Elementary students in Keizer can enjoy cooking, engineering, comic books or a beach trip this summer through a camp hosted by a local Boys and Girls Club. 

The Boys and Girls Club of Salem, Marion and Polk Counties is offering 11 weeks of summer camp that started Monday, June 15, and ends Saturday, Aug. 29. Families register on a weekly basis, with each week offering a new theme. 

There is no deadline to register for each camp, but families are encouraged to do so early. More information and steps to register can be found on the club’s website. 

Camp themes include pop culture, performing and visual arts and sports.

Erin Oliver, chief executive officer of the club, said the camps have a focus on preventing summer learning loss while also offering fun activities, and those involving science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics.

Those who register for five or more weeks of camp receive a pass for discounted or free services throughout the county, through the Marion Berries collegiate baseball team. Passes can be used at Chick-Fil-A, The REC, Oregon State Fair and other places. 

Oliver said families have told the club that its summer camps are more affordable than others in the area. 

It costs $90 per child each week, plus an annual $25 fee for those who are not members of the club. Those participating in a trip to Siletz Bay along the Oregon coast, taking place the first week of August, pay $140 per child to cover transportation costs. 

Need-based scholarships are available.

Camps are offered at sites across Salem and the club’s Keizer branch on Kennedy Elementary School property. Only kids in grades 1-5 can participate in camps at the Keizer location, and camp runs from 7:30 a.m. until 4 p.m. each day. 

NEWS TIP? Contact reporter Krista Kroiss at [email protected].

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