Summer adventures planned by Youth Center

Published May 24, 2012
By Senior Airman Janine Thibault
354th Fighter Wing Public Affairs

EIELSON AIR FORCE BASE, Alaska -- This summer, base youth have a lot to look forward to.

The possibilities for fun are endless with the dedication and hard work from the Eielson Youth Center, offering a safe place for kids to socialize, make new friends, learn new skills and participate in constructive activities.

This year's summer programs look to pique the interest of Eielson's youth with daily activities, trips and specialty camps like paintball and archery.

"A lot of military kids that come here don't often take advantage of the things in this community," said Deborah Conklin, Youth Center director. "Making this is a great way, especially for new people coming to the base, to get out and learn what this community has to offer them and be part of it."

With their parent's permission, children can enjoy activities like an Interior fishing expedition where various fishing techniques are taught in the Alaskan lakes, streams and rivers.

For the more adventurous, the Unplugged Tour 2012 requires the teens on the trip to turn off their cell phones and other electronic devices on three-day excursions to Denali, Valdez and Seward. The teens will go white water rafting, hike, camp and cook over the fire.

Alaskan adventure week will focus on introducing new people to the community. Participants can go on the riverboat, visit a goldmine and hike on different tours.

"Every camp that we do, we always have a hidden agenda in our camps, whether it is educational, physical or serving the community," said Conklin. "Kids have a good time, but they also have the opportunity to learn some life skills."

Youth can also choose to participate in archery camp, where youth center staff will pass on the same skills recently taught to them by the same professional archer that trained the female actor in the movie "The Hunger Games."

"The focus is a lot on fitness right now. There's always a fitness activity involved because we want to make sure our kids have every opportunity. We try to find other things to keep them fit like hiking and canoeing, said Conklin."

Additionally, youth survivalists can also look forward to an overnight excursion in which two volunteers from the base Arctic Survival School will teach them how to survive out in the woods.

All summer-long children can find a place to enjoy the company of others and activities that may stimulate their minds creatively and enliven them physically. From 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. they can join in activities held on base, like aviation week which gives the kids a tour of the base, culinary week, which features cooking from around the world, and trips to other base facilities.

"There's always something going on right here in the center, so they don't have to sign up for the weekly camps if they don't want to," she said. "It's a busy summer."

Parents must sign children up and for trips and pay the costs involved. Activities and trips are open to all eligible children of active duty, guard, contractors and civilian employees.

"People come up to us all the time and say, 'When I was growing up I went to the youth center and it was a place to play pool and basketball and that's pretty much it.' Youth programs have changed so much over the last 10 years. It's amazing the changes that have occurred. The focus is so much more on how we can build these teens into productive citizens for the future," said Conklin.

Conklin added the youth center is also still a place for youth to just come in and hang out, but there will always be a staff member encouraging children to participate in youth center activities, trips or get involved in a community service project.

It whether its camping, hiking, archery, rafting, a sport or just hanging out, the youth center is a place where children can have fun, learn and enjoy the community safely.

For a list of available youth programs, age requirements, prices and dates, visit Eielson Youth Programs on Facebook. For more information or to sign your child up, contact the youth center staff at 377-3194.