PYB is pleased to announce the upcoming Collegiate Summer Camp Series to take place on the campuses of Philadelphia’s universities and colleges: Philadelphia University, La Salle University, Drexel University, Temple University, Saint Joseph’s University and Girard College. One additional site will be announced shortly. This summer camp builds upon the year-round pilot program that PYB has been conducting for the past two months through the partnership of Temple University’s College of Education and Temple Athletics. This current program serves 80 middle school students from four public schools in North Philadelphia.
PYB’s small staff team, with a group of dedicated volunteer advisors (led by master educator Amy Cohen and including such leaders as Professor Howard Stevenson, author Hilary Beard, and former Friends Central and GFS leader, David Felsen), have carefully crafted the Collegiate Summer Camp Series to focus on basketball skill‐building and competition, academic enrichment and support, leadership and character development, health and nutrition, and exposure to a college campus. Through the partnership between PYB and the universities and colleges, this program will engage middle school-aged young people from various neighborhoods and socio-economic backgrounds in an enriching camp experience, which will not only prevent academic backsliding during the summer months, but also will foster life skills and build a more favorable outlook for achievement in the upcoming school year.
PYB will provide seven 1-week summer camp sessions for middle school-aged students from Philadelphia and the surrounding region. A camp week will run from Monday to Friday, from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. These camp sessions will be held on the campuses of the universities and colleges during the first six weeks. The seventh and final week of the camp series will culminate with an overnight camp week experience at Girard College. The overnight camp will be an “Invite Only,” with invitations being extended to the “PYB Camp Stars” from the first 7-week sessions. Camps will be open enrollment, with a goal to successfully attract a diverse mix of male and female student-athletes from various socioeconomic backgrounds and races.
The pricing model will be designed to offer scholarships at various levels based on household income. A camp week will be priced at $350, which includes a full-day of camp, breakfast and lunch, uniform and an athletic and academic program. This amount will be roughly equal to our fully allocated cost/participant. Participants with household income at or below the federal poverty level will receive a 90% scholarship and those between the poverty level and 4x the poverty level (roughly $85,000 household income for a family of four) will receive a 50% scholarship.
Through the Collegiate Summer Camp Series, PYB will continue to empower our student-athletes with a unique opportunity to learn and develop intellectually, athletically and as positive leaders. We look forward to providing a 2016 summer series to 500 young people, two-thirds of who will come from under-resourced families and communities.