Begin With Us   provides an enriching and supportive before school and after school care program for school-age children. If your child attends Begin With Us before school, he/she is provided with a nutritious breakfast and free play time before going off to school.  

If coming to the center after school, your child is provided with an afternoon snack and dinner if staying through the evening hours. In the after school program your child will have the opportunity to work on homework and our staff are available if your child requires support to complete an assignment.
  

A wide variety of age appropriate activities for free time are provided for afternoons at Begin With Us. Children can build with intricate, inter-connecting blocks, sit quietly while reading stories, play outside in our spacious yard, dance to hip-hop music, participate in indoor dodge ball, or work on a challenging computer game at our ten-station computer lab. 

To accommodate working parents, school-age children may attend the center when the public/parochial schools are closed for snow days, snow delays, holiday breaks, in-service days and the entire summer….  

Camp Scorch 

Summer Program 

 “Our mascot Scorch leads the way to fun while we learn about our county!”

Our program is more than just fun and games…it’s also about learning! At Begin With Us we have developed a fun-filled historical curriculum for the summer program. Included are many exciting educational activities that the children will enjoy. During the month of June the children at Camp Scorch learn about countries of the world by participating in our own summer Olympics.  The children research, via the computer, each of the countries selected for the games. They then participate in many fun physical activities relating to the summer Olympic games. 

During the months of July and August we follow a curriculum that focuses on the historical significance of the Allegheny Mountains. Our curriculum is based on “The Allegheny Ridge Heritage Area Discovery Guide” which teaches about our county’s history and heritage. The guide was compiled by Pennsylvania educators and historians in conjunction with the Allegheny Ridge Corporation. The curriculum includes many educational outings for the children. The trips are throughout Blair and Cambria County and require us to take a rented tour bus. These trips include Horseshoe Curve National Historical Landmark, Railroaders Memorial Museum, Chimney Rocks Park, Canal Basin Park, Allegheny Portage Railroad National Historic Site, Johnstown Flood National Memorial Museum, Fort Roberdeau, Baker Mansion, Lincoln Caverns, Rails to Trails, Southern Alleghenies Museum of Art, Canoe Creek State Park and several other historical sites.

The teachers prepare appropriate lessons for the children before each trip and do a complete follow up lesson at the conclusion.  Local historians also visit Camp Scorch throughout the summer months to discuss various historical aspects and share their knowledge and experiences living in the Allegheny Mountains. It is our hope that the children leave our camp with a better understanding of their roots in the Allegheny Mountains.  

During the summer months, the “Creature Teacher”, a certified naturalist and science teacher presents several days of science activities at the center and at local state parks. The children walk in the stream at Canoe Creek finding crayfish, minnows and other wildlife.  They take nature walks and churn their own butter. 

In addition to the historical and science activities, many events are planned that are on an entertainment level including cooking days, art days, bus trips to the movies and local play parks, a day at the Blair County Ballpark, as well as walking trips for ice cream! 

Our daily schedule at Camp Scorch includes oral reading time, rest time and supervised outside activities in our fully equipped play yard.  And, during the summer months our martial arts, gymnastics, computer and dance instructors offer lessons to the school-age children for a minimal enrichment fee. 

At Begin With Us we want your child’s summer to be an exciting and fun-filled experience while we promote an educational atmosphere to use and expand their knowledge!