Crater of Hope will be hosting its first ever summer youth camp this June at the Middlesboro Community Center.

Board of Directors member Jessie Moberg said, “We really wanted to provide an opportunity for kids here in the community to have something to do during the summer that’s in a safe environment, and also to provide them with different opportunities they may not get at home and out of school.”

This is not your typical summer camp. Instead of crafts and outdoor activities, Crater of Hope will be providing kids with actually life skills in a fun way. Moberg said they will be teaching the youth things such as cooking and grilling, sign language, gardening, CPR, carpentry and many other topics.

“What we wanted to do is kind of partner with people in the community to maybe teach and share about different topic that they have specialties in,” Moberg said. Each day, different community members will come in and teach the kids about their topic of choice. She said Richard Smith from Food City will be coming to teach how to grill, along with Susannah Cadle with Antique and Modern Jewelry.

“Alongside the different topics, we’re going to provide the kids with a brand new book that goes along with the topic,” Moberg said. “So for example, the sign language class, we have a lady teaching about that, and the kids will be sent home with an American Sign Language book that will teach them about sign language that they can keep and share or read at home.” Each day the kids will get to come home with a different book. They will also be building a little library in their carpentry class. They are planning on putting the library at the Lincoln Park so kids can stop by to take a book of leave one. “Maybe when they get done with those books that they read during the summer they can take them there,” said Moberg.

Crater of Hope has also partnered with Middlesboro Independent Schools and Pineville Independent Schools to transport kids from the summer school program to the youth camp. “If there are students that want to attend the camp that are going to those summer schools at  Pineville or Middlesboro, the permission slips and all that can be signed through the school,” Moberg said. For students that will not be attending summer school, parents can call or email Crater of Hope for a sign up sheet.

Crater of Hope’s mission is substance abuse prevention. The kids will be learning the UNITE pledge and will learn age appropriately about substance abuse prevention. They will also have the opportunity to sign a pledge to remain drug free.

“It’s very exciting for us as a board,” said Moberg. “This is something we’ve always wanted to do and just to have the city provide us with the community center to be able to do this in a location that will be easy for the kids in the community to get to. Kids will be able to take back what they learn to their homes and share with their parents or their other siblings or whoever might not be able to come.”

Moberg said they received two grants to be able to organize this event and if they are able to receive grants next year, they plan to host this camp again.

Summer Youth Camp will be every Tuesday and Thursday in June at the Middlesboro Community Center. There is no cost to attend this camp. For more questions or to sign up you can call Crater of Hope at 606-302-5616 or email at craterofhope@gmail.com.