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Brian Lehrer: Brian Lehrer on WNYC. Now, we'll wrap up today's show with your calls on tips for finding an affordable summer camp, or summer program of any kind for people's kids, 212-433-WNYC, 433-9692. The school year is set to wrap up soon, different specific days at different schools and in different districts, but here we are in the late stage school year on June 7.

While your kids are probably thrilled to soon be free of the classroom, I'm sure many of you parents out there are dreading the end of having free childcare for most of the day, which is one of the things that school is. While you go off to work, your kids need something to do, right? They need someone to watch over them, and hopefully, it's something that's really good. What's the logical solution? Well, for some people who can afford it, it's summer camp. The problem is that finding a summer camp or other quality program that meets your needs economically might feel impossible.

Last week, Bloomberg Businessweek published an article on this dilemma titled, How Summer Camp Became Such a Hot Mess for Parents. In it, they described just how expensive and niche camp has gotten. Think three weeks of Caribbean sailing camp for nearly $7,000, not including travel to and from. That was one example they gave. The more affordable options will still cost you about $300 a week or $3,000 to $4,000 for the summer.

According to the article, not everyone can swing that obviously. We're trying to crowdsource some more affordable options, 212-433-WNYC, 212-433-9692. Your tips for affordable. Doesn't have to be sleepaway camp, it can be day camp, it can be other summer programs. Let the other parents in the audience, the other grandparents in the audience, the other aunts and uncles in the audience, maybe the 12-year-old who's in the audience thinking, "Hmm, what am I going to do after June 30?" 212-433-WNYC, 212-433-9692.

Are you sending your kids to a local camp at a small rec center perhaps, or something like that? Maybe you work at a YMCA or YM-YWHA camp that still got open seats and is affordable. I'm sure there're parents out there looking for a program like yours but maybe missed it amongst the crowd of specialized space and coding camps with extensive marketing budgets and things like that. Here's a chance to even advertise your camp to parents and maybe even hire some last-minute counselors if you're having labor problems like the army and everybody else. 212-433-WNYC, 212-433-9692.

Something else we've been thinking about, what do you do with your tweens? There are day camp programs for tweens, but sometimes a tween will fall through the cracks between too old for most day camps, but too young to get a summer job. Camp directors, if you've got programs for tweens, let us know. Are you looking for counselors in training? 212-433-9692. Or have specific programs for kids ages let's say 11, 12 through maybe 15.

Parents, how do you keep your tweens from spending their entire summer unsupervised in their rooms on social media? 212-433-9692. Again, if you can't afford the expensive summer camps. Call or text us with your tips on finding affordable summer programs, sleepaway, day. You can call it camp, you can call it school, you can call it enrichment. 212-433-9692, we'll take your calls. I'm sure a lot of parents out there will be happy to hear some tips. 212-433-9692 right after this.

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Brian Lehrer on WNYC. Okay, we've got nine minutes for your affordable summer programs for kids, day camp, call it whatever you want to call it, sleepaway camp, school, enrichment. 212-433-9692. Christine in Brooklyn, you're on WNYC. Hi, Christine.

Christine: Hi. I'm one of the many film and television workers out of work right now due to the writer's strike, but I didn't want my son to miss out on camp, and I found a program called Brooklyn United. They have several locations, and it's about $1000 for the entire summer for all the camp. They do a lot of fun activities, and you also have programs for older kids to be like junior counselors. They also offer a sliding scale for people who can't afford the $1000 for the whole summer. They do pickups and drop-offs too, so there's transportation.

Brian Lehrer: Great start. Thank you very much. Brooklyn United, folks. Rachel in Brooklyn, you're on WNYC. Hi, Rachel.

Rachel: Hey there. I'm so excited to be on your show for the first time. I just wanted to recommend Fencing Camp, brooklynfencing.com, $500 or a little bit less per week, day camp, drop off, kids can poke each other with swords, and it's a lot of fun, and it's very safe. There's Park Slope, Downtown Brooklyn, and now in Astoria, Queens as well. Check it out.

Brian Lehrer: Fencing Camp. Thank you, Rachel. Roy in Roxbury, you're on WNYC. Hi, Roy. Is it Roy in Roxbury, New Jersey? Do I have the name right?

Roger: No, Roger.

Brian Lehrer: Oh, Roger. I'm sorry, we got your name wrong. I apologize. Hi, Roger.

Roger: I'm sorry. No, just from my experience, I used to a run a day camp in Central Harlem. It's no longer there but St. Thomas the Apostle, 118th Street St Nicholas. I know there are still similar camps if you can tolerate the religion aspect of it. The activities were free or for minimal fees, and they offer activity-- I think there's still some religious organizations that offer this and we will take them to Far Rockaway Beach, or down a great adventure in New Jersey. It takes a little looking, but they are out there for lower-income folks and then they do offer sleepaway camp off [crosstalk] [inaudible 00:07:24]

Brian Lehrer: You said the program you work for, it doesn't exist anymore but is the bottom line advice here sort of check with your local religious institutions?

