Kirkwood for Kids Gears up at Jones Regional Ed Center
During one week in July, about 150 young people in the area will jump into a world of new learning experiences. Kirkwood Community College will once again host Kirkwood for Kids, a series of camp experiences for students from first through eighth grades.
Classes will be held at Kirkwood’s new Jones Regional Education Center near Highway 151. Students will explore a host of topics from theater, photography and robotics to art, Spanish and 3-D modeling. Courses are designed for different age groups and keep young minds active during the leisure of the summer.
Jones County Director Kristy Black notes the Kirkwood Kids summer program has been an area tradition for years and is already generating lots of interest and registrations.
“We have been hosting this summer camp experience for more than two decades in Monticello, with students and parents coming to take part from all directions. It’s been a part of our programs for so long that plenty of our parents bringing kids this July were part of Kirkwood for Kids themselves when they were young. This is a good way for students to keep their minds engaged, see their friends and make some new ones along the way,” Black said.
This is the first year Kirkwood has expanded the program beyond the 6th grade, and will now include programs designed for grades 7 and 8. The Jones County Empowerment/DECAT organization will provide up to 75 full scholarships to students who meet any one of the following criteria: participation in the free and/or reduced meal program at their school, have an IEP or 504 education plan, or are considered “at-risk.” The support also includes free transportation from the four Jones County based schools: Monticello, Anamosa, Olin and Midland Community. More information on those criteria is available from staff at the Jones Regional Education Center staff.
Tuition for the Kirkwood for Kids program is $75 for grades 1 through 4 and $100 for 5th through 8th graders. Complete information and registrations are available by contacting the Jones Regional Education Center, (319) 465-2302, or find out more on the Kirkwood website:
www.kirkwood.edu/jrec