Williamsport, Pa. — A local nonprofit is hoping to connect local youth to nature and community this summer.
Summer Alive 2024, an outreach program of Project CoffeeHouse, aims to provide nature-based experiences for children.
“The program that we have had over 24 years for children helps them to discover their gifts and enhance their strengths and recognize their weaknesses — to work with them and the world around them,” said Barb Jarmoska, President of Project Coffee House.
“It is really a process of self-actualization that is best if begun very young,” she added.
The goal of the nonprofit has shifted since it began in the early 2000s.
Project Coffee House began as a response to drug busts and concerns for teenagers in the Lock Haven area.
After eight years, the nonprofit relocated to a storefront on Main Street in Lock Haven, and later, relocated again to Montgomery Borough Park.
When the program moved to Montgomery, it transitioned to working with younger children, offering outdoor activities, gardening, art classes, demonstrations, and more.
Since then, it's focus has moved into helping children’s growth, learning, and development to become contributing members of the community.
“I think of my childhood, how I spent so much time on the river and playing in the woods and that's how, I think, I've become an environmentalist now– from having that opportunity when I was growing up. I'm hoping that these kids will also want to take care of their environment and their town, as well," said LuAnn Potter, Founder and Executive Director of Project Coffee House.
The Summer Alive summer camp will focus on nature-related activities, including cooking on a fire, using hand tools, making forts, and playing in the woods.
“There's lots of group activities where kids learn the value of team work. There's a stream that runs through the woods, Black Hole creek, and we will spend days in the water, catching crayfish and catching frogs, learning plant identification and what to touch and what not to touch. Same with the things that are growing in the woods: getting magnifying glasses and looking at what is in one square foot of a forest, dirt, and soil. They're learning to respect what lives; they're learning about nature, at whatever level they're at,” Jarmoska said.
This is the first year that the Sumer Alive camp will take place in the woods, on a piece of property owned by the Montgomery Water Authority.
Summer Alive welcomes children between the ages of 5 and 10. The Acorns group includes 5 to 7-year-olds who have completed kindergarten, while the Oaks group consists of 8 to 10-year-olds.
Children can choose to attend one or both weekly, age-appropriate sessions. The camp will run from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., Monday through Friday. The Acorn camp will take place from June 24 to July 5, with no camp on July 4, while the Oak camp will be held from July 8 to 19.
The tuition fee is $70 per week per child. Families who provide proof of qualification for reduced school lunch will pay $50 per week, and those who qualify for free lunch can attend for $35 per week.
The program is also taking donations and are in need of the following materials: nails, small sawhorses, drills, tarps of all sizes, pool noodles, folding picnic tables, large wooden spools and strong wood. Anyone wishing to donate may contact LuAnn Potter at 570-599-0279.
Limited scholarships are also available for qualified applicants. For further information and registration, interested individuals can contact summeralivefun@yahoo.com .
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