2026 Summer Learning Week
From July 6 to July 10, 2026, out-of-school time programs across the nation are celebrating National Summer Learning Week. Summer Learning Week is a nationwide initiative that elevates the importance of keeping kids engaged, safe, and healthy during the summer months. To celebrate, we’ve highlighted some unique and enriching summer learning programs that are available to Alaskan youth!
ATV Summer Safety Riding Clinic
This summer, Alaska Safe Riders gave youth ages 10 and older the opportunity to hit the trails and learn valuable ATV safety skills through ATV Summer Safety Riding classes at the Jim Creek Recreation Area in Palmer.
Using curriculum from the ATV Safety Institute, youth first completed a 2.5-hour interactive e-Learning course featuring videos, photos, quizzes, and games that introduced ATV safety fundamentals and proper vehicle operation. They then put their knowledge into action during a 4-hour, hands-on riding experience, where they practiced navigating sand, trails, and hills while learning safe riding techniques and how to respond to real-world situations, such as wildlife encounters.
When riders understand safety rules, responsible riding practices, and the importance of respecting their environment, they can confidently explore Alaska’s outdoors and create memorable experiences riding ATVs.
For more information about Alaska Safe Riders and the safety courses, visit https://alaskasaferiders.org/
Denali Arts Council Youth Camps
Throughout the school year, the Denali Arts Council offers performing arts, theater, choir, orchestra, youth programs, and school art residencies, while summer is dedicated to immersive arts camps that inspire creativity, confidence, and build community.
The Denali Arts Council’s summer camps serve about 200 youth ages 5-17 in the Upper Susitna Valley. They provide four unique camp programs. The Summer Stock camp provides opportunities for youth to collaborate on writing and performing musicals based on themes that matter to them, while the Green Light Circus teaches youth about circus arts through trapeze, acrobatics, juggling, and more. The Fine Arts Camp brings in professional artists to teach fine art disciplines such as photography, sculpture, filmmaking, and painting, and the Art in Motion dance camp was unfortunately cancelled this year due to lack of funding.
In a region where children can often feel isolated during the summer months, Denali Arts Council’s summer camps provide an invaluable opportunity for youth to create, perform, and discover the power of the arts.
For more information about the Denali Arts Council and their summer camps, visit https://denaliartscouncil.org/summeryouthprograms/
Nome Community Center
Camp CRAVE, which stands for Culture, Recreation, Active, Values, and Education, is a healthy lifestyles summer camp that brings adventure, learning, and fun together for youth ages 7-14. Held just outside of Nome, the program features three 4-day camp sessions designed to inspire healthy choices and strengthen connections to culture and community.
Every day at Camp CRAVE is a new and different day for youth. Activities vary from hiking, swimming, paddleboarding, and campfire activities, to nutrition, tobacco prevention, mental wellness, and subsistence traditions. Community partners and local experts are often invited to lead activities and lessons for campers as well, providing meaningful opportunities for youth to learn from and collaborate with.
Camp CRAVE helps youth build confidence, make positive lifestyle choices, strengthen friendships, and create lasting memories filled with learning and adventure.
For more information about Camp CRAVE, visit https://www.nomecc.org/camp-crave.html
Yakutat Surf Club
The Yakutat Surf Club started as a one-time event in 2019 to share a passion for surfing and has now flourished into an annual summer camp opportunity for local youth in Yakutat. It serves approximately 25 local youth in grades K-12 during the later months of summer, with scheduling often dependent on weather and wave conditions.
Designed to foster a lifelong connection to the ocean and their community, the Surf Club’s program teaches youth how to safely enjoy and navigate coastal environments while promoting healthy and active lifestyles. These lessons are grounded in local community knowledge and reflect the realities of living in a coastal fishing community, where understanding the ocean physically, culturally and spiritually, are important skills. Youth
learn how to read tides, currents, wave conditions, buoys, and weather forecasting apps, listen to local Tlingit community members who come to share stories and songs that connect the land, sea, and sun, and spend time cleaning up the beaches.
By investing in local youth, the program helps ensure that knowledge, skills, and traditions remain rooted in the community, and that the youth gain a stronger understanding of the responsibility they share in protecting its natural resources and cultural heritage.
