By: Mike Rhodes—
Muncie, IN—The City of Muncie will be offering a wide variety of FREE programs for youth to participate in this summer.
The Parks Department partners with a variety of local organizations to provide fun activities for youth during the summer, including: Ball State University, the Ross Center, the Buley Center, MAAC, the Boys and Girls Club of Muncie, the Unity Center, the Boy Scouts, and Ivy Tech.
Back to Basic Summer Camp will take place from June 3, 2019 to July 26, 2019. Youth can sign up and participate in the following programs: Baseball/T-Ball, (new pitching machines are available) Basketball League, Golf, Tennis, Cheer, day camp, and Youth Leadership Camp. (Age 13 to 17.)
“We’ve always had the best interest of the youth in Muncie in mind and will continue to do so with our programming.” — Harvey Wright, City of Muncie Superintendent of Parks
Hours for day camp programs will be 8am to 4pm Monday through Thursday. Programs take place at Heekin Park and McCullough Park. Programs are FREE and registration is open on June 1, 2019 for interested attendees.
There are three ways to register. You can register for the program at the website pictured below. http://www.munciesummercamp.org You can also stop by the Muncie Parks Department Office located inside Heekin Park, Monday through Friday from 8am to 3pm OR McCulloch Park cabin #6, Monday through Thursday (excluding Memorial Day) from 4pm to 6pm.
Visit the summer camp website to register at http://www.munciesummercamp.org
Day Camp
Children can take part in a day camp which will run from Monday—Thursday from 8am to 4pm if they do not want to opt for the sports activities listed above. For those that sign up for the day camp, the program will offer breakfast, lunch and a snack for children to enjoy according to Yolanda Taylor, Program Coordinator.
Tuhey Pool
Tuhey Pool will open for the 2019 season on May 25th and is open until Labor Day. Hours of operation (weather permitting) will be 12pm to 7pm. Additional equipment has been installed to assist persons with special needs. Tuhey offers a 50 meter pool, splash pad and a kiddie pool with a built-in play set.
Karate
The Muncie Parks and Recreation Department is partnering with Ron White’s Bushido Karate Dojo to offer summer youth Karate programming. Master White provides martial arts instruction in a child-friendly environment combining fun, fitness, character building, and leadership development. No martial arts experience necessary!
Classes will be offered at Ron Whites, Bushido Karate, 2100 South Madison St., Muncie, IN. To learn more, contact Ron White at (765) 212-4303.
Boy Scouts
Muncie Parks and Recreation has partnered with the Boy Scouts of America in Delaware and surrounding counties for several years, and they run a year round program that serves the youth of Muncie alongside the parks department since 2012.
Serving youth from ages 5 through 18, they have provided scout skills, STEM activities as well as summer sports for all youth who are interested. Often listed as the Unity Center, they help leaders instill character building and leadership skills in the kids. Younger participants have enjoyed scouting skills, camping (sometimes camping on the infield at Victory Field in Indianapolis), cooking, being pen pals with hospitalized children in Great Britain, STEM activities, sports/game play, and learning First Aid.
Several children have attended both Cub Scout Day Camp at Camp Red Wing and camp at Prairie Creek Reservoir. Older youth have been able to participate in educational visits to college campuses, job shadowing, mentoring through various agencies, and attending major sporting events as well as several Ball State games. Currently they are partnering to send older youth to Ball State for a STEM learning experience in microbiology. Youth have fun while they learn with a purpose. Muncie Parks and Recreation has provided both facilities and grounds for use and transportation for all activities. It is a win-win partnership for all. If you are interested in participating with Scouts please contact Karen Goth at the Muncie Scout office kagoth@crossroadsbsa.org or call 765-288-0223, ext 2301. Summer ball starts soon but it isn’t too late to register!
Muncie Athletic Club
The Muncie Athletic Club (MAAC) provides opportunities for boys and girls in grades 2-8 to train and compete in basketball, chess and track and field. Basketball travel teams, extended from Future Bearcats, will compete both locally and in regional tournaments. The chess team and track and field athletes, inclusive to those with physical disabilities, will begin training for competitions in June. Partnerships with the city and support from community organizations help facilitate the MAAC mission of academic success and character development while encouraging our youth to Aspire and Achieve. Learn more at www.MuncieMAAC.com.
For more information on summer programs this year, contact:
Harvey Wright, Parks Superintendent—765-212-9371
Carl Malone, Program Coordinator—765-215-6247
Yolanda Taylor, Program Coordinator—765-215-1593
