F R E D E R I C K FA M I L I E S \\
// YO U T H AC T I V I T I E S
So Many Programs Geared
Toward Kids, SO LITTLE TIME
BY DIANA MOTA
Frederick County offers parents many ways to keep their children entertained and active year-
round, and many are free or low cost. The county’s community college, library system and recreation
department all have an assortment of year-round programs that cover a wide range of interests and ages.
The college offers educational opportunities in a variety of subjects,
including science, technology, creative and culinary arts, literature
and cultures, and health and wellness. Although the schedule changes
from year to year, many of the classes have become a regular part
of the youth program due to high demand.
The college’s Kids on Campus hands-on enrichment program
targets kids ages 4 to 11, while Teens on Campus offers interactive
programs and educational classes for teens up to 15 years of age.
Classes are held when Frederick County Public Schools are closed,
as well as on weekends and after school. During the summer,
weeklong morning and afternoon classes are scheduled from late
June to early August. More than 150 classes are offered, and most
of them span a week, while a few last two weeks.
Frederick Community College (FCC) develops its classes with the hope
of creating an “aha” moment that will trigger a desire to learn more
about a subject, said Karen Freeman, FCC youth programs manager.
Programs are designed especially for students from age 4 to 15 years.
The majority of teachers who work with the youth are certified
public or private school teachers, in addition to some field experts.
FCC’s home-school enrichment program offers specially designed
programs to complement at-home schooling. Faculty, home-school
parents and educational professionals provide weekday instruction in
a variety of academic areas such as science and technology, creative
arts, history and cultures, literature and languages.
Financial assistance is available based on need and availability of
funds. Visit www.frederick.edu/workforce-continuing-education/
ce/youth-programs.aspx for more information.
Frederick County Parks & Recreation
The Frederick County Parks & Recreation department, with its
numerous parks and facilities, including several community-school-
partnered recreation centers, offers individual and family activities for
all ages of children. In addition, parks throughout the county host their
own activities and camps, said Eric Appel, recreation superintendent.
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“For most of the programs, you only have to come once; a few are
more in-depth, where it’s helpful to come more than once,” Vogel
Financial assistance is available based on need and availability of
funds. Visit recreater.com for more information.
Frederick County Public Libraries
The volume of programs and locations can make finding the
information a bit of a challenge, Appel said. So four times per
while the smaller libraries are visited by a traveling lab.
year (spring/summer, fall, winter and a summer supplement), the
department publishes “The Recreater,” an online and print catalog
that outlines programs and events. Appel suggests checking the
online version for the most up-to-date information. Parents can
also visit the department’s Facebook page.
In addition to offering their own programming, the county’s two
nature centers — Catoctin Creek Park & Nature Center in Middletown
and Fountain Rock Park & Nature Center in Walkersville — and
the Rose Hill Manor Park & Children’s Museum are available
for special programs, including for home-schoolers, scouts or for
birthday parties. The department also sells discounted tickets for
amusement parks in the Mid-Atlantic region on a cash-only basis.
Nearly all of the programs are suitable for beginners, he added.
engineering and mathematics concepts geared toward their ages,
said. The majority of the programs do not require registration; and
Some of the programs are special one-time events, such as visits to
a local pumpkin patch, or individual classes that recur over several
weeks. Programs include a wide variety of genres, such as sports,
dance, arts and crafts, cooking, music, swimming and more. The
recreation department even sponsors sport leagues, starting at age 5.
Parks and recreation programs are a low-cost way to experiment,
Appel said. “The financial investment is minimal, and it’s a good
place to try out new things and gauge a child’s interest.”
function as STEM labs, where youth can explore science, technology,
Frederick Com munity College
The Frederick County Public Libraries system, with eight locations
across the county, offers programs year-round for youth from infants
to high school. Just about anything you can imagine — from arts
and crafts, music and musical instruments, to technology and
computers — is offered, said Janet Vogel, youth services manager.
all of them are free. Some libraries offer home-school programs,
which do require registration.
Each summer the library hosts a reading challenge for all ages,
which draws several thousand participants from across the county.
Participants can register online or at their local branch. Over the
summer, they log activities to earn points for prizes.
During the summer, Thurmont Regional Library’s annual summer
Music on the Deck concert series, and the Urbana library helps
host the Starlight Family Film Festival at the Natelli Community
Center in Urbana. Movies start at 8:30 p.m.; pre-movie activities
and entertainment for the entire family range LEGO ® building
challenges to live animal encounters to music. Visit www.fcpl.org/
filmfestival for the most recent schedule.
Throughout the year, the library system holds about 40 story times
per week — even a bilingual American Sign Language/English
baby storytime. Some of the larger libraries have rooms that also
Each library also has a space for children to explore and learn, Vogel
said. “Come check us out; we’re different every day.”
Summer 2017 // FREDERICK COUNTY GUIDE
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