Kids score with this program

The Books 'n Basketball program at the Rockford Environmental Science Academy is one more stellar piece of summer programming that will help children along the road toward success, and they won't even notice the work part because they're having so much fun.

The day camp is for children at or above their academic grade levels. It is designed to help them retain and boost their academic skills during the summer. The basketball component plays to the children's athletic interests, but the work part of the camp is designed to be fun, too.

Campers compete with teachers in academic bowls and contests in the morning. In the afternoon, they work on basketball fundamentals and play they game.

Carmen Pruitt watches as Alex Oates makes a pass during drills at Books 'n Basketball summer camp at RESA (Photo courtesy of Rockford Register Star)

Faith Hyacinthe and Paige Sockwell discuess their next word while Jarell Lathan and Alex Oates take their turn while playing scrabble Thursday during Books 'n Basketball Summer Camp. (Photo courtesy of Rockford Register Star)

The first session of the program just ended, but another one runs July 10-27. It is designed by Rockford Association for Minority Management in collaboration with Booker Washington Center. United Way of Rock River Valley is providing some funding for the program. The cost is $250 for the three-week camp, and financial aid is available.

Monique Jones, director of the program, said space is available for up to 30 fifth- and sixth-grade students, but so far, only eight youngsters have registered for the upcoming session.
For more information call 815-721-2309 or e-mail rammbooksnbasketball@yahoo.com.

We hope more families decide to take advantage of this camp or another such experience in the community (through Rock Valley College, the Rockford Park District and the YMCA, to name just a few) that combine academics and fun. A summer is a tempting thing to waste. But why?

 

Books ‘N Basketball Success Stories 2008

Books ‘N Basketball provides students with three hours in the morning to enhance and reinforce their skills in reading comprehension and math skills, and three hours of basketball fundamentals in the afternoon. In the summer of 2007, two success stories that RAMM has received from feedback are:

At a fall parent-teacher conference, a teacher asked the parents did their son attend a special academic camp over the summer. The teacher was interested because their son’s math scores increased substantially over the previous year. The parents informed the teacher their son had been enrolled in the Books ‘N Basketball program over the summer which stressed academic achievement.

Another student stated that "it's fun because you learn a lot, not only in the academic portion of the camp, but during the basketball skills portion.” This eighth grade student is enrolled in the gifted program at West Middle School. She challenged the teachers last summer to provide higher order math – advanced algebra and geometry – which has allowed her to continue to receive straight A’s in her classes at West. She plans to enroll in the Academy program at Auburn next year.

The students are taught by skilled African American staff – reading and math teachers and an athlete who played basketball. Once a week community leaders and college students visit the class to meet, greet, and provide life experience information about career, community, or themselves. Students are therefore introduced to role models who can serve as mentors.