Van Buren Summer Program

Career Launch encourages teen members to assess their skills and interests, explore careers, make sound educational decisions, and prepare to join our nation's work force.

Cooking Matters is a nutrition-education program that helps members make healthy food choices by introducing them to new foods and showing them ways to prepare them.

The program is designed to inspire, educate, and cultivate guitar playing skills, offering a range of activities from practice sessions to group lessons.

 DIY STEM is a hands-on, activity-based STEM curriculum that connects youth to science themes they encounter regularly. Special attention is paid to connections of theory and application and the common interactions members have with these scientific principles. 

Throughout the summer members may be selected to go on a field trip for no cost to the member or their family. Members are selected based on behavior and range in age groups. Some of the field trips they may participate in are Touch-a-Truck, Monkey House, Movie theater, and many more.

I-Ready's Personalized Instruction provides students with lessons based on their individual skill level and needs, so members can learn at a pace that is just right for them. These lessons are fun and interactive to keep them engaged as they learn.

The Nature Program enhances children's understanding of and respect for the natural world while engaging them in scientific inquiry. The program includes education workshops, nature walks, and educational field trips.

Passport to Manhood gives male members a place to build and practice life skills for decision-making, conflict resolution and healthy relationships. Youth learn the essential attitudes, values and skills they need to become responsible adults. 

 Power Hour helps Club youth achieve academic success with homework help and enrichment activities, and by encouraging them to become life-long, self-directed learners. 

 SMART Girls works through dynamic sessions, participatory activities, field trips and mentoring opportunities with adult women. Club girls explore their own and societal attitudes and values as they build skills for eating right, staying physically fit, getting good health care and developing positive relationships with peers and others. 

SMART Moves is a suite of targeted programs and other resources designed to help young people develop healthy decision-making attitudes and skills. 

 Triple Play is a suite of three targeted programs intentionally written to build the skills, attitudes, knowledge and behaviors essential to an overall healthy lifestyle.