Gustavus Adolphus College President Jim Peterson was recently presented a $5,000 check by the HickoryTech Foundation to help fund the College’s National Youth Sports Program (NYSP). This summer’s NYSP at Gustavus will be a three-week (July 9-28) academic and athletic enrichment program for approximately 150 youth ages 10-16 from low-income families living within a 45-mile radius of St. Peter.
“Community partners are an incredibly important part of Gustavus being able to continue to offer these programs,” said Kathryn Bode, NYSP director at Gustavus. “We thank HickoryTech for their generous donation and their recognition of the importance of NYSP to local youth.”
NYSP is a 39-year-old national initiative that has supported 200 summer programs at colleges and universities throughout the country. Federally funded until two years ago, the organization provides economically disadvantaged youth with academic instruction, sports skill instruction, physical fitness and healthy habits, along with opportunities to become acquainted with careers and educational opportunities at a college or university campus.
Gustavus is the second such program in Minnesota and the first to serve out-state youth. This year, students from Arlington, Belle Plaine, Cleveland, Eagle Lake, Gaylord, Green Isle, Janesville, Jordan, Lake Crystal, Le Center, Le Sueur, Kasota, Madelia, Mankato, Montgomery, New Prague, Nicollet, North Mankato, St. James, St. Peter, and Waseca are eligible for NYSP at Gustavus.
In its fourth year at Gustavus, NYSP will focus on two areas: Fitness Centers, which include both team and individual activities such as basketball, soccer, swimming, volleyball, and yoga; and the “Learning is Fun” Academy, which will focus on enriching math and reading skills while also exploring science and health, creative writing, art, and drama.
As a way to help campers become more interested in the long-term goals of education, Gustavus has collected over 500 books that will be distributed and sent home with each student who participates in this summer’s program.
For more information about this summer’s NYSP at Gustavus, contact the Gustavus NYSP office at nysp@gustavus.edu or 507-933-7455.
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