If parents want to keep their children out of the streets while school is out of session, then summer camp could be the answer.
“We’re still accepting applications with a waiting list, in case kids don’t show up, so it’s very exciting to have a sense of normalcy coming back. We haven’t had these kind of numbers since pre-COVID,” said Larry Barabino Jr., CEO of NORD Commission.
Barabino has said thousands of families that have taken advantage of this year’s summer camps around the city. Many of the specialized camps are full but there are still openings in others.
The camps started June 6 and will run through the end of July. NORDC also has a big push to hire more lifeguards.
“Whether that kid is in your home, it’s a nephew or niece, it’s a neighbor or kid down the street. If that kid can swim, we will train them and also certify them at no cost to them and we will pay them $15.91 an hour, which is an increase because we paid a little under 12 dollars an hour in previous years,” said Barabino.
The goal is to open every NORD pool or at the very least a pool in every community. NORD also has openings as camp counselors, and opening at agency as well.
“There are positions available whether it’s working in our rec centers, whether its working in our parks and playgrounds, and even professional positions on the administrative side of NORD ,” said Barabino.
What Barabino and the agency is offering is a chance for you to make a difference in the community he grew up in and the agency he once played in.
“It’s a passion and a drive for me to insure that we’re continuing to provide quality programs and opportunites for our city’s youth ,” said Larry Barabino Jr., CEO of NORD Commission.
NORD is also offering the teen sports challenge, where girls and boys ages 13 to 17, can sign up for 7 on 7 football and 5 on 5 basketball.
The goal is to keep youth out of the streets at vulnerable times of the day.
At the end of the program all participants get a four-hundred dollar stipend. Click here for information about the program.
