– Finding an engaging summer activity for your child
By Ravena Gildharie
With schools scheduled to be closed shortly for the July/August holidays, some parents may have already started looking for the ideal activities and events to keep their children occupied, entertained and educated during the two-month break.
Several agencies and organisations, both state-owned and private, have opened up registration for their holiday programmes targeting children of varying ages and promoting a wide array of activities including heritage awareness, art and craft, skills building, swimming, music sessions and information technology classes, among others. While most of the programmes require a fee, there are a few being offered free of cost or with a minimal registration charge.

Currently, the National Trust of Guyana is gearing up to pull off its Seventh Annual Children’s Heritage Awareness Programme in Georgetown and, for the first time too, in New Amsterdam, Berbice. The one-week activity is free of cost and targets children ages eight to 11, in Georgetown from July 24-28, and the following week in New Amsterdam. Participants will be given snacks and registration is currently open at the agency’s 94 Carmichael Street, location. The programme will be held from 09:00 hrs to noon at the Carifesta Sports Complex in Georgetown while a venue would be finalised soon for the Berbice aspect.

Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Trust, Nirvana Persaud said this year the agency has expanded its capacity to cater for approximately 50 children in each programme, and is pleased to extend the exercise beyond the City. Noting that it forms part of the Trust’s yearly awareness programme, the CEO explained that the sessions are facilitated by staff of the Trust and its partners from the National Museum, National Park, Botanical Gardens, Mangroves Restoration Committee and Burrowes School of Art.

She noted that the activities would expose the children to both cultural and natural heritage and will include classroom sessions and tours to teach participants about monuments, heritage and historical sites as well as model making and archeology teachings. At the beginning of the programme, each child will be pre-evaluated while at the end, they will be given a quiz to determine what they had learnt. There will be group learning sessions and a public speaking forum where the children can share their experiences. At the end of the programme, each child will be issued a certificate of participation at a small ceremony.

Persaud highlighted that the programme has received overwhelming responses over the years and there are plans to expand it in the future to other regions.

Skills building classes
Meanwhile, the Sophia Sparkle Youth Group is also planning its annual Recreational Day Camp for the community’s children and it is also free of cost. The exercise would be held each week daily between 9:00hrs to 13:00hrs and caters for children from nursery level to teenagers. There will be interactive reading sessions, tours to various sites around the city, and a variety of skills building classes to teach participants tie-dye, handicraft, floral making and decorating, sewing and catering among others.

Other activities
In addition, the University of Guyana’s Department of Language and Cultural Studies will be hosting its Emeritus Professor Doris Rogers Art Programme 2017, from July 10-21 at the Faculty of Education and Humanities Building, Turkeyen. The programme targets participants aged five to 18 years and will be offered at a cost of $10,000. Participants will be exposed to ceramics, sculpting, painting, textile, floral arrangement and drawing. The initiative is spearhead by Mr Michael Khan.

Popular local artist, Travell Blackman, of Innovign Art has also scheduled similar summer art and craft classes specifically designed for children and adults. The sessions target children between the ages of five to 12, at a fee of $8, 000 and include all materials. The sessions will be held at South Road, Lacytown, between 10:00 hrs to 12:00hrs from July 10 to 14. According to the host, the classes will allow the participants to explore their unique creativity through drawing, painting, and craft, as all instructions are tailor-made for each child’s needs and interests.

There is also a one-day paper flower workshop to be held on July 1 between 16:00 hrs to 19:00 hrs at a cost of $6, 500. Participants would be taught to create at least three different exquisite giant paper flowers that can be used for backdrops, arches, wall accents, or anywhere that needs beautification.

For those who would like to learn to swim or to enhance their swimming skills, the Ministry of Education’s Department of Culture, Youth and Sport/National Sports Commission will conduct its annual August Vacation Swimming Programme during July 10 to August 18 at the Colgrain Swimming Pool, Camp Street. There are 10 swimming coaches and instructors to conduct the classes three days per week between 09:00hrs to 12:00 hrs. The programme is open to participants aged nine to 12 years and a fee $1,000 along with the child’s birth certificate are required upon registration. There will be a formal opening ceremony on July 10 when the session commences.

Foundation Seven is offering special summer classes to teach participants the use of the keyboard, guitar, drums, and recorder, along with voice training. Three programmes are planned between July 17 to September 1, 2017. Each class will run for two-weeks and are open to participants aged five years and upwards. The location is the Wesleyan Bible Building on Brickdam, opposite the Brickdam Police Station.