Don Bosco Centers

Don Bosco Centers
531 Garfield, MO 64124
phone: 816-691-2977
website: www.donbosco.org

The Don Bosco Community Center’s Youth Development Center provides crucial developmental programs for over 700 youth a year. One of those crucial programs is a summer day camp that is provided from June through August for children ages 5-14. Camp activities are focused on sports, nutrition, and recreation through the summer camp’s program, CHAMPS (Choosing Healthy Activities and Meals that Promote Success). CHAMPS is designed to meet the needs of low income children by providing a nutritional breakfast and lunch; by using lessons and activities designed to combat the issue of childhood obesity; and by partnering with local schools to encourage youth to share their knowledge of healthy living with their peers. In addition, the program engages community leaders and young athletes in a mentoring role that will inspire youth to pursue and achieve their dreams.

Fifty-four youth enrolled in the 2009 summer camp and participated in a wide range of exciting activities and services including: health courses provided by the University of Missouri Extension; culinary courses and lunches provided by the Culinary Institute of Kansas City; free dental services at the Team Smile event; and free admission to a Kansas City Wizards game.

Additionally, some main components of this summer’s CHAMPS programming included: daily breakfast and lunch; weekly visits to the City Market where participants budgeted for and selected a week’s worth of healthy snacks; a soccer clinic with Kansas City Wizard’s players; participation in the President’s Challenge, through which campers committed to at least one hour of physical activity each day; and special projects such as a garden grown in partnership with the Don Bosco Senior Center.