School may be out for summer break, but activity at The Patch is in full swing! Summer camps have begun, offering Patch kids a wide variety of activities all summer long. Our summer camps have been a crowd favorite for current members and alumni alike, with many agreeing that The Patch offers youth unique opportunities that they can’t get anywhere else. Each week offers a new set of camps with a range of themes that is wide enough to appeal to everyone’s interests. This year’s roster includes aerospace, robotics, dance, leadership, several outdoor activities, and college tours. This summer also brings the return of The Patch’s popular travel camps, which have been exposing children to new corners of the country for decades. Travel camps were suspended during the Covid-19 pandemic, so it’s no surprise that the excitement around this year’s weeklong tour through Kentucky’s State Parks is electric!
These camps mean the world to kids like Kevan*, who likes participating in ones that allow him to explore the great outdoors. He believes that our summer camps allow kids to try new activities and discover new skills that they don’t get to tap into anywhere else. Some of his favorites over the years have been Rivers and Reels (fishing) and the Outdoor Explorers camp. “It’s really fun,” he said. “What gets me most excited is when we get to spend the night here at The Patch or somewhere else, basically camping. Then, we wake up and have breakfast together.” He explained that he appreciates the opportunity to get out of the house during the summer months, since his neighborhood doesn’t have any other kids his age. “It’s like a gift,” he concluded with a smile.
These same feelings are often echoed by alumni when asked about their fondest memories of The Patch. Most of them don’t hesitate to say, “The camps!” Alumni from the 80’s and 90’s always share stories about memorable visits to major cities, fishing trips in Canada, and the life changing effect of that exposure on their lives.
Follow along on Instagram and Facebook as we post about this year’s camp adventures all summer long!