able to sign up for?

AGUIRRESure. So all of our camps are day camps. We have quite a variety of camps serving children from 3 years old all the way into the teen years. We have what we call our little explorers camps, which are designed for the 3- to 5-year-olds. We have our discovery camps which are for 6- to 13-year-olds. And then we have a variety of sports camps. We have aqua day camps, and, also, we have a couple of camps designed for our population for special -- with special needs.

NNAMDIGreen Buds?

AGUIRREWe also have a Green Buds program, which is at our Lederer Garden Center, which is an exciting camp. It allows kids to really get their hands dirty during the summer and plant and watch things grow.

NNAMDIHow about teens? My understanding, you got jewelry making?

AGUIRREWe do. We have lots of teen camps. Working in concert with the summer youth employment program, we offer camps for the children to -- for the teens to allow them to develop skills. Jewelry making. There's performance. There's -- we have a couple sound studios in two of our recreation centers, so we allow the teens to take advantage of those. Lots of visual arts, fashion, lots of great things that we think are of great interest to the teens.

NNAMDIEllen London, your organization works with the city and with community organizations to create options for kids in the summer. What are some of the challenges you're facing this year?

LONDONYeah, the trust is an intermediary for the District, so we do use District dollars. And we try to leverage those and bring in private funds to regrant to community-based organizations that are in the community and that have served their neighborhoods frequently throughout the school year, and then they develop summer programs. So we have granted out to about 30 or 40 organizations this summer that will be continuing to offer, again, as Jesus said, a really tremendous variety and serve a variety of ages.

LONDONWhile the funding hasn't been as rich this year, as it is, we are convinced that there still are a lot of things for the children and youth in the District. It just is going to take a little bit of a different (word?) to getting there. A lot of our programs that we fund already use the resources at the rec centers, and the libraries have terrific reading programs. So our work this summer is in addition to the funding the programs is making sure they're aware of all the resources available to both the programs we fund, but to the broader community at large.

NNAMDIYou're getting local businesses involved. What's the idea?

LONDONWe really do believe that keeping kids engaged during the summer is terribly important, not just to preventing summer learning loss but to developing young people fully so that they are able to do well in school, that they are ready to become employable in a few years. We do serve younger kids. We also serve teens. And a lot of the programs that we fund do pay attention to those youth development outcomes that we're all working towards, and so that they are ready to take the next step and become citizens of the District, better, fully employable and doing well.

NNAMDIWe're talking summer camps and inviting your calls at 800-433-8850. Are there summer camp programs you'd recommend? Call us, 800-433-8850. Jacky, what really seems to be exploding are specialty camps with programs for all kinds of interests. What are some of the more unusual choices in our area?

DOOLYWell, actually, every year, I get so excited when I start preparing and gathering the directory that Washington Parent magazine publishes. And every year, it just is amazing, the new and diverse options that the -- that is offered out there. You have your outdoor adventure camps where your children can experience kayaking or mountain biking or do zip lines. You mentioned modeling camps, and that really helps with self-esteem. Musical, visual performing arts, foreign language.

DOOLYYou can learn science, cooking, even chess. One of the new camps that I heard about this year is actually here at American University, and it's a camp for digital storytelling. And this camp is for kids and their grandparents, offering the opportunity to write, shoot, edit and upload family stories. So I thought that was a very cool camp.

NNAMDIAnd there's also a camp for videogame creation?

DOOLYFor all those gamers out there, and I know I have a few sons that spend much -- a great amount of time in the basement. There are a lot of digital gaming and robotic camps that are available.

NNAMDIAm I too old to go to camp? Let's go to...

NNAMDILet's go to Jackie in Washington D.C. Jackie, you're on the air. Go ahead, please.

JACKIEHi. I'm calling on behalf of the YMCA, and I just wanted to provide an update on the availability of our camps. We actually still have openings all across the region, Virginia, Maryland and D.C. We have traditional camps, specialty, trips, sports and dance, tennis. And we also have our resident camps out in Edgewater, Md., which is on the Chesapeake Bay, and it's a 200-acre beautiful, beautiful camp. And it's for ages -- we have the range from 4 to 17.

NNAMDIThank you very much for sharing that with us, Jackie.

JACKIEAnd you're welcome.

NNAMDIAnd here is Jacky Dooly.

