I live in Stone Mtn., GA - don't drive & rely on Marta. I'm looking for affordable summer camps or job internships for my 14 yr. old son. Now, I've already done some research - last yr. he went to a summer camp through Decatur Recreation Center but it cost me $165 for 1 week (when he was younger, he went to summer camps through the YMCA which was again $100 per week). There has to be something more affordable out here... (In addition to my 14 yr. old, I have a 2 yr. old daughter so needless to say my finances are tight though I work full-time.)
I just want to thank all of the moms for their advice.
Thank you, Celia. DeKalb Cty. Parks & Recreation offers a summer camp so I'm going to try to see if I can get him in there (it's 1st come 1st serve basis). If I don't make it, then I'm just going to do the camp he attended last summer despite the cost.
A., check w/ the Boys & Girls Clubs. I sent my children there for the entire summer and it only cost approx. $200 for the entire summer for members. Membership is around $30...and they can go for free during spring break. My kids went to Jesse Draper Boys & Girls Club in College Park,GA. But there has to be one near you with similar fees.
Hope this helps.
Actually, $100 per week sounds like a bargain to me! Check your local churches for day camps and check Atlanta Parent (http://www.atlantaparent.com/camps-online/daycamps.html). They usually have quite a list of camps. But my other thought was that at age 14, maybe he could be a counselor at a day camp.
I am not sure, but try St. Paul Lutheran Church Summer Camp. I am not sure if they go to age 14 but the cost is $25, before and after care is low. They are located on tilson Road between Candler and 2nd Avenue. Call ###-###-####, I think.
Try P.I.C. program in Atlanta. It costs nothing and if the kids have decent grades, they will help them get a summer job. I don't have a telephone number for them but they are listed in the telephone book.
Good luck!
Pick up a copy of Kids Enabled Magazine at Whole Foods, or go online www.kidsenabled.com for a listing of camps - they should be listed according to specialty, i.e. dance, judo, etc.
I hope this is a good start for you.
Good luck
M. N.
____@____.com
I would suggest coming back to the YMCA and see if your son could be a Jr counselor, a staff position. I worked at the YMCA from 14 yr old all the way through college and ended up as the camp director. It was a long time ago, but
they might have the same staff positions. Good luck!
Hi A.,
I had to do the summer camp thing for my son from the time he was 3 to 15 because I worked full-time. That age, 14, is the hardest to find camps or activities for. It seems like the cut-off age foe everything is 13. But try the churches, they have pretty good deals sometimes, and your county parks system. Also you could get him started on earning money by helping out neighbors with yard work or mowing lawns. I remember that my son went away to a summer camp in Alabama for a couple of weeks where they are outdoors a lot and it was expensive, but I noticed that they had scholarship programs and other ways for people to afford it so keep that in mind. Wish I had more to tell you. I used to also send him to his grandparents for a week at a time, and also to my sister who had kids and stayed home. That helped a lot. I don't know if Stone Mountain Park offers anything or not. I remember I had to start planning for summers in March, what a pain. I sympathize with you! Good luck, C.
