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HEALTH, RECREATION, AND COPS
Health and Safety Camp Makes Learning Fun for 3rd Year
During the last week of June, Arlington hosted its third annual Health, Recreation and Cops (HRC) Summer Experience, a three-day summer program sponsored by the Arlington Police Department, (APD), Arlington Youth Health and Safety Coalition (AYHSC), and Arlington Recreation. This unique camp combines health and safety education in an engaging and interactive manner. While at HRC, 6-11 year old youth were separated into three groups according to grade, and became known as Patrolmen, Sergeants, and Captains. Each day, the groups participated in activities that allowed them to build friendly and comfortable relations with Police Officers, Recreation counselors and Health Department staff in Town. The topics and activities covered included:
Health: Nutrition education on the newest USDA food icon “My Plate”, which is replacing the My Pyramid symbols. All campers received their own laminated ChooseMyPlate.gov placemat as a quick and easy nutritional reference. Stress Busters- two interactive sessions provided practical tools to manage stress. Douglas Katz, PhD from the Arlington Youth Counseling Center led a group activity that provided stress education and opportunities to practice relaxation techniques. Becky Small from Black Crow Yoga along with Rebecca Wolfe from the APD conducted a yoga class that focused on poses and breathing techniques to reduce stress and promote wellness.
Police: The Patrolman, Sergeants, and Captains received education supplemented with video coverage of safety topics that included home safety, bullying, bike, and vehicle safety. Campers took a tour of the Police Department, observed Officer Mike Hogan’s K9 demonstration and explored a variety of emergency vehicles. These vehicles came from the: Arlington Police, Middlesex County Sheriff’s Department, Boston Police Bomb Squad, Northeastern Massachusetts Law Enforcement Council’s (NEMLEC) Incident Command Unit, Arlington Fire Department Ladder Truck, and Armstrong Ambulance.
Recreation: Experienced and dedicated counselors engaged participants in fun outdoor activities and supervised swimming at the reservoir each day. HRC youth also enjoyed “roller skating/rollerblading” (which is a new offering at the Rink) and cooling off in the afternoons thanks to the Arlington Fire Department’s fire hoses.
The idea for this comprehensive camp originated two years ago. The APD identified the need to promote and enhance positive relations with youth in the community and to provide a fun and meaningful experience at a low cost. They collaborated with the AYHSC and the Recreation Department to bring HRC to fruition. The APD dedicated its staff and resources to HRC by providing program leadership and developing exciting activities around public safety. Coalition members and AYHSC staff oversaw HRC programming, and coordinated the educational component of the camp that focused on health and wellness. The Recreation Department provided invaluable services of a site location, dedicated and enthusiastic counselors, camp materials, and program advertising. The Dallin School graciously offered to host the camp and
Custodial staff were more than accommodating. Thanks to the seamless partnering of these three agencies, and the success of the last two years, the HRC Summer Experience filled up quickly and accepted over 120 children.
If you, or your organization would like to help sponsor this program, please contact Colleen Leger at 781-316-3179 or cleger@town.arlington.ma.us.
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