DOOLYI was just going to mention the YMCA camps as well because those types of programs, as well as maybe the JCC, can make camping much more affordable because they are subsidized. So those are great options for parents with financial concerns.

NNAMDIJackie, thank you very much for your call. Peg Smith, there are programs for special needs at many types of camps, aren't there?

SMITHYes, that is true. And, you know, special needs can range from, particularly, medical needs because all kids are kids first. And so being able to go to camp, even though you may be dealing with a disability or a special need or a special challenge, it's important that those young people have an opportunity to have a camp experience as well. And so there are special programs for that.

SMITHAnd as already been mentioned, certainly, the specialties around, you know, a particular skill and sport, I think it's important that parents, they realize the plethora of opportunities out there for young people. And we say there's a camp for every child, and there's a budget that would match every child as well. We just need to explore and ask.

NNAMDIWe've got an e-mail from Cyndi in Bethesda. "My daughter is very shy and at 16 is not ready for the natural expectations for most kids her age where they have a summer job or are at a camp as counselors in training. I have a hard time finding a camp for her this summer." Any ideas, Jacky Dooly, Ellen London, Jesus? Jacky?

DOOLYWell, Washington Parent is a trusted resource. And we do direct parents to our website, WashingtonParent.com, where we have hundreds of camps listed, camps in D.C., Maryland, Virginia, and there are camps that do address self-esteem. And the camps in -- are just a good time to really get your child ahead or ready for the following -- for the next school year. But that is a resource that you can go to, WashingtonParent.com.

DOOLYOr another good website that you can go to is tipsontripsandcamps.com, and they offer free expert advice, very -- advice that is very personal. And they can also help you match a program with your child's needs.

NNAMDIYou said the magic word, free. Ellen London, your organization has a list of community-based summer programs that's linked on our website, kojoshow.org. The organizations you partner with sponsor a range of programs. What are some of the needs that they're meeting?

LONDONThe programs, as I said, serve a variety of age groups. Mostly, if they're going to be serving the younger children from, say, 5 to 13, they'll offer a little bit of everything during the day. There'll be some academic reinforcement, but there's always going to be, you know, physical activity. They'll be accessing the free summer meals program. They'll make sure they've got some field trips, some cultural enrichment pieces to it.

LONDONSo, generally, for younger kids, there's a -- if you get into one program, you'll have a little bit of everything. Then, for the older kids, again, they do start to specialize. It could be a technology boot camp. It could be rugby. We have dance and performing arts programs as well, and these are all for District residents.

NNAMDIGot to take a short break. When we come back, if you have called, stay on the line. We still have a few lines open at 800-433-8850. We're discussing summer camps. What's the best or worst summer camp experience your kids have had? 800-433-8850, or join us at our website, kojoshow.org. I'm Kojo Nnamdi.

NNAMDIWelcome back to our conversation on summer camps. We're talking with Jacky Dooly. She is the Guides editor with Washington Parent magazine. Ellen London is the president and CEO of the D.C. Children and Youth Investment Trust Corporation. And Jesus Aguirre is the director of the D.C. Department of Parks and Recreation. They all join us in our Washington studio.

NNAMDIJoining us from studios in Bloomington, Ind., is Peg Smith, CEO of the American Camp Association. 800-433-8850 is the number to call if you'd like to join the conversation. Let's go to Cathy in Silver Spring, Md. Cathy, you're on the air. Go ahead, please.

CATHYHi. I'm so glad to get to talk. My daughter has been going for years to a camp in the Burtonsville-Silver Spring area. It's called Camp Cool. She started sort of one of those last-minute traffic things of trying to find a camp, and she hasn't ever wanted to go anywhere else because she's had so much fun. It's not a specialty camp. It's a no-frills thing, but the kids pretty much get to choose what they're going to do that day. They plan their week.

CATHYThey do everything, from building their own pool table or dunk tank to putting on little drama skits, and he always has more (word?) than you can handle because kids don't want to ever stop coming.

NNAMDIBut the real reason they want to go is because everybody wants to go to a camp named Camp Cool, don't they?

CATHYReally, really. Yeah.

NNAMDIThank you very much for sharing that.

CATHYAnd the other thing…

NNAMDIGo ahead, please.

CATHYThe other thing I wanted to recommend is Blake High School has a drama program. Blake is up in Silver Spring, too. And they have both for middle school and high school. And Blake is really well known for its incredible drama productions, and I just really highly recommend it.

