Summer camp, jobs program aim to keep kids busy

Camp Wayman, Summer Jobs Program launch Monday with similar goals

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – More than a week after classes ended for Duval County Public Schools, the focus now is on making sure students have fun and safe options while school's out for the summer.

From summer camps to jobs programs, many in Northeast Florida are making an effort to give students of all ages a chance to do something productive and fun.

Two programs -- the Mayor's Summer Jobs Program and Camp Wayman -- launched Monday with the same goal: Keep kids focused on learning and growing and away from things that could lead to trouble.

That goal is pressing for Camp Wayman, which is the closest to Eureka Gardens, an area of the city with one of the highest levels of crime. It ranked fifth on a list of "violent hot spots" in a report to the city based on crime stats from the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office.

For Pastor Mark Griffin, Camp Wayman is about more than making sure the elementary and middle school students participating have a fun summer.

"The goal is to get these children a healthy wholesome place to be, to keep them off the streets where they can either end up getting in trouble or be a part of trouble," Griffin said.

Griffin and his staff are trying to get as many kids as possible who live in Eureka Gardens to the camp.

"Here in this area over near Eureka, it's really important that these kids have a way to connect to keep them not just out of the heat but out of the heat of crime and violence," Griffin said.

The camp is just one of many summer programs across Jacksonville aimed at helping kids of all ages.

The Mayor's Summer Jobs Program also kicked off Monday. Nearly 900 Jacksonville students aged 16 to 21 get a paid summer job with the city, a local business, or a nonprofit through the program.

It's something Mayor Alvin Brown said can not only be a part of keeping crime down, but can also give students a sense of purpose and direction.

"I believe in young people having a summer job, learning and earning, teaching them accountability, responsibility, giving them the opportunity to learn what the real world is all about," Brown said.

Those are lessons Joel Oliver said he has learned spending his summers working with the Jacksonville Children's Commission.

"Being able to be in a professional job with adults who are serious about their job and not messing around at all feels great," Oliver said.

Even as a student at the University of Florida, Marissa Davison spends her summers in Jacksonville, working with the jobs program.

"I think it's been a really good experience, especially with the university," Davison said. "It's taught me how to network, which you can use, especially as you're getting up into the higher levels, and just how to deal with different varieties of people."

The jobs program has a waiting list, but there is still space at Camp Wayman. Organizers are encouraging parents to bring their children out, especially parents who live in Eureka Gardens. It is a free program, lasts five weeks, and all parents have to do is fill out paperwork for their children to attend the camp.