Affordable Full Day Summer Camp Options
NORTH TEXAS (CBSDFW.COM) - With just a few weeks left in the school year, parents are looking at ways to keep their children engaged and active during summer break.
You do not have to break the bank to find affordable summer camps in the area.
Each city's Parks and Recreation Department offers summer camp programs and classes for children over the break.
This is a great resource for parents starting their research.
Camp Fort Worth for example, is running camps at 21 locations around the city.
"They are very affordable programs and often times there are scholarships to underwrite the costs too," Mayor Betsy Price told CBS 11 News.
Camp Fort Worth is open to any child 5 to 13 years old and you do not have to be a resident of the city to sign up.
Kids can try their hands at archery, tennis golf and even cooking.
The 9-week full day camp session starts June 11th and runs through August 10th, for $270.
Extended hours are available at an additional cost.
If your child is older than 13, The Rising Stars Youth Leadership Academy offers a program that could be a career game changer.
"We have opportunity for them to take college tours," Program coordinator Daphne Brookins told CBS 11 news. "They meet with major employers," she said.
The program is open to anyone in Tarrant County.
We spoke to Stacie Biddle, a Rising Stars alum. She completed the program last summer.
"Our first two weeks had to do with anatomy and physiology. We got to learn about the body in depth," she said.
"There were bones and parts I didn't know existed!"
She's now a college freshman majoring in biochemistry. Rising Stars gave her the opportunity to explore future careers in medicine hands-on, working on manikins that respond to treatment.
Teens also participate in mock trials and earn their CPR and food handling certifications free of charge.
The competitive program costs $15 for the entire summer, and that includes lunches too.
Interested teens have to fill out an application due May 25th.
