Here are some relatively low-cost summer programs for kids of all ages. Families are welcome regardless of documentation. Outreach staff and teachers at public schools may have information on additional programs.
Boys & Girls Clubs of Ulster County, Monday-Friday, 9 a.m. to 7 p.m., 139 Greenkill Ave., Kingston (845-338-8666) and 8:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. at 45 Partition St., Saugerties, 845-246-7671, 914-388-4020; info@bgclubsulstercounty.org. Open to ages 7-18. Both sites have a full-sized gym, art room, educational learning center, kitchen, game room and teen room. Membership is $10 per year; youth unable to pay may work off the fee.
Center 4 Creative Education, 16 Cedar St., Kingston; info@cce4me.org, 845-338-7664. Summer Arts Enrichment program, July 1-August 1, 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m., $199 per week. Also, weekly one-hour classes in dance, gymnastics, art, music, and more for toddlers through adults, costs may vary. Get scholarship information in Spanish or English.
Midtown Kingston Arts District (MKAD)
- D.R.A.W. (Department of Regional Art Workers), 20 Cedar St., (enter at 24 Iwo Jima Ln.), Kingston, info@drawkingston.org, 845-802-0097. Art workshops. Some instructors are bilingual. Fees vary but the mission of D.R.A.W. and MKAD is to provide arts education for all. When registering for workshops there is an opportunity to request tuition help.
- PUGG (Pop-Up Gallery Group) is a paid, after school, work-study program providing job training in art/non-profit management, arts education, leadership, and entrepreneurship. It is open to Kingston High School students and recent alumni. PUGG members meet weekly and are mentored by MAD’s education director and founder, retired KHS art teacher Lara Giordano and PUGG director, artist Beth Humphrey.
La Finca Futbol Training Institute, 845-382-8912, admin@lafincafutbol.com. One week summer camps for ages 5-13, July and August, full- and half-day week-long programs in Kingston, New Paltz, Rhinebeck, Saugerties, and Stone Ridge. Fees start at $200 per week. La Finca is committed to ensuring cost isn’t a barrier to participation. Email to ask about scholarships.
Seed Song Farm Summer Camp, 160 Esopus Avenue, Kingston, 845-383-1528, info@seedsongfarm.org. One week camps for ages 4-12; each week has a different nature-related theme. $390 per week, financial aid available. For middle school or counselor in-training info, email jasmine@seedsongfarm.org.
YMCA of Kingston and Ulster County, 845-338-3810
- Summer day camps, kindergarten-grade 11 in Shokan and New Paltz; fees start at $365 per week; kindergarten-grade 5, Camp Starfish at the Y in Kingston, 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., Monday-Friday; fees start at $195 per week. Register here for all camps. Some financial aid may be available. Tuition includes lunch and snacks.
- Sports camps, starting at $245 per week, are offered in August.
- Year round swim lessons for all ages. Classes are once or twice a week for one half hour. Fees vary.
Young Writers, 845-257-2836, hvwp@newpaltz.edu. One week theme-based writing programs for ages 7-9, 10-12, 12-14, and 13-17. Days are 4-6 hours long. $295-375 per week, tuition assistance is available. Sponsored by Hudson Valley Writing Project with sessions at SUNY New Paltz, Vassar College, Environmental Cooperative at Vassar Barns, and Pace University.
From the top, graphics courtesy of: Boys & Girls Club of Ulster County, D.R.A.W., PUGG, La Finca, Seed Song Farm, YMCA of Kingston and Ulster County, and Hudson Valley Writing Project.
