Village Project Wants Hobbyists

After two great years of fun, the Village Project is gearing up for a third summer of enjoyment for our young English Language Learners, and its success relies heavily on the interest and involvement of Boundary County citizen volunteers. The project was formed in 2015 to bring summer activities to the children of seasonal workers at Elk Mountain Farms. These kids have been isolated from the summer opportunities offered in Bonners Ferry due to lack of transportation into town. Named for the African proverb “It takes a village to raise a child”, the all-volunteer staffed summer activities program promises to be even better this year as it enters its third year, now in partnership with the Boundary County School District. Do you have a skill or interest to share?

Previously the volunteers have brought beading, board games, hiking, crafts, cooking nutritious snacks, art, outdoor survival skills, baking, copper-working, field trip adventures, a movie club, insect identification, and swimming. This year with our first grant from the Idaho Community Foundation we are able to reimburse volunteers for out-of-pocket expenditures.

“This year we will again offer an intensive English language morning summer school at the Middle School,” said Principal Lisa Iverson, “and to have the Village Project providing fun-time in the afternoons will be a great addition to the children’s overall educational development”. The Village Project is under the auspices of the University of Idaho Extension and Boundary County 4-H. Coordinators Amy Robertson and Barbara Castellan are grateful for the added resources and support that will come with the school district partnership. They see that with the project moving to town, they are afforded the opportunity to open the program to even more school age children.

The project is now actively recruiting volunteers for this coming summer. When asked what kind of people the Village Project is looking for, Amy said that volunteers need to meet two basic criteria. “First, you need to love children. Then you need to have around 20 hours spread over the months of July and August to give to the project.” Volunteers can lead sessions based on a hobby, skill, or passion they want to share. Alternatively, they can assist in the sessions, working hands-on with the kids.

The project coordinators also said they have plenty of ideas for those who need assistance in developing activities. Those interested in learning more about the Village Project can attend a meeting on Friday, June 16, at 6:30 p.m. at the Boundary County Extension Office, located at 6447 Kootenai Street in Bonners Ferry. People are encouraged to come and find out if this is something they might want to do this summer. You can also call Amy Robertson at 208-267-3235 or Barbara Castellan at 312-720-6943.