LYNN — Kids in Community (KIC), a four-week summer program at St. Stephen’s Memorial Episcopal Church, is returning for the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic began.
“We’re all very excited because we get to provide a regular routine and some enrichment for children,” KIC Summer Program Director Audrey Jiménez said.
There are 40 spots available, and Jiménez said KIC will be accepting applications until all spots are filled or June 30, whichever comes first. Joining the program requires a $35 registration fee, with no further costs afterward. Children’s physical exams are required.
The program, which began in 2003, is for kids entering first through sixth grade.
The program will run from July 10 to Aug. 4, Monday through Friday, from 8:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. The program has hired nine staff members, all of whom live or go to school in Lynn, who will be CPR and first-aid certified.
“We’ll have lots of training on conflict management, on diversity, on behavior management,” Jiménez said.
The staff, she said, will be mentors for the children.
“I think it really goes both ways,” Jiménez said. “If you’re mentoring a child, you’re still learning a lot from that child and from the mentoring relationship.”
Even though the program is based in St. Stephen’s, she said it is not a church program. There will be music, arts and crafts, theater, reading, and more.
“It’s actually a great location to be based for the program, because there’s just plenty of space,” Jiménez said. “Someone had started a garden, so I’d like to get that up and going, and that could just be one of the activities that the kids do.”
The reading aspect of the program will be a big focus, she said, and the church has a lot of books for the program to use.
“There’s literally hundreds of books and specifically lots of books that are representative of the children that will be in the program. So that’s really important,” Jiménez said.
KIC has partnered with Lynn Public Schools to offer breakfast, lunch, and a snack to the kids everyday.
The program will help give parents a break, she said.
“I know there’s a lot of working parents in Lynn, and then you’re always looking for something meaningful to do with your child, this gives you a good solid month, but then you have the rest of August to be a little bit more leisurely,” Jiménez said.
To register for KIC, visit ststephenslynn.org/kic-summer-program or contact Jiménez at [email protected].