NNAMDIThank you very much for that, Cathy. And I'm glad you mentioned schools because, Peg Smith, some parents worry about summer learning loss, that their kids will lose momentum and fall behind by the time school starts again. Or maybe their child struggled during the year, and they'd like to give them a head start on the next year. What kinds of programs address that?

SMITHWell, I think parents need to understand that beyond academics, kids do need opportunities for different experiences for socialization and emotional growth. And the camp experience, regardless of the type of camper -- even the activities that are being provided -- the beauty of it is it allows young people to become active agents in their own learning. Cathy expressed that in her call. And it gives them a sense of self-confidence and the ability to learn and participate and engage.

SMITHAnd what studies have shown, and we have -- and I know there's so many sites out there, campparents.org, that will give parents access to even some of this research, it has been found that those kinds of experience are excellent precursors to academic growth. And so, regardless of the type of camp, whether it's a specialty camp or traditional camp, it is an alternative learning environment that can prepare and strengthen your child when they return to that academic school environment.

SMITHIt's organized and intentional. And that it keeps kids thinking and involved in creativity and critical thinking and participation, I think, that keeps us in the game, if you will, and ready and prepared to learn.

NNAMDIEllen, a number of programs your organization sponsors also help kids to keep up or get ahead academically. What are some of the options?

LONDONAll of the programs that we work with over the summer, we really encourage them to include inquiry-based learning in their curriculum. So it may not necessarily be sitting in front of a book or computer, but they can be doing science projects or, you know, go down to the Anacostia River and look at what an ecosystem means. And our programs are very, very good at intentionally, I think, as she mentioned, using that word intentional, that they're very intentional about how they work with the young people.

LONDONBut in specifics, you know, we've got programs at the Smithsonian Anacostia Museum, Thurgood Marshall Public Academy, where they're working towards college preparatory environment, the Washington Middle School for Girls, IDEA Public Charter School. There are lots of programs that are using a school setting but, again, lots of programs that aren't in the school but they still use this inquiry-based learning model to further their preparation for (unintelligible).

NNAMDIJesus Aguirre, anything that the city is offering in that regard?

AGUIRRESure. So that -- the idea of, I think, as Peg has said, the camps that are organized and intentional is really what we're pushing this year. We made a lot of progress last year in terms of having a structured curriculum. Obviously, there's a balance between, you know, the kids want to have fun and they want to enjoy their summer, but we do want to do our part and support what the schools are doing and try to mitigate some of that summer loss.

AGUIRREAs an example, our Little Explorers Camp is really focused on helping the kids develop a kind of the -- exploring their community, how they relate to the community, the planet, their health, all of this is just really important things as they're growing up.

AGUIRREThe discovery camp takes advantage of the fact that we have such a wealth of resources here in Washington, D.C., the museums and the various other places and helping the kids discover their communities. So, really, it's a big push for us to make sure that these are structured and very well-organized camp.

NNAMDIHere is Lynn in Alexandria, Va. Lynn, you're on the air. Go ahead, please.

LYNNHi, Kojo. Thanks for taking my call. I just wanted to mention our camps called MathTree, M-A-T-H-T-R-E-E. We put math and fun in the same sentence, so kids who come to the camp discover mathematical characters. And we work with math toys, activities, games. We make math fun. We have camps for ages 6 to 14. We have 22 locations in the D.C. Metro area. And we just do math. That's our specialty. We don't try to do robotics and everything else.

LYNNWe also have a camp called Puzzle Piazza -- just puzzles. The goal is problem solving, and Artrageously (sp?) Artsy, which is art with a mathematical twist. Can I answer any questions for you?

NNAMDIWell, no. But, Jacky, you may be able to tell us, given that there are so many programs out there, how do you go about choosing the right one for your child?

LYNNWell, on our website, we have...

NNAMDIOh, you can answer that, too, Lynn. Go ahead, Lynn.

LYNNOh, okay. Sorry. Sorry. On our website, we actually have readiness questions because we have camps for different ages of kids. And we -- to make sure a kid is ready for Bean Counting 101, there are readiness questions, and there are little games kids can play to find out if they're ready for it. So that's how we do it for our camps, and we have different camps for different ages.

NNAMDIOkay. Lynn, thank you so much for your call. Jacky Dooly?

DOOLYYes. And I always recommend calling and talking to the camp program director, getting a sense, 'cause you know your child best. And by talking to the program director, you'll get a sense of whether your child is or is not ready for the program you may be considering.

