Twenty youth in Louisiana are taking part in an Operation Military Kids program Friday through Sunday, designed to help them cope when a parent is deployed.
The camp will focus on science, engineering and technology themes and be held at the Grant Walker 4-H Educational Center in Pollock, according to Susan Riley, statewide coordinator for Operation Military Kids for Louisiana 4-H.
“They have a class in robotics, rocketry, forensics and engineering. But we also have other things that they’re going to do just for fun,” Riley said. “We’re going to do canoeing, swimming, arts and crafts -- the typical camp stuff.”
These free camps are funded through U.S. Army grants and 4-H enrollment is not a requirement. They’re held year-round and are open to 7 to 14-year-olds who are dependents of National Guard and Army Reservists. Riley says children who don’t live on military bases may lack adequate emotional support when dealing with a deployment, and these camps help to fill that void.
“Their moms and dads have normal jobs. Then, all of a sudden, they’re deployed overseas and these kids don’t know how to deal with it,” Riley said. “It’s a way for us to get other kids together who are going through the same thing and who don’t have that military base support system.”
Riley says another camp is scheduled for mid-October.
