Camp gets $20K to improve its after-school programs

Staff report

Youngstown

D&E Counseling Center has received two grants of $10,000 each, one from the J. Ford Crandall Memorial Foundation and the other from The Youngstown Foundation.

The center, with offices in Youngstown and Austintown, will use the money to purchase and install insulating materials and interior walls to its Camp Challenge Recreation Hall on Wilkinson and McCollum roads on the city’s West Side.

The center is to begin an after-school program at the camp in mid-October for children age 7 to 12 who are exhibiting behavior problems contributing to their school failure.

“Our Camp Challenge buildings are approaching 100 years in age, and while in very good shape, the recreational hall was never able to be heated as it was never insulated,” said Greg Cvetkovic, D&E executive director.

“With these grants, we can now provide the additional behavior-management programming and academic tutoring these children need throughout the school year,” he added.

The Camp Challenge After School Program is supported by funding from the Mahoning County Board of Mental Health.