NNAMDIOn to Lane in Southeast Washington, D.C. Lane, your turn.

LANEHi, Kojo. Good afternoon, panel. I have a question with regard to basically the background or security checks done on counselors and managers at the various camps. Personally, I wouldn't want to my drop my children off at a babysitters who I didn't have an understanding of their background. I'm just wondering if there are criminal checks that are undertaken in the different metro regions for counselors and, more broadly, for managers at these camps? And how can a parent be assured that their child is getting, you know, safe attention during the day or overnight?

NNAMDIWell, first, Peg Smith, are there any kind of national standards that the American Camp Association advocates?

SMITHWell, we have an accreditation program, which is the only national program for health and safety standards. It varies from state to state, what the health and safety requirements are. And if you go to acacamps.org, you can find state-by-state listing of regulation for camps. So parents can go there and find out just what their state is requiring. We always suggest parents ask if the camp is accredited because accredited camps are asked to do a criminal background check on an annual basis.

SMITHHealth and safety is paramount to all of us that are, not only on this panel, but all of us who are working with children and youth. And if a camp says they're not accredited, and then ask why, why not. Because sometimes it's because of the state regulations, sometimes it's because of other things that they are doing to ensure health and safety.

SMITHBut I forget -- I think it was Jacky that mentioned -- the conversation with the camp and the camp director are paramount, and this is one of the questions you need to ask. What are they doing in terms of training, screening, hiring and the orientation for staff, so that, gee, you've got good evidence that their top concern is your child's health and safety.

NNAMDIEllen London.

LONDONAbsolutely. All the programs that we fund, their staff is required to have background checks and TB checks if they're working directly with young people.

NNAMDIJesus Aguirre?

AGUIRREYes. The same for Parks and Recreation, all of our staff, both our year-round staff as well as any seasonal staff -- excuse me -- that we hire are required to have background checks and drug tests and all those things. In addition to -- we also have several partner organizations who come in and offer camps in our facilities. They're also required to go through those checks as well as all of our volunteers who work with the kids.

NNAMDILane, thank you very much for your call. On to Mark in Great Falls, Va. Hi, Mark.

MARKHello. How you doing, Kojo? I listen to you all the time.

NNAMDIThank you.

MARKWell, I just wanted to say this kind of goes back to what one of the guests said earlier. My daughter went in at 10, became a camp counselor, in her spare time in high school became an EMT, just got into the whole outdoor thing, ended up with two degrees in four years at a college, one in biology and one in outdoor recreation, got her (unintelligible) life support. I mean, it's become a career for her.

MARKAnd one of the things that she says all time is she loves working with the kids and bringing them out of their shells. They show up. They have no idea what they want to do. And the counselors, you know, give them an opportunity to be away from their parents to do different things and find something that could later on, you know, give them the confidence to do whatever they want to do.

MARKSo everybody should go to camp no matter what kind of camp it is. It could be one of the day camps. It could be an overnight or whatever. But it can be, you know, a life experience. And she's now working on her master's sustainability. So, you know, this is what we need, more people who are protecting the environment and seeing it as a resource as opposed to just something to be abused.

NNAMDIThank you very much for your call, Mark. Jacky Dooly, on the one hand, parents say, look, we want something that our kids can do during the summer that is both productive, that gives us a break for a while. But on the other hand, Mark says this can lead you into a career.

DOOLYOh, absolutely. I just -- like I said earlier, I just feel these summer programs are just a way for our kids to really find their passion. And it's not just about having fun, although I think that's probably number one. But it is about education and a learning experience.

NNAMDIPeg Smith, what do you suggest when kids and parents have different ideas as to what they should do for the summer?

SMITHWell, I would like to say to parents that we have found through surveys and some research that the best and most successful summer, and whether it's based on what the child is wanting or what the parents want, it's when they have made that decision together. So we're finding the most successful camp experience is one that the decision was made jointly with the parent and the child.

SMITHAnd it's -- because it's a matter of a discussion about what they value, what the expectations are and, as what's said earlier, the needs of the family and the individual. And even learning how to make that joint mutual decision together, the give and the take, and the discussion and the exploration of the opportunities out there is a growth opportunity.

