News Release
For Immediate Release
Summer day camps advocate for earlier start day
Summer Day Camps like Pedalheads and Code-it Hacks create that “glimmer of hope” for Ontario families
May 27, 2020, TORONTO ON – In support of parents who are in desperate need of childminding alternatives during this difficult time, summer camp providers like Pedalheads and Code-it Hacks are seeking support from the Ford Government to consider opening day camps as early as June 22, 2020. Currently, the government’s potential date for opening summer camps is Wednesday, July 1, 2020, midweek, which means typical week-long camps will not be open until the week of July 6th. Every week counts for desperate Ontario parents who are entering the 11th week of homeschooling and childminding.
In order to comply with gathering and distancing safety measures, Ontario day camp operators understand that they will not be able to have the usual number of participants on-site, therefore less available spots for families. One solution for creating more camp opportunities is to allow camps to open in June if Covid-19 trends continue to improve.
“Code-it Hacks has been running virtual classes for nine weeks now. We know parents need a break and kids need a change of scenery. Getting out is key to helping kids have a great summer camp experience and we want to open up as many spaces as possible”, say Shirin Merchant, founder Code-it Hacks.
Pedalheads, a learn-to-ride camp, has the unique ability to offer a safe, outdoors and physically distanced summer camp experience for kids at over 30 locations in Ontario – biking and being outside offers inherent safeties around physical distancing that make it a safer option to keep kids active for this summer.
“We are very excited to get kids to camp as soon as possible this summer! We are receiving increasing inquiries from parents scrambling to find day camp alternatives for their children. We understand that camps will be operating under gathering and distancing restrictions this summer and that we will not be able to fill camps to their normal capacity. This will limit the number of camp spaces we can open and leave some families without camp or childminding options for the summer.” says Claudia Sjoberg, President and Founder of Pedalheads.
She adds “Ideally, with the support of the government, we’d open on Monday June 22 in order to offer more camp spaces in early summer. We understand parents have limited options and we want to help get kids engaged, stay active, and have fun. Safety is always our priority and has been for over 30+ years. Our COVID-19 Health and Safety Plan includes new safety measures such as social distancing, health checks, cleaning, PPE, & more. These changes are being both communicated and implemented at all of our camps across the country.”
About Pedalheads
Traffic and densely populated urban areas make it difficult for parents to teach their kids to ride bikes. Kids need the confidence to ride safely on the road, in parks and around the neighbourhood. The Pedalheads® bike camp experience provides children with the right environment, trained instructors and small groups preparing them for the road – some as young as three can learn to ride without training wheels upon completion of camp. For more information about the program, go to pedalheads.com. Pedalheads® camp registration is currently available and can be done at https://pedalheads.com/camp. They are fully committed to running camps this summer and have made the necessary adjustments to offer both a fun and safe camp this year. If for some reason they are unable to run a camp you register for, they will provide a full refund. For more information visit: https://www.pedalheads.com/
About Code-it Hacks, Inc.
CODE-IT HACKS is a technology school designed to train young people in grades 3 – 12 in computer programming, robotics and physical computing skills. We are a team of passionate STEM professionals who are committed to imparting foundational skills in a safe, carefree and fun environment. We hope that the next generation of youth can realize the power of coding and share our vision of “Changing the world one code at a time.” The 21st Century classrooms need to go beyond reading, writing, math and science. Whether your child opts for the field of technology, arts or sciences, Artificial Intelligence, Internet of Things, Quantum computing to name a few, are coming faster at us than we can imagine and will impact all aspects of our lives: professional and personal. Are our kids ready? Code-it Hacks has started its journey to ensure Canadian kids and schools have access to such programs to break the cycle of the “norm” and learn the 21st century skills before they enter universities to make their mark! With our unique curriculum and methodology, we are certain to train the next generation of bright and creative minds with tools and attitude to take on their paths with passion, confidence and sound technical knowledge.
For more information visit: http://www.codeithacks.com/ – check out the video
For more information please contact: Tory Crowder Jumpstart Communications, 416 998 9702, or [email protected]