Young people also will participate in physical activities and learn how to reduce their carbon footprints and the benefits of sustainable living, Maloney said.
“We will have two very small demonstration gardens the kids can learn from,” she said. “We’re also going to have healthy chef certificates they can earn, so they’ll also be cooking and also learning that healthy food can be delicious.”
Credit: Sarah Franks
Credit: Sarah Franks
Dayton has been awarded a $50,000 grant from the U.S. Conference of Mayors that it will use to help teach kids at its summer camp about healthy and sustainable living.
Dayton’s urban adventures summer camp runs June 7 to July 30 and is open to kids 3 to 12 years old.
All of the campers will take part in the Dayton Sprouts program, which will include daily activities and guest speakers on Fridays who will talk about subjects that correspond with that week’s theme, said Stephan Marcellus, Dayton’s recreation manager, with recreation and youth services.
The camp runs Monday to Friday at the Northwest and Lohrey recreation centers. Registration starts April 6.
The Dayton Sprouts program seeks to address childhood obesity and environmental health and sustainability.
Campers will learn the importance of healthy lifestyle choices, and each child will receive a kit to grow food at home.
“We’re going to send them home with some tomato sprouts that they can grow at home that are very, very easy to grow,” Maloney said.
Children will learn about where their food comes from and each week the program will cover different health-, food- or sustainability-related topics Maloney said.
Topics may include waste, water, healthy minds and bodies and growing seeds.
Campers will prepare healthy meals using vegetables they can grow in the garden, Maloney said, and kids will get an activity booklet, or passport, that tracks their progress and makes them eligible for raffle prizes.
Dayton Sprouts will be open to young people between the ages of 6 and 17.
Kids who do not enroll in camp can still participate in the passport program.
“This is tremendous,” said Dayton City Manager Jeff Mims. “A lot of work went into this.”
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