Roger: Exactly. Yes.

Brian Lehrer: Roger, thank you. Thank you very much. Justine in Astoria, you're on WNYC. Hi, Justine.

Justine: Hi, Brian, how are you?

Brian Lehrer: Okay.

Justine: Thank you for taking another call for me. Years ago, I taught and I was a counselor in Buck's Rock, you might have heard of it. It's up in Connecticut, [unintelligible 00:07:56] camp, and it's arts-oriented. Back then, they had sliding scale, and they also had free-ride scholarships for very low-income people. I think they still have those things. I would say to people that whatever chance they might be interested, check and see if they have sliding scale or free ride, especially if it's the special interest kind of camp, like Buck's Rock is an arts-oriented camp. I was doing creative writing with kids up there. Like the sports camps or I don't [unintelligible 00:08:31] have camps for video games now or something, I don't know.

Brian Lehrer: Yes, so many specialized camps. Check for the sliding scales, and your arts campus called Buck's Rock in Connecticut, very cool. Listener texts, "My kids loved Zoo Camp. I hope it's still out there, Central Park and the Bronx and I think also Queen Zoo. Kids can go only for one week per summer and parents waited at their computers for midnight to strike and get their kids to space. Returning campers had priority, but there was always spots. My two kids went a few summers and completely loved Zoo Camp."

I think that same person adds, "Also many scholarships." I'm not sure if this was-- Oh, it is the same person but not necessarily about Zoo Camp. It says, "Also many sleepaway and day camps have scholarships and financial aid." Bob in Oceanside, you're on WNYC. Hi, Bob.

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I think Bob is placing another call at the same time. Maybe he'll conference us in.[chuckles] I'm told the Prospect Park Zoo also has a camp. Let's see. How about Victoria in Nyack, you're WNYC. Hi, Victoria.

Victoria: Hi. Hi, how are you? I'm [unintelligible 00:09:52], what's called the Teaching Artists. I work throughout the New York area, and then in New Jersey, so many places. I've been teaching for 35 years, and I have hundreds of students, but during the summer when my schedule is lighter, I work with students who, let's say, maybe there's a group of three friends, and they want to-- I have a nice apartment in Nyack. I could see the river, we could go to Memorial Park, and do a playwriting class, and then perform.

I also worked with a high school student this year who was taking videos of me reading stories, put on my YouTube channel. You could do some exchange, or if there was some younger students, and there was a tween like you would [crosstalk]

Brian Lehrer: Is this part of a program or something you do as an individual?

Victoria: This is me as an individual, but I could just give my email address which is victoriatheaterarts@gmail. If anybody is interested in a mentoring or we could work it out because I have a lot more free time.

Brian Lehrer: Thank you very much, victoriatheaterarts@gmail. A few people have called to say check the school districts because many school districts do have summer programs. One person is saying, "You may not even need to live in the district in every case." Check your local school district is another tip. Let's see. Yne in Brooklyn, you're on WNYC. Hi, Yne.

Yne: Hello. How are you? Thank you for having me.

Brian Lehrer: Sure.

Yne: I'm calling to talk about our camp. We are called Nueva York Kiddos, and we are a Spanish school. We offer very fun field trips during July and August. The awesome thing about this camp is kids also learn a little bit of photography, and they document their field trip. It's for kids 4 years old up to 10 or 11. We are located in Greenpoint.

Brian Lehrer: Say the name again.

Yne: You can get more info--

Brian Lehrer: Yes, at, go ahead.

Yne: Nueva York Kiddos. You can find info at nuevayorkkiddos.com.

Brian Lehrer: Thank you very much, Yne. I think we can get one more in here, maybe two. Jeanmarie, you're on WNYC. Hello, Jeanmarie.

Jeanmarie: Hi, Brian. Thanks so much for having me. I'm thrilled to be able to share this info. I'm the editor of the new site City Limits, and we are running and have been running for the past several years a summer journalism training program for New York City high school students. It's called Clarify. The application to apply is June 15th. It is basically a way to teach New York City high school students about how to report and write news stories on things happening in their neighborhoods. It's a great opportunity and comes with a stipend payment as well.

Brian Lehrer: Great. Great for the young teens. Journalism at City Limits. Jeanmarie, thank you. We know who you are.

Jeanmarie: Thank you. I appreciate it.

Brian Lehrer: I didn't realize you were you. Thank you very much. We're going to end on that. There folks, a whole bunch of tips for affordable summer programs for kids. Hopefully, that is helpful to some of you. That's The Brian Lehrer Show for today, produced by Mary Croke, Lisa Allison, Amina Srna, Carl Boisrond, and Esperanza Rosenbaum. Zach Gottehrer-Cohen produced our Daily Politics podcast. Megan Ryan is the head of live radio, and we had Juliana Fonda at the audio controls. I'm Brian Lehrer. Stay tuned for Allison.

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