SMITHAnd just one other thing I'd like to say to everybody is that -- and to parents, particularly, and I've had to say it to myself, is that we have to remember is fun is the feeling you get when you're learning. And so it's really a great bridge between the activity and the learning if it is fun. And fun is a not a bad word. If it is, again, organized and (word?) as you move forward. Make it a mutual decision, and it will be a good one.

NNAMDIEllen London?

LONDONYeah, and I would like to that just one step further and move that into the program. I think the Camp Cool caller talked about how much her daughter like having a saying in what the activities were going to be. And I think that's when you get really successful programs, is when there's youth voice included. So, absolutely, the program, the adults put the framework around it.

LONDONBut if you could have some youth voice and youth decision making, they're going to have a much better time, and they'll be more likely to take a lot out of that program.

NNAMDIThank you for your call, Mark. Here now is Rebecca in Washington, D.C. Rebecca, your turn. Oh, Rebecca is no longer there, so we'll go to Connie in Patapsco State Park in Maryland. Hi, Connie.

CONNIEHi. I would like to tell people -- Kojo, thank you for taking my call, by the way -- about a camp that still has space in it for high school students. It's sponsored by the Maryland Forestry Boards, and it has DNR professionals and forestry professionals and academics giving classes and teaching, basically, about careers in wildlife and forest management. It happens in Garrett County, and it's the 24th through the 30th of July. I have a website people can go to to start the application process.

NNAMDIOkay. Tell us the website, and we'll provide a link.

CONNIEAll right. It's marylandforestryboards.org, all one word -- marylandforestryboards.org, and click on programs and click on natural resource career conference. I think we're not full because we have such a boring sounding name. But they come out to -- high school students come out to Garrett County and stay for a week at the Environmental Education Center.

CONNIEWe do things like tree climbing, and we visit lumber mills. And we learn to how to assess the health of a forest, and we do different kinds of stream research. And we hope to get at least two students from every county in Maryland, plus the city of Baltimore.

NNAMDIGot a lot of tree climbing during my summer days. I could probably teach that course. Connie, thank you very much for your call. You, too, can call us at 800-433-8850. Are you still looking for a summer camp? What kind of program are you hoping for? 800-433-8850 or send us a tweet, @kojoshow. Jacky, Washington Parent magazine puts together a summer camp guide each winter, and that's because most camps open registration in January or February. For those who did not sign up early, is there still hope?

DOOLYThere absolutely is still hope. We still have that extensive list on our website, washingtonparent.com. But, in addition, our monthly magazine still hosts a wide variety of camps that are still advertising, so their programs still have openings that can -- that you can register for.

NNAMDIOne good sign for those still looking for camps, you're still seeing camps placing ads in your magazine, Washington Parent. Do you have any sense of why?

DOOLYI think that it's probably just the sign of the times and an economic issue. Just as private schools have lower enrollment because of the financial climate, the summer camp programs, which do tend to be a luxury in -- for a lot of families, are cut back on, so the enrollment is slower.

NNAMDIJesus Aguirre, we know that spaces are tighter this year for many of the low-cost options offered by the District of Columbia. Are there still spaces open in some program?

AGUIRREThere are. We've got about 20 of the 68 sites that we offer, camps that still have openings, so we encourage folks to go on to our website -- excuse me -- at D.C...

NNAMDIAre those openings only available for D.C. residents?

AGUIRRENo. They're available for both. And so they're -- our camps are open for both residents and non-residents. The fee structure is such that is it's a higher cost if you're a non-resident.

NNAMDIOn to the phones again. Here now is Kim in Bethesda, Md. Hi, Kim. (sic)

TIMActually it's Tim, with a T.

NNAMDIHi, Tim.

TIMYes. And I'm -- I actually am calling about Camp William B. Snyder. We're actually the Boy Scouts who a lot of people like to think about for camping. We have a camp right outside Haymarket. And we -- many times -- although you have to join scouts to go to camp, but it also -- we'd like to focus on, you know, family development and to bring the boys out. And this summer, we're offering -- our summer program is actually a superhero theme.

TIMSo all the boys will kind of come and learn to be superheroes. And we kind of get them to learn by exposing to the environment and to the other areas by doing something fun, but they don't even kind of realize that they're learning things about nature and about team building and character development.

NNAMDIWhat's the name of that camp again?

TIMIt's Camp William B. Snyder.

NNAMDICamp William B. Snyder. Okay. Thank you for you call, Kim.

TIMAnd it's in Haymarket.

