THE annual Youth Camps organized by the Ministry of Culture Youth and Sports begin early next month and the ministry is targeting many more youths than last year.

Minister of Culture Youth and Sports, Dr. Frank Anthony, disclosed yesterday that the ministry will be staging at least 70 camps countrywide with as many as 13 camps in some of the larger administrative regions.

The noted exceptions for a start at the normal time (after school closes) are the communities in Region 7 (Cuyuni/Mazaruni) and Region 9 (Upper Takutu/Upper Essequibo), which are still adversely affected by flooding and its aftermath,  due to heavy rainfall.

Minister Anthony said that his ministry will initiate the camps for youths in these two regions as soon as their living conditions return to normal.

He made the disclosures during a media briefing on the annual camps with Carl Brandon, Director of Youth in the ministry and co-ordinator of the youth camps in attendance.

The camps, to be day camps of one week duration, will accommodate youthful participants from the various communities in which they are held.

They will not be live-in camps.

Dr. Anthony explained: “The kids will come in the morning. We provide snacks. They participate in the programme.  We provide lunch. They go home in the afternoon. They return the next day. They get a certificate of participation at the end of the programme.”

Speaking on the special arrangements for this year, Dr Anthony disclosed: “We are catering for an average of 50 young people between twelve and seventeen in each camp. And we intend to be flexible. For example, we have in recent years found that more than 50 youths  would turn up at a venue. We don’t send away anyone. We accommodate them, cater for them and ensure that they benefit from the opportunity to spend part of their school holidays in a constructive way rather than merely staying at home.”

He disclosed that preparatory work for the camps in the many communities began some time ago, with the ministry’s youth officers identifying suitable venues and making on-the-ground contact with interested youths and adults willing to assist with the programme.

Overall, the preparations have been proceeding satisfactorily, and as of yesterday, had reached the stage where leaders and camp managers are currently undergoing training by the ministry at Madewini on the Linden-Soesdyke Highway.

Dr. Anthony disclosed that the ministry would be happy if residents within the communities in which the camps are to be held can step forward and volunteer to help with tasks such as cooking and cleaning and other supportive activities.

He disclosed that apart from their increased numbers and geographical spread, a new aspect of the camps this year will be the use of a Manual on Civic Education for Youth In Guyana, which will be the main resource material for educational activities and group discussions among participants.

He said that the ministry had identified the need to have a standard programme for all the camps and that the civic education manual, developed over the past  18 months and field tested, was a useful tool for educating the participants on relevant topics.

The manual contains detailed information on topics relating to national identity, leadership and civic education.

Such topics as rights and responsibilities of a young Guyanese, Roles of youth in the development process of Guyana, National Monuments and their significance, and the environment are among its contents.

It also contains material to engage children in an interactive way.

“They learn by doing, but it is fun doing it,” he said.

He disclosed that he will be formally launching the use of the Civic Education for Youth Manual at Madewini today, during the training programme for leaders and camp managers currently in progress.