Free summer camp aims to prepare Elkhart County kids for kindergarten

ELKHART COUNTY, Ind. — Summer seems like a long way away, but families in Elkhart County are already making plans for their little ones.

Applications for a free Head Start summer camp called “Countdown to Kindergarten,” rolling out at schools in Elkhart, Goshen, Baugo, Concord and Middlebury.

The first day of kindergarten can be a scary first step for students and parents, especially for those who have never stepped foot in a classroom.

“And we find that children that might be delayed because a lot of times parents don’t know what’s expected of their child from that 0- to 5-year-old age bracket and that’s the most important timeframe while the brain still developing,” said Kathy Guajardo, executive director of the Elkhart and St. Joseph Counties Head Start Consortium.

A local study says more than half of children in Elkhart County started school without meeting key readiness benchmarks.

The Countdown to Kindergarten program is hoping to help change that while still including the fun of summer camp.

The Community Foundation of Elkhart County’s Building Strong Brains coalition, Head Start, and the Boys and Girls Club are teaming to bring meals, transportation and the 40-day camp to six of seven districts in Elkhart County free of charge.

This year they will take up to 500 students and hope it does not stop there.

“Our community like I said we’re a childcare desert many kids are not getting the support that they need before getting to school so they’re behind and struggling and trying to get those kids that help and that situation is huge,” said Brian Replogle, assistant director of Building Strong Brains.

Any child starting kindergarten in Elkhart County this fall can apply regardless of income.

Applications are now open.