By Kevin Haas
Rock River Current
Get our newsletter
ROCKFORD — A multitude of nonprofits, businesses and government organizations will partner for a Youth Program Fair next weekend that’s designed to make sure kids and young adults in the area know all the opportunities to stay active this summer.
The fair is scheduled for 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, April 30 at the Boys & Girls Club of Rockford – Fairgrounds location, 609 Kilburn Ave. Some of the organizations taking part are Goodwill of Northern Illinois, Rockford Park District, the YMCA, Northwest Community Center, Rockford Public Library, Boys & Girls Club of Rockford, Workforce Connection, Severson Dells, Rockford Fire Department, Discovery Center and more.
The programs can do everything from helping youth learn new skills to sharpening their education or just having fun, said Matt Simpson of the Wabongo Leadership Council.
“There’s a lot of great work happening in our community,” Simpson said. “We want to make sure people, families can plug in and get involved this summer.”
Related: Summer camp aims to help youth affected by trauma
The Wabongo Leadership Council is an organization that works to build leadership capacity in Rockford’s African American community. It has a variety of programs focused on education, health and wellness, and community and economic development.
The fair is fitting for young adults to toddlers, those roughly between the ages of 3 and 18, Mayor Tom McNamara said. He said the city wants to do all it can to make sure there’s ample opportunity for kids to be connected to positive and productive programming throughout the summer.
“We also want to help out those parents,” McNamara said. “As a father of two young kids, you want them out and you want them to be productive.”
Related: Indoor equestrian center aims to help youth handle mental health issues
Know before you go | Youth Program Fair
When: 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, April 30
Where: Boys & Girls Club of Rockford – Fairgrounds, 609 Kilburn Ave., Rockford
Contact: If you need reasonable accommodations to participate, call 779-348-7333
This article is by Kevin Haas. Email him at khaas@rockrivercurrent.com or follow him on Twitter at @KevinMHaas.