NNAMDIWe're going to take a short break. When we come back, if you've called, stay on the line. We will get to your calls. If not, if you don't want to call us, you can communicate with us by email, kojo@wamu.org. Send us a tweet, @kojoshow, or go to our website, kojoshow.org and join the conversation there. We're talking summer camps. I'm Kojo Nnamdi.

NNAMDIWelcome back to our conversation about summer camps. We're talking with Ellen London. She is the president and CEO of the D.C. Children and Youth Investment Trust Corporation. Jesus Aguirre is the director of the D.C. Department of Parks and Recreation. Jacky Dooly is the Guides editor with Washington Parent magazine. And Peg Smith is the CEO of the American Camp Association.

NNAMDIYou can call us at 800-433-8850. Peg Smith, some parents worry about the cost of camp. What are some of the cost-conscious options out there?

SMITHWell, I really want to remind people that there is a child and dependent tax care credit they can look into. There is income eligibility subsidy programs, for instance, Title XX that certainly will help support day camps. If you happen to have a dependent child care flexible spending account at work, those dollars can be spent that way. Camp community within ACA, we put in about $39 million worth of scholarships.

SMITHSo it's always important to ask the camp if whether they have opportunities for scholarships. Many of the camps will work with you on a payment plan. And camps can cost $75 a week up to $200, and, of course, there are others that are higher. But we're talking about -- I know affordability for a lot of people. I think the assumption many people make is they can't afford it. But I think the best suggestion was done -- was made earlier, is make a call to the camp director and talk about the options that may be available at that camp.

NNAMDIJesus, what's the cost of summer camp through the Department of Parks and Recreation?

AGUIRRESo ours is actually, I think, quite a bargain as a parent. For residents, it's $100 for a two-week session. It's $218 for non-residents. But, also, because we serve every neighborhood in the city, we also have program for parents who aren't able to pay the full rate. And there are reduced rate applications that -- and folks can qualify for $25 for the two-week session.

NNAMDIWe got an email from someone who says, "If you're compiling resources for awesome summer camp experiences, don't forget Girls Rock D.C. This is a great week-long music education camp that gives girls and young women the chance to form their own bands and rock out. They even get to perform at the 9:30 Club. This year's registration deadline is June 10. The camp runs August 8 through the 12th. We did a show on Girls Rock D.C. last year."

NNAMDIAnd we got this from Erica in Alexandria, "The Art League School is registering for our summer camp -- for our summer art camps in Alexandria. This is a favorite of parents and kids in the summers, and there's till time and space to enroll." We move now to Carol in Rockville, Md. Carol, you're on the air. Go ahead, please.

CAROLYes. My question is -- I'm new to the area. I have three children. We've been living overseas all this time. They're 7, 10 and 12. And I've been trying to get them interested in summer camps, and they want nothing to do with it. Is there any suggestions you have?

NNAMDIWhy are they not interested? Why do they want nothing to do with it? What were they doing during their summers abroad?

CAROLWe were living in Haiti in the Dominican Republic, and so we would go to the beach. And I was their entertainer, essentially. I grew up, you know, in the Boys and Girls Club and did the summer thing and loved it and went on to be a teacher in the recreation department and blah, blah, blah. So I do it for them, and they feel like, you know, they don't need to do it. But I think for the social part of it, it's so essential.

CAROLAnd I know that they're going to have an amazing time. But just trying to get them interested in it, they're just not going for it.

NNAMDIWell, I know that, Ellen London, some of the programs that you offer, professional training and internships for teens, tell us and tell Carol about some of those opportunities.

LONDONYeah, our programs are in the District. But, certainly, I think that there are programs out there that similarly are age-specific, and they're really tapping into what young teens want to do, and older teens. There's a lot of dance. There is traditional dancing and drumming. There are theater productions. There's a group called City at Peace that is all about conflict resolution, leadership skills, but they do it in the context of performing. So there's a ton of stuff out there that it's going to...

NNAMDIAny recommendations for Carol, Jacky Dooly?

DOOLYWell, I think she should try to sit down with her kids and go to washingtonparent.com and look through the list of extensive camps and see what sparks their interest because they may just think of camp as a traditional type of day camp. And, of course, those are out there, but they may just have a real interest in something that they didn't even know was available. But they...

NNAMDIJewelry making, theater...

DOOLYAbsolutely.

