Khadijah Reid, 9, sautés steak strips Friday afternoon at Lunney Youth Center, Misawa Air Base, Japan, as part of the after-school “Kids in the Kitchen” program. (Jennifer H. Svan / S&S)
Khadijah Reid, 9, sautés steak strips Friday afternoon at Lunney Youth Center, Misawa Air Base, Japan, as part of the after-school “Kids in the Kitchen” program. (Jennifer H. Svan / S&S)
Khadijah Reid cuts up steak strips while D’Yanna Sledge, 10, looks on. Reid and Sledge were helping to make steak croissant braids as part of the after-school “Kids in the Kitchen” program. (Jennifer H. Svan / S&S)
MISAWA AIR BASE, Japan — Fending off boredom at Misawa this summer won’t be so hard for kids.
The Lunney Youth Center is offering a slew of summer camps and clinics — from rubbing elbows with a college baseball coach to learning proper hula techniques — for children and teens ages 5 to 18.
Most of the programs are free, said Kim Alston, supervisor of recreation programs at the youth center. Kids 9 and older have to be youth or teen center members to participate. Membership costs $24 a year.
One new camp being offered this summer is “Major League Baseball” on July 6 and 7 for ages 7 and up. The camp will cover baseball basics such as fielding, hitting and base running.
Another new offering for the summer is “Hands on Science,” where students will do various science projects with guidance from a local instructor.
“It’s to keep education going during the summer,” Alston said.
“DDR Fitness” also is new. “Dance Dance Revolution” is a video game played on a dance pad, with players trying to keep up with arrows synchronized to the music’s beat.
“They’re in love with that game,” Alston said of the program’s participants. “We have to order new pads again because they’ve worn out the ones we’ve bought” in two months.
Also this summer, the Missoula Children’s Theater camp returns Aug. 6-11 at the Mokuteki Community Center for ages 6 to 18.
A few camps in June and July already are full. But Alston said there are still a lot of open programs. Kids can sign up now at the youth center for July camps. Registration for August begins July 9.
Call the youth center at DSN 226-3220 for more information about summer camps and clinics. Registration for the Missoula camp is at the community center. Call DSN 226-4128 for more information about that program.
Lunney Youth Center offeringsHere’s a list of youth summer camps and clinics at Misawa and sign up information.
¶ A shooter computer simulation in which participants work together on a network of computers. Trainers can add whatever scenario or elements a unit’s mission requires, said Richard Evans, a virtual-training leader at Camp Hansen.
¶ Special Effects Small Arms Marking System: A modification kit installed on weapons to convert them from live rounds to training paint rounds. Steve Gordon, a site manager at the center, said it provides instant feedback in force-on-force scenarios.
¶ Tactical Language and Culture Training System: A voice-activated training system based on 3-D video games. The simulation teaches Arabic language and culture and requires Marines to interact with the program, Evans said. “If you don’t speak the language correctly, then [people in the program] won’t respond to you.”
¶ Indoor Simulated Marksmanship Trainer: A classroom trainer that uses modified small arms and crew weapons to interact with a scenario projected onto a screen. It shows where simulated rounds hit and teaches decision-making skills in fast-paced scenarios, said John Bivis, with the Hansen-based center. The scenarios help participants quickly identify when they should and shouldn’t fire, he said.
— Cindy Fisher
