Use this search box to find articles that have run in our newspapers over the last several years.
Date: 7/26/2021
EASTHAMPTON – Easthampton Parks and Recreation received $2,500 from state grant funding provided by state Attorney General (AG) Maura Healy to help the Camp Nonotuck Summer Camp program.
The goal of this funding is to hire more young people between the ages of 18 and 21 to help them gain experience in the workforce and to work in jobs that promote good health and nutrition. According to John Mason, the director of Easthampton Parks and Recreation, the department has applied and received this funding from the state for years.
“The Camp Nonotuck Summer Camp has a long history of professional development for employees,” said Mason. “We provide or enhance young adults’ leadership skills, mentoring skills, problem solving skills and risk assessment skills.”
According to Mason, this summer camp is typically a first job with a leadership component for a lot of young adults. The Nonotuck Summer Camp is structured into small groups for much of the day, and each group has a leader. The small groups allow for better development of mentoring skills due to easier communication and bonding between group leaders and campers.
“Group leaders are able to balance leadership with compassion and understanding which creates a strong mentoring relationship,” said Mason, who added that group leaders must learn how to lead a group, make good decisions, recognize potential issues and assess their surroundings for risks and safety while maintaining an interactive program. “We also provide all our camp employees with CPR and First-Aid training and an all-day leadership training.”
Two people are involved in the summer camp this year, and the provided grant covers 16 hours each week for six weeks. The camp season itself lasts for seven weeks.
Healy’s office granted $300,000 to 74 organizations across the state to fund summer jobs for young people that are “focused on promoting health and wellness.” This is the seventh year that the state AG’s office is providing grant funding for the Healthy Summer Youth Jobs Grant Program.
Throughout this summer, the AG’s Community Engagement Division will be providing webinars and in-person training on worker’s rights to teens employed through the grant program.
“Our summer jobs program provides young people in Easthampton and across Massachusetts with an opportunity to gain new skills and make a difference in their own communities by promoting healthy living and nutrition. We have worked hard to continue this program each year and are grateful to organizations like Easthampton’s Parks and Recreation Department for providing a safe and hands-on leadership experience for local youth,” said Healy in a comment to Reminder Publishing.
Mason said that the most rewarding part of this summer camp program in Easthampton is providing opportunities to young people to build a resume for college or for a career. The program also allows young people to think about their future and potential career path of working with children.
“It feels good that we have a proven track record of providing a safe and successful camp and an employment opportunity for our young leaders in the community,” said Mason. “The relationships built during this camp can last a lifetime.”
Healy’s Healthy Summer Youth Jobs Grant Program will fund employment for young people at the 74 organizations from July 5 through Sep. 3.
According to the Easthampton website, Camp Nonotuck offers a variety of of structured activities for children, including, nut not limited to an Olympic-size outdoor swimming pool, a water spray park, sports, weekly field trips, special events, games, carnivals, nature trails, tournaments, arts and crafts and theme weeks.