Hockomock YMCA Branches to Hold Camp Information Day on April 6

Registration is now open for summer camp at the Hockomock Area YMCA. All three branches in Foxborough, North Attleboro, and Franklin will hold camp information days on Saturday, April 6, from 9 a.m. to noon.

Visit any of the Y's full-service branches during Camp Information Days to get a personal feel for the camps. Meet staff, have questions answered and take advantage of early registration savings.  If you are interested in the Mansfield Arts & Education Center camps, visit the Invensys Foxboro Branch.

As parents look for opportunities to keep their kids active this summer, the Hockomock Area YMCA reminds caregivers that camp is among the best options for engaging kids in activities that will help develop their spirit, mind and body, while getting them outdoors in a safe environment.

“Camping is synonymous with personal development. It provides kids with the opportunity to practice social and decision-making skills through new experiences,” said Dan Brennock, Association Director of Camp. “Kids come to camp to develop friendships, learn skills in a new environment, and make memories that will last a lifetime. The kids that come to our Hockomock YMCA camps have so much fun.”

YMCA Camp provides exciting and educational summer camp options for school-age children, teens, and options for children with special needs. Attending summer camp at the YMCA can impact youth and teens in several important ways:

• Kids learn when given a break from their daily routine. Camp offers kids and teens productive “time away” from the troubling economic news they hear every day, as well as an independence they do not typically experience at home or in school.
• Lifelong memories are made at camp. Traditional Camps such as Camp Elmwood (North Attleboro), Camp WAPAWCA (Foxboro), and Camp Wigwanawan (Franklin) are the ideal environment for developing new skills, learning from other campers and counselors, and making new friends to share it all with. The Y also offer New Horizons camps for children with special needs. 
• Decision-making skills are learned through experience.  At camp, kids and teens learn and practice how to make smart choices, solve problems, and work as a team toward common goals.  These skills are essential to character development.
• At camp, kids and teens develop confidence by trying and learning new things, including adventurous outdoor activities that can lead to healthy, life-long habits.
• Camp is the perfect environment for increasing kids and teens’ awareness and appreciation of nature and the great outdoors.

Collectively the nation’s largest providers of camping programs, YMCAs have operated summer camps for more than 100 years. Each year, YMCAs operate more than 2,000 community and regional YMCA day camps that serve 600,000 individual campers each summer, which includes about 120 specialty camps for kids with disabilities. An additional 1.5 million individuals participate in camp programs throughout the balance of the year in family camps, weekend retreats, and school camping. 

The Hockomock Area YMCA is an organization that is committed to serving all persons regardless of their ability to pay. The Y's Reach Out For Youth and Families campaign makes it possible for everyone to participate in all of our programs, services, and events. 

Parents who want to send their children to camp, but who are in situations that make that seemingly impossible because of finances, should submit a confidential scholarship application by May 1.  Scholarship applications are available on the Y's website at hockymca.org or at any of the Y's member service desks.  

Call the Foxborough branch at (508) 772-1353 to learn more about local options.