NNAMDI...music industry recording, dance, fashion design.

DOOLYBut they could just try to get their feet wet. It doesn't have to be a five-day, eight-hour-a-day program. There are lots of programs out there that are just a few days a week or half day, and maybe that's a way to go just to get them started.

NNAMDIAnd good luck to you, Carol.

CAROLYes. Thank you very much.

NNAMDIYou're welcome. Here is Elise in Bethesda, Md. Hi, Elise.

ELISEHi, Kojo. Thank you for having me on your show. Very excited to let you know that my art education program, which is called Studio Neptune is located in downtown Bethesda. It's a 21-year-old program. And for the last 13 years, we have, in the summertime, taken students each week to visit a local business in Bethesda where we meet the owners of the business and we really take a good, hard look around to see not only what they do there, but how they set their spaces up visually.

ELISEOur art program then has the kids come back for a studio work for the week. We make art projects that are directly inspired by the businesses that we visit.

NNAMDIOh, good. Thank you very much for sharing that with us, Elise.

ELISEYou're welcome. Thank you.

NNAMDIHere is Susan in Fairfax, Va. Susan, your turn.

SUSANHi, Kojo. Thanks for taking my call. I just wanted to comment on how incredibly useful it was for me to look at the online reviews and the comments by other families when I was choosing a camp for my daughter. I was choosing a camp that was going to -- it was a weight loss camp. And so not only was it going to be a significant financial investment, it was going to be an emotional investment. And I was very concerned about her self-esteem.

SUSANAnd there are a lot of camps out there that have amazing marketing packages, and, in the end, they really don't do any service to your child. And so by using those online reviews, I found the most amazing camp, and she had an outstanding experience. And I really think I would have made a huge mistake had I not investigated those camps real further. So I just wanted to encourage any parent who's looking for a camp to look around and see what other parents have said.

NNAMDIPeg Smith, research can never hurt, can it?

SMITHNo. It is important. I think one of the callers mentioned earlier that it is important. Wherever you're sending your child, you do your due diligence. And, you know, I think it is, you know, again, fascinating, again, what the caller is talking about because it's a matter of exploring. And we still find -- with all the sort of websites and services we're talking about, we still find that the number one referral source, the most trusted referral source is parent to parent.

NNAMDIWe got an email from Nora for you, Jesus Aguirre. It says, "All too often, the camp programs being offered have a grand write-up in the camp publication. However, the -- what's going on on the ground is significantly different. Can you talk a little bit about the selection, training and performance of the personnel?" And Nora mentions one specific rec center -- King Greenleaf Rec Center in Southwest, D.C. "Finally, is it true that these summer programs are manned by addicts enrolled in recovery programs?"

AGUIRREWell, first of all, the last thing is not true. Again, all of our camps or staff are -- they go through the screening that we do with all of our employees. I think that -- one of the things that we have been working on is, again, making sure that there's a consistent camp experience across the city.

AGUIRRESo we've got over 100 camps across the city. And as I said earlier, you know, we've revamped our curriculum, tried to make it standardized so that, in fact, if I as a parent enrolled my child in one of these camps, that I know exactly what to expect on a daily basis. And, also, the camp personnel know what to expect on a daily basis. So we train our staff, both our year-round staff as well as our seasonal staff, when they come in just to make sure that that's happening.

AGUIRREYou know, we're adding quite a few layers of assessments as we go in, we go out and ensure that the camps are sort of being -- implementing the curriculum of fidelity.

NNAMDIAny idea why the emailer singled out King Greenleaf Rec Center in Southwest, D.C.? Did I miss something?

AGUIRRENot -- I don't know exactly why or anything specific that happened there. Certainly, that's a community that has a great need for youth programming. And, you know, we haven't been able to fill that need just because there's not a whole lot of recreational facilities in that community. And I'm not sure where that's coming from.

NNAMDIBecause budgets have been cut, Ellen, some kids will be turned away from some of the free and low-cost programs. What is your organization trying to do to address that?

LONDONWe are trying to connect the community-based organizations with other resources that are already in place in the city. Again, there are tremendous reading programs going on with the libraries and the like. But I think, also, if parents want to look towards the churches or faith-based organizations, they frequently have daycare and summer camp programs that are free or low-cost as well.

NNAMDIHere now is Becky in Washington, D.C. Becky, you're on the air. Go ahead, please.

