Niibing Summer Program in 6th Year, Benefits Adolescents

Joelle Peters

9/21/2000 12:00:00 AM

The Niibing Summer Program 2000 started on June 26 and ended on July 27. Activities took place in the afternoon during Monday through Thursday. The students were six to 14 years old and had to be eligible for Tribal Education Services to participate.

The students were given the opportunity to learn various things about Native American culture. They also did arts and crafts and went on trips to have fun. The program participants went on three out-of-town trips. They visited Potter Park Zoo, Higgins Lake and Michigan Adventure Amusement Park. The participants have also gone ice skating and to Coldwater Lake.

While at Potter Park Zoo, the children enjoyed everything from petting the animals and riding the horses to watching the reptiles.

"My favorite thing at Potter Park Zoo was looking at the snakes," explained Niibing Summer Program student Stephen Jackson.

Another program activity included having special guests come in and talk to the children about subjects that the program planners hoped would be interesting and educational. The participants also had the opportunity to get involved with the summer youth workers.

"I like working with the kids," said summer youth worker Samantha Chippeway.

The program is a good opportunity for the youth to have fun learning. It was also a chance for the students to meet new people and make a lot of friends.

"I like the friendships that I have made with new kids," said program participant Robert Jackson.

The Niibing program has been going on for six years. Participants and planners said they hope it will continue for years to come. The activities have shown the children a fun way to learn about their culture.

"I think that this program provides something for youth, six to 14 years old that can't work, with something positive to do," said K-12 Program Coordinator Len Klakulak.

The program participants also had a cooking class where they made pizza from scratch, although most of the youth said that they didn't like the results of that project.

"They all were saying �yuck' and �this is nasty!'" said K-12 Tutor Jabari Hampton about the pizzas that the students made themselves.

According to Klakulak, this program will have a positive effects on the student.

"If there was something that I wouldn't change it would be the outcome of this program," he said.

(Editor's note: Joelle Peters is part of the Saginaw Chippewa Summer Youth Program. She is 14-years-old and is going into 10th grade at Mt. Pleasant High School. Joelle is the daughter of Theresa and Darryl Jackson.)