the world without leaving home by Darline Goyea, Family and MWR Marketing
vices is mandatory. For more information, please visit Parent Central Services or www.blissmwr.com.
MILAM YAC
Back in the spring we told you about the new Milam Youth Activity Center on Haan Road on East Fort Bliss, and the awesome schedule they planned. Well, the fun didn’t end with spring. MYAC continues into the summer with mega camps, adventures, workshops and special events. This summer will be the center’s first since its opening last fall, and director Susan Goss has no worries. Even with the constant rotation of families coming and going, Goss is ready to meet the needs of the community. “That’s what we’re here for – to service the Soldiers and families,” said Goss. During the months of swelter – I mean
summer – vacation, parents and middle school teens have a variety of activities to choose from. Here’s a snippet of what’s in store ... July’s calendar won’t slow down. There is a “Lights, Camera, Action” workshop that includes producing, camera operations, lighting, special effects, directing, editing and so much more. Teens, if you’re thinking of a career in entertainment, this is a good start! There is also a robotics camp. Every Tuesday in August, teens are invited to harvest the EDGE! garden. Wally “Mr. Wally” Hildreth, MYAC’s child and youth program assistant, has a summer camp that will have any teen ecstatic! Mr. Wally’s 2011 summer camp is actually six weeks of six different camps – registration costs $35 per camp. In July, teens can take on Basketball Challenge Camp and Plyometrics Camp. And finally, in the month of August, youth can participate in a BMX camp, which is meant to build physical fitness, discipline and self-esteem.
YOUTHPLEX
What better way to shake off the long school year and enjoy what the summer has to offer? Middle School and Teen Program Director Phillip Puett and his staff at the YouthPlex on Chaffe Road are
geared up and ready to go! “There’s nothing like the summer,” said Puett. One example: “Survivor Week,” an action-packed week similar to the CBS network series. “It’s going to be a lot of crazy fun,” said Puett. The YouthPlex also has an abundance of camps to take interest in. Rising seventh- through 12th-graders can learn anything from multicultural cooking to sewing or hip-hop dance. Teens will be able to experience the Mission Trail adventure and even a Sherlock Holmes week. During Sherlock Holmes week, students will work an entire week on a murder mystery dinner event! The YouthPlex has a well-equipped crew. Teachers from the El Paso community work during the summer months to add an extra helping hand with staffing. Due to advance planning and past summer program assessments, Puett says, the programs grow bigger and better each year. The longer hours (8 a.m. to 7 p.m.) also adjust to fit the demand of teens and families that reside in the Fort Bliss community. To participate in any MYAC or MST programs or trips, teens must be registered with CYSS. For more information on a specific activity, program or trip, please call MYAC at (915) 744-8878 or Youth Plex at (915) 568-5437.
There’s “ nothing like the summer. ... It’s going to be a lot of crazy fun.
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Learn more about SAS and MST summer camps at www.blissmwr.com! illustration by kenny broomfield
¡blissNOW! • Spring 2011 • 17