BECKYYes. Hi. Thanks for taking my call. I just wanted to give a shout-out to my camp that I went to for seven years, the YMCA Camp Letts. And I think -- you know, the caller mentioned it earlier, saying there was still room there. But it's a fantastic camp, so much fun. And I was a ski master there, which meant we got to water-ski all day.

NNAMDIWhich YMCA camp was this?

BECKYCamp Letts in Edgewater, Md.

NNAMDIOkay. Sure. All right.

BECKYYeah.

NNAMDIThanks for giving your favorite camp a shout-out, Becky.

BECKYThank you.

NNAMDIHere is Laura in Bluemont, Va. Laura, your turn.

LAURAHi. Thanks for taking my call. I'm going to let you talk to my husband, who's one of the camp counselors.

NNAMDIOkay, Laura's husband. We're ready.

STANYes. I'm a counselor at the Trout Unlimited Tri-State Conservation & Fishing Camp.

NNAMDIYes.

STANAnd we do have openings. The camp is June 24 through July 1, and it's held at Graves Mountain Lodge down in Syria, Va., adjacent to Shenandoah National Park.

NNAMDIAnd how can people find out more information about the camp?

STANGo to the website. We have an excellent website with a -- that's where you can find the application and information about tuition and sponsorships, which we do have.

NNAMDIAnd it's called the Trout & Conservation -- tell us the name of the camp again.

STANTrout Unlimited Tri-State Conservation & Fishing Camp. And...

NNAMDITrout Unlimited Tri-State Conservation & Fishing Camp. And people can look for that website. Laura and husband...

STANWell...

NNAMDIGo ahead.

STANTucamp.org is the website.

NNAMDIOh, okay. Tucamp.org?

STANYes, sir.

NNAMDIOkay. Thank you very much. And your name, sir?

STANStan Ikonen.

NNAMDIOkay, Stan and Laura. Thank you both for your call. Here now is Clarice in Bethesda, Md. Clarice, hi.

CLARICEHi. How are you? Thanks for having me on.

NNAMDII'm well. Go ahead.

CLARICEI just wanted to call and let you and your listeners know that I run a cooking camp in the summer at L'Academie de Cuisine in Bethesda. And we've been running it for a number of years, to the point where I started as a counselor. And we have them for kids and for teens, a variety of cooking and baking camps, and we run them through the entire summer. And we have a couple of slots still open.

CLARICESo I know a big interest now for young -- the younger crowd is cooking and baking. So we provide an excellent facility. We just renovated our kitchens in Bethesda, so it's a great opportunity.

NNAMDIThank you very much for sharing that with us. Jesus, talk a little bit more about some of the programs offered by the city because we got a comment on our Facebook page from someone who says, "Can you ask your guests for camps for foreign language enrichment and practice at the middle school level, ages 13 and up?"

NNAMDIThe age is what attracted me to this Facebook comment because the person says, "Many programs I found are for kids under 10 or 12 years old." And you have teen camp for ages 14 to 19, kids who don't need daycare or babysitting. What's the goal with teen camp?

AGUIRREI think it's twofold. One is to make sure that we provide exciting and positive opportunities for these teens to get involved during the summer. And also all of our teen camps really are focused around, you know, life readiness, job readiness, college readiness, trying to give the kids something that's exciting, but also teaches them skills. In terms of specific language immersion camps, we don't have any for the older kids.

AGUIRREWe actually -- I'm excited. We have a Spanish immersion camp that we're starting in collaboration with DCPS at Tyler Elementary School, which -- you know, going back to the point about limiting the summer loss, these are kids that are in a dual language immersion program during the school year. And we want to provide a camp experience throughout the summer to allow those language skills to continue.

NNAMDIAnd I'm afraid that's all the time we have. But, Peg Smith, we had a caller who couldn't stay on the line who wanted to know why she couldn't go to camp with the kids. And I know that she can find out a lot more about family camps, which are still in existence, right?

SMITHThat's right. It's -- and there are certainly those available in the D.C., Maryland and Virginia area.

NNAMDIPeg Smith is the CEO of the American Camp Association. Jacky Dooly is the Guides editor with Washington Parent Magazine. Ellen London is the president and CEO of the DC Children and Youth Investment Trust Corporation. And Jesus Aguirre is the director of the D.C. Department of Parks and Recreation. Thank you all for joining us and thank you all for listening. I'm Kojo Nnamdi.