Young campers gain insights to work of police, firefighters

By JONATHAN YAO
Posted 7/23/19

By JONATHAN YAO Mayor Joseph Solomon talked to a group of Warwick middle school students last Wednesday at the City Council chambers as they became the first cohort to participate in the city's Adventure Camp. Created by the mayor's task force and

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Young campers gain insights to work of police, firefighters

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Mayor Joseph Solomon talked to a group of Warwick middle school students last Wednesday at the City Council chambers as they became the first cohort to participate in the city’s Adventure Camp.

Created by the mayor’s task force and managed by school resource officers from the Warwick Police Department, Adventure Camp is a learning program aimed at teaching kids valuable lessons. According to Al Melucci, SRO at Warwick Veteran’s Middle School, the students would learn things like “confidence, leadership skills, team building, and social interaction.” The officers help facilitate this learning through encouraging, fun exercises, such as a ropes course and trust exercises. The mayor encouraged campers to “have a great time” and make friends, as well as to speak to the mayor’s office or the Warwick PD if they had any issues in their life they wanted to work out. He ensured that all the kids received his card.

Officer Jill Marshall, manager of the program and SRO at Winman Middle School, explained that the camp consists of three “batches” for three weeks, starting last week, with a fresh group of 30-35 children coming in every week from Tuesday to Friday. The camp is a good opportunity for kids to “get away from their phones,” according to Marshall. She also mentions the exercise and education the kids get at the camp, mentioning a mother who came in with their child and praised the camp for removing the barrier of intimidation children tend to face with law enforcement.

For the most part, the camp is conducted at the Cooper Building on 885 Sandy Lane in Warwick, although campers travel around town on Wednesdays and Thursdays. They got to meet the K-9 team, play games, scale the rock wall provided by the Rhode Island National Guard and find their way through the Fire Department smoke trailer.

The officers believe 35 kids is the maximum they can involve per week to provide one-on-one learning and keep campers involved, so the camp is already filled with students. However, booking for next year’s Adventure Camp starts next May, with information and a downloadable application available then on the Warwick Police Department website. Admission for the camp is $30 however if there are financial difficulties, the fee can be waved. Besides a packed lunch on Tuesdays through Thursdays (there is a pizza party on Friday), parents will only need to note any allergies or concerns for their child, as well as provide bug repellant and sunscreen. The medical forms and other notes are on the website under the Public Outreach tab.

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