PEABODY — Helicopters. Talent shows. Ice cream. The Essex County Summer Day Camp has it all for the 450 kids attending the camp this month — the largest group to come through the program in its 33 year-history.
The camp is run by the Essex County District Attorney’s office in partnership with police and fire departments from Beverly, Danvers, Salem, Peabody, Gloucester, Lynnfield, Ipswich, Georgetown, Marblehead, Lynn, Saugus and Swampscott.
It’s free to all rising fifth-graders in the county and infuses important lessons with fun.
“The great thing about this camp is that we do have a message to push, but we want to make sure it’s received in the right manner and the kids are still having a good time,” said the camp’s director, James Runner III, a Lynn native who now lives in Beverly.
The camp is held at Higgins Middle School in Peabody and runs from July 20-31, splitting participating students into two week-long cohorts.
The kids are taught how to safely use social media, the dangers of vaping, and about mental health, among other pertinent topics to their age group. They also take part in an inclusivity and anti-bias course.
But the lessons are engaging — so much so that a presentation on mental health had some kids staying after to ask the presenter more questions, while one on anti-bullying incorporated a laser light show.
“There isn’t a community anywhere that hasn’t faced these challenges; bullying, vaping and things like that,” Essex County District Attorney Paul Tucker said. “We’re hoping that the kids leave here equipped with a little bit of knowledge and a little bit of empowerment.”
Tucker, Runner and their team of community partners and local teen leaders also try to give these kids experiences they might not otherwise have.
Campers in last week’s cohort were able to tour an Army helicopter that landed at the Higgins. A State Police helicopter was expected to land there Thursday for this week’s group of students, weather permitting.
Forty-five free bicycles and helmets are given out to some of the campers in a name drawing during the program’s two graduations, which are held at the end of each week-long session. Many times, the kids who win a bike have never had one before.
The bikes, lunches for the campers and other goodies are donated by local businesses. After the Army helicopter visit, the kids were treated to free ice cream from Treadwell’s in Peabody.
Many of the students who attend the camp go on to become teen counselors for the program when they’re older. Some have even stayed involved as adults, like Runner.
“We make sure that every person who goes through this camp has a good experience and takes something from it,” Runner said. “I run into people from 20, 25, 30 years ago who remember me from this camp and say this was one of the best things they ever did, and it stays with them.”
Contact Caroline Enos at{/em} CEnos@northofboston.com {em}.