Beyond Babysitting: Why Schools Are Rethinking Out-of-School Time

Every school calendar has gaps: winter break, spring break, teacher in-service days, and the long weeks of summer. For working families, those days are a scramble. For schools, they're a missed chance to keep kids connected to their campus and community.

The Recreation Academy is an out-of-school time (OST) provider for elementary and middle school families ages 5–14. We run school-break camps, in-service day camps, summer camps, after school clubs, and before and after school care right on the campuses and park sites families already know.

What makes a great school-break camp?

Not a gym full of kids waiting for pickup. Our camps are built around a real plan for every day. Coaches plan activities ahead of each week, facilitate them on site, debrief with campers about what worked, and use that feedback to make the next day better. Plan, facilitate, debrief, grow.

That means kids spend their day in sports and active games like flag football, basketball, and gaga ball, and in hands-on STEM like RC racing, building challenges, and Minecraft-style design. Phones stay away. Participation is the point.

Staff who actually want to be there

Our coaches start at $17.50 an hour, and many are education majors recruited through local college and university partnerships. Many earn university credit hours for their work with us, so they show up committed. Every staff member completes FBI fingerprinting and a background check, and every site is led by an experienced team member with professional experience leading kids.

Turnkey for schools and parks

Partner sites provide the space. We handle staffing, programming, registration, and parent communication. For many schools there is $0 cost to the school, plus a revenue share.

Find a camp or bring one to your school

Families can browse upcoming camps at therecreationacademy.com/camps. School leaders can start a conversation at therecreationacademy.com/partner-with-us.