Registration Open through June 21; Program Scheduled to Run through July 31
(FLINT, Mich., June 14, 2016) – Registration is underway for YouthQuest’s Summer on the Road, a free, six-week program that takes middle and high school students on fun and educational excursions throughout Michigan. This year, the program aims to re-engage “Opportunity Youth” by expanding enrollment to Flint teens, ages 16-19, who are neither employed nor enrolled in school.
The summer program will accept up to 150 participants through June 21, with 10 of those spots reserved for Opportunity Youth.
“We’re excited to broaden the reach of Summer on the Road this year,” said Rhetta Hunyady, Vice President of Education & Training at the Flint & Genesee Chamber of Commerce, which administers the YouthQuest afterschool and summer enrichment program. “Not only does this program help local students beat summer learning loss, we think it presents a great opportunity to re-engage with and inspire teens who are not in school.”
Summer on the Road will be held four days a week from June 21 to July 29. It runs from 12:45-4 p.m. on Tuesdays through Thursdays, and includes lunch followed by afternoon excursions within Genesee County. On Fridays, the program has extended hours (10:15 a.m.-4 p.m.), allowing participants to travel to sites outside of the county.
By partnering with area colleges, Summer on the Road will provide participants with six days of hands-on career exploration in one of six areas (subject to change): automotive, computer-aided drafting, cosmetology, information technology, surgical technology or veterinary tech.
In addition, the teens and pre-teens will visit Herman Miller Furniture in Zeeland, where they will learn about business, manufacturing jobs and more.
The youth will also have the chance to explore different hobbies and interests related to fitness, STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) and food. During “Club Hopping” week, options will include gymnastics, karate, drones, underwater robotics, urban farming and German cuisine, to name a few.
Summer on the Road participants will also lead and participate in several different service learning projects throughout the program, which culminates with a trip to Great Wolf Lodge and Sleeping Bear Dunes in northwest Michigan.
“By the time the program wraps up in July, at least one thing is certain,” Hunyady said. “No one will be able to say they were bored.”
Summer on the Road is open to all middle and high school students (grades 7-12) who live in Flint, regardless where they attend school. Spots are also available for Flint teens, ages 16-19, who are neither employed nor enrolled in school.
To register for Summer on the Road, visit www.yquest.org or submit your form at the Flint & Genesee Chamber of Commerce, 519 S. Saginaw St., Suite 200, Flint.
For more information, call (810) 600-1422 or email .
About YouthQuest
YouthQuest is a high-quality, research-based afterschool program offering educational and enrichment activities that engage young minds. Available at 15 sites in the city of Flint and Genesee County, YouthQuest serves 2,000 students in grades K-12 each year. The program is administered by the Genesee Area Focus Fund, a supporting organization of the Flint & Genesee Chamber of Commerce, with support from the Charles Stewart Mott Foundation and 21st Century Community Learning Centers. For more information, visit www.yquest.org.