The New Orleans Recreation Development Commission (NORDC) partners with organizations across all five city council districts each summer to offer a variety of academic, cultural and recreational summer activities for children and teens. In addition to engaging summer activities, kids enrolled in these camps will also receive breakfast and lunch daily. Field trips, food, and fun? We’re in!

Kids (and Mayor Mitch Landrieu) enjoy the Lyons Recreation Center pool as part of NORDC’s SPLASH! program. (Photo courtesy NORDC)

Summer is a fun and much-needed break for kids, but it’s also an opportunity to continue your child’s enrichment and help them stay ahead of the pack when they start school in the fall. The NORDC camps give kids a healthy outlet to stay engaged while benefiting from supervision structured environment.

Research shows that kids who break from structure and enrichment during the summer can fall behind their peers and are at a disadvantage come fall. NORDC camps and summer engagement are important because they help children develop and achieve personal success, which benefits the community as a whole.

Camps are filling up quickly and parents should register their child now. Here’s how:

Registration

To register children for NORDC summer programs, parents or guardians must present proof of residency in Orleans Parish – simply bring in a document like a driver’s license or utility bill. You’ll also need to show proof of income for one full month with a 2016 date (this includes pay stubs, SSI, or food stamp award letters). If you have no income, you’ll need to provide a notarized statement.

For your children to be eligible, you’ll also need to bring in a copy of your child’s 2014-2015 report card. Remember that registration fees vary depending on the camp you choose. View a complete list of camps here.

SPLASH!

NORDC summer camps all include weekly field trips to NORDC pools for a swimming and safety program. Instructors will cover a different topic each week, including pool safety, floating, movement, swimming strokes, water sports and more.

Just for Teens

In addition to summer programming for children, NORDC has developed teen-oriented camps and activities for youth ages 13 to 15. These specialized, free camps combine career exploration with recreation, in addition to educational field trips, breakfast and lunch.

Teens will also receive a stipend throughout the course of the camp. From there, they’re expected to use the money in a responsible way using financial skills, social skills, and professional proficiency they learned in the enrichment camp.

Learn more about the teen camps and steps for registration here.