Covington Parks and Recreation has a solution to every parent’s quandary: What to do with that sliver of time when school ends but the pools aren’t open and summer programs have yet to start.
In partnership with Covington Independent Public Schools, Parks and Recreation will hold the very first Covington Recreation Summer Camp, or COV Camp.
The camp, which is free, will run noon to 4 p.m. June 5-9 and is for kids in 3rd through 5th grades. Kids can look forward to games, crafts, sports, special guests, educational offerings, and potentially a field trip, all provided at no cost.
(Photo from City of Covington)
“The goal is to have as much fun as possible and energize youth in the community, all while providing a service that helps parents transition from the school year to the summer,” said Covington Parks and Recreation Manger Ben Oldiges. “We are so excited to be a part of this initiative and can’t wait to see more camps coming to Covington down the road.”
Registration for the camp is open at Covington Parks and Recreation’s RecDesk website. 100 spots are available, so be quick to register.
Transportation will be provided from every Covington public elementary school to Holmes Middle School, where the camp takes place.
Oldiges said COV Camp will help kids unwind from the long school year and give them opportunities to have as much fun as possible.
“Our Parks and Recreation team is beyond excited about this new program,” he said. “Our division largely specializes in weekly programs and events, but nothing of this magnitude. We’re particularly thrilled to offer Covington children the opportunity for free.”
The community has long requested a summer camp program, said Oldiges. The idea gained momentum when it was recently identified as an area of need by City officials, including Mayor Pro Tem/Commissioner Ron Washington, who played an integral role in seeing the camp become a reality.
“I was happy to sponsor this and bring it to the Covington Board of Commissioners,” said Washington. “As a child growing up in Covington, summer recreation was always important to me and my siblings and the kids in the neighborhood. Working with Covington Independent Schools on this makes it an easy win for our kids.”
Celeste Hill-Brockett is the Covington Independent Schools staff and City’s part-time Recreation Specialist leading the charge on the initiative. She said they’re working to build community involvement with the City and Covington schools, and to get kids more involved with physical activities, team building, and camaraderie.
“The challenge that we have is that we don’t have a stand-alone recreation center,” said Hill-Brockett. “Mr. Turner (Lee Turner, Holmes Middle School principal) wants to open the doors here at Holmes Middle School to give recreational activities for our students. This camp is a building block and we’ll build on that.”
Turner stressed the importance of partnerships among the schools, the City, and the community in order to benefit Covington children and families.
“We’re building these relationships because we want the community to see that we’re all making the same goals, along with the City, in doing what’s best for our students in our community,” said Turner. “Plus, I get to bring elementary kids here to the middle school campus so they can see what’s here, become familiar with it, and hopefully take away from any fear when it’s time for them to make the move from elementary to middle school.”
City of Covington
