Free summer camp being offered

Ten low-income women and their children can still get in on a weeklong free summer camp that sponsors and participants alike describe as an amazing and life-changing experience. The Women and Kids Learning Together camp will take 20 women and their children ages 6 to 14 for a week on Western Kentucky University’s campus, June 2 through June 6. Half those spots are left, but the application deadline is May 27 and it usually fills up before that, said Michelle Glorioso, assistant camp coordinator for the Department of Women’s Studies at Western. The camp runs from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. most days, with occasional field trips and an evening graduation ceremony June 6. The program is designed not only to teach new skills to women and their children, but to give them a taste of college life, bolstering their courage and motivation to continue their educations, Olmstead said. Those attending the camp will take classes in drama, dance, crafts, poetry and visual arts; practical living courses including personal safety, financial aid and education for women; and first-job skills for children; and emotional and physical wellness. This year’s presenters include noted English professor Libby Oakes and art professor John Oakes, who will conduct workshops; while Mayor Elaine Walker will talk about civic engagement, Glorioso said. A full schedule is available at the Women’s Studies Web site at www.wku.edu/womens studies. Participating in the camp is always a moving experience, as women who may have never set foot on a college campus or dreamed of continuing their education meet professors and professionals, all come to celebrate and empower women, said T.J. Shockley, Community Initiatives director for the Housing Authority of Bowling Green, which runs REACH Higher. “This year we have nine REACH Higher folks that will be participating,” she said. “I encourage anyone who’s eligible to at least apply.” Several participants from past years have come back to speak and inspire the next year’s campers, and several have gone on to enroll in college, Shockley said. “Almost all the participants who have come through this have said that this has been the experience of a lifetime,” she said. For those who complete the camp and do go on to higher education, supporters of the Women’s Studies program have set up a scholarship fund, divided annually among applicants, Shockley said. It’s the third year for the camp, which costs about $10,000 to put on and is supported by the WKU Provost’s Initiative for Excellence, Dollar General Corp., the Kentucky Foundation for Women and Broadway United Methodist Church, Glorioso said. To qualify for the camp, women must belong to the REACH Higher program; or qualify for food stamps, Medicaid or Welfare; or have recently been on Welfare.
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