Award-Winning Urbandale Summer Camp Expanding to Jensen Elementary School

The award-winning Making a Connection summer camp for needy Urbandale children will be expanded this summer to Jensen Elementary School.

An increase in donations for the third annual summer camp means that 80 children will be able to participate this summer, said Jan Herke, Urbandale's Parks and Recreation director.

The camp provides educational, recreational and life-skill building experiences for low-income children. It also feeds them breakfast and lunch and was started two summers ago to help immigrant children living near , some of whom were home alone and did not have enough food to eat.

The camp is a cooperative effort between and and Karen Acres Elementary School. This year, 30 more children will be able to participate.

The camp will be operated at Karen Acres Elementary School for two months and at for one month. 

The program has received $5,000 in grants and donations, including: $25,000 from the Gabus Family Foundation; an $8,000 grant from Prairie Meadows, $6,500 from the Urbandale Community Action Network through Endow Urbandale; $5,000 from Polk County and $500 from the Urbandale Lions Club.

Students are selected for the camp by the Parks and Recreation Department in collaboration with the two schools, said Herke.