NJ.com published the following article on 3/19/2014. To read the full article, click here.

Groups say state should send low-income kids to camp instead of year-round schooling

Bridget Clerkin | March 19, 2014

Gov. Christie supports year-round school, last month adding a $5 million budget item to initiate pilot programs in some districts across the state. But some local summer program directors are saying that, instead of offering children more time in school, the state should offer more children time in camp.

“The way the camp industry should be considered by people is that we’re the continuation of the 12-month education of the child,” said Andy Pritikin, owner and director of the Liberty Lakes camp in Columbus and the president of the American Camp Association’s New York and New Jersey chapter.

“If education is going to be a 12-month process, a year-round thing, then camp should be an integral part of it,” he said. “If the governor is going to put aside monies, let them put aside monies to send low-income kids to camp.”

Aside from what he said would be a less costly initiative to raising teachers’ salaries to accommodate a year-round schedule, broadening the availability of time in camp could also reverse the effects of summer learning loss, Pritikin said. He mentioned research by the American Camp Association that found that children who went to summer camp returned in September with better test scores than they were achieving in June.

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