Boys & Girls Clubs of the Valley is helping youth and teens L.E.A.P. — Learn, Engage, Achieve and Progress — into summer with camps that will be offered at no cost to families.

The summer camps will take place from June through August for those between the ages of 5 and 18, and the cost will be covered by Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey’s AZ OnTrack Summer Camp program. The funding is made possible by more than $100 million from the American Rescue Plan Act, according to a release.

“During the past two years, many youth have struggled to keep up with their academics and have missed the social-emotional learning of being in the classroom,” Marcia Mintz, BGCAZ’s president and CEO, said in the release. “Our summer programs will address these critical gaps in engaging ways.”

Campers will enjoy a variety of interactive experiences focused on academics, recreation, sports, arts and sciences. There will be games, technology labs, STEM activities and civic engagement. A nutritious breakfast and lunch, along with healthy snacks, also will be provided to all members, the release states.

Clubs are open from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. to accommodate working parents.

“This is an opportunity for kids to have fun with a purpose while forging healthy relationships and experiencing new adventures in a Boys & Girls Club,” Mintz said in the release.

Youth can attend camp at one of more than two dozen BGCAZ locations throughout the Valley, including at a location near the organization’s planned Metro North Branch at 21st Avenue and Peoria Avenue in Phoenix. BGCAZ is teaming up with Vista College Prep, a community of tuition-free public charter schools, to open the new club in August.

For more information and to register for the summer camp, go to bgcaz.org/summerfun or call 602-954-8182.

About Boys & Girls Clubs of the Valley

Boys & Girls Clubs of the Valley offers affordable after-school and summer programs for more than 13,000 young people in grades K-12. At clubs across the Valley, BGCAZ provides award-winning programs designed to change the lives of young people.

Go to bgcaz.org or follow @BGCArizona.