SPOKANE, Wash. — While federal funding cuts have forced KSPS to cancel its free summer camp, there are still spots in other programs for families looking for camp options this summer.
Last week, the Department of Education cut the Ready to Learn grant that funded KSPS’s educational outreach programs, leaving both the station and families scrambling to adjust their summer plans.
The free educational camps had become a valuable resource for hundreds of families in the Spokane area over the past few years, providing quality programming without financial burden.
“These are very big numbers of people that we have touched in the past and we could have touched in the future,” said Angela Riley, Education Director at KSPS.
While the long-term implications for local PBS stations remain unclear, the immediate effect has been the elimination of community programs like the summer camps.
For families still seeking educational opportunities for their children this summer, alternatives do exist, though spots are filling quickly.
Spokane Public Schools is offering various camps for families, including athletic camps and Camp Imagine, a one-week mini camp for students entering first through fifth grade in the upcoming school year. Registration for summer open gym will also open soon which will give incoming fifth to 12th grade students a chance to stay active and meet new friends at their nearest high school or middle school gym.
SPS says many programs are already full or nearly full. You can check their website for more information on summer programs.
The City of Spokane’s Parks and Recreation Department says it still has openings in its summer programs. Limited scholarships and payment plans are available for qualifying families. Find out more information on these summer programs by clicking here.
RELATED: Registration now open for Spokane summer camps
As far as KSPS goes, Riley remains determined to find a path forward for the station’s educational outreach.
“It’s very disappointing that we’re not able to continue this work right now, but we’re going to find a way to make it better, and we’re going to find a way to get back in there,” she said.
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