WILKES-BARRE – For several hundred kids across the Wyoming Valley, this summer is about much more than just a break from school.
It is about discovering new places, making lifelong friendships, and learning new skills at the Wyoming Valley Catholic Youth Center in Wilkes-Barre.
The CYC has once again become a summer destination for many local families, with 209 children enrolled in this year’s summer camp program and another 30 youngsters already on a waiting list. The strong demand reflects both the popularity of the program and the vital role it plays in serving families throughout the community.
“We start getting calls in February hoping to reserve space for our camp,” CYC Executive Director Mark Soprano said. “It’s a very popular program.”
Operating from the day schools dismiss for summer until classes resume in the fall, the CYC provides families with dependable, full-day care while giving children experiences many might not otherwise have.
“It’s an easy transition for parents,” Soprano explained. “They don’t have to worry about where their kids are going in the summer.”
For many working families, particularly those facing economic challenges, that consistency provides welcome peace of mind. As the school year ends, children simply transition from the CYC’s before- and after-school programs into its summer program, where every day brings something new.
Rather than repeating the same routine, the CYC fills each week with themed activities, guest presenters and field trips that combine recreation with education.
Campers spend time playing sports, swimming, visiting local parks and even tending the facility’s growing garden.
Throughout the summer, the kids will travel to places like the Electric City Aquarium, Lackawanna Coal Mine Tour, Hillside Farms, Frances Slocum State Park, Kirby Park and even the Pennsylvania State Capitol.
“We try to make it interesting for the kids, that they’re not doing the same thing day after day,” Soprano said. “We want to make it as interesting and fun as possible for the kids but also educate them a little bit about the area and different things around.”
One recent conversation Soprano had with campers reinforced why all the opportunities matter.
“When I was picking the kids up on one of the last days of school, I asked them, ‘What are you doing this summer?’” Soprano recalled. “The only activity I got from the kids was, ‘I’m going to my cousin’s swimming pool.’ That struck me. These kids aren’t going to be doing anything, and they’ll be spending a majority of their summer with us here at the CYC.”
For Victoria Ortiz, who will enter fifth grade this fall, that’s exactly what makes the CYC summer program special.
“It’s fun,” she said. “We do multiple activities. We go to the park. We go swimming. We do fun activities.”
Ortiz had just participated in a reptile presentation from a local business where she got to touch various snakes and even an alligator.
“I got scared for the alligator because it looked scary and it was big,” she added.
Jasper Gomez Colon, who is entering sixth grade, likes the CYC summer program because it gives him the chance to stay active and spend time with friends.
“Every time we come to the gym in the morning, I play basketball,” he said. “Every time I play with my friends, I’m getting better. We get to swim too. It’s really fun.”
While children enjoy the activities, staff members recognize that the greatest impact often goes far beyond games and field trips.
For nearly eight years, Dontaye Dutchin has worked at the CYC, wearing many hats while mentoring the children entrusted to the program.
“It’s the kids,” Dutchin said. “Every day there is something new. I feel like there is a purpose here. When I come in in the morning, everyone is like, ‘Mr. Dontaye!’ They fulfill me. The kids get their hooks in you and it’s impossible to walk away from them.”
Dutchin says many of the children simply need someone willing to listen and care.
“These kids have a lot of tough stories,” he said. “Whenever anyone has a tough weekend or a tough day, I say, ‘Let me hear about it.’ A lot of them don’t have anybody else.”
As Dutchin finished sharing that thought, one of the campers quietly walked up behind him and wrapped both arms around him in an unexpected hug.
That spontaneous gesture captured the importance of the CYC without words – highlighting the Wilkes-Barre facility is a place where children find not only a fun-filled summer, but caring adults who remind them they are valued and supported.