Wilson This Week

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Wilson This Week -- May 5, 2023

Sign kids, teens up now for fun summer experiences

It's May, which means we are about a month away from school being out and about five weeks away from your kids complaining about being bored.

Luckily, we have plenty of summer camps and activities that you can go ahead and reserve spots now. As we get closer to the summer, these camps fill up. And the costs range from reasonable down to free!

Summer camps

The Wilson Parks & Recreation Department is offering nine different camps this summer. More information or register here.

Summer Time Fun Camp, a traditional day camp with team sports, arts and crafts, swim lessons, field trips. Ages 5-8 or 9-12. Monday-Friday, 8 a.m.-5 p.m., breakfast, lunch and snacks included. June 19-23, June 26-30, July 10-14, July 17-21 and July 24-28. $90 per week for city residents, $135 for others.

JV Sports Camp, a camp that is focused on youth sports and activities, such as soccer, basketball and field trips. Ages 5-8. Monday-Friday, 8 a.m.-5 p.m., breakfast, lunch and snacks included. June 12-16 and July 24-28. $90 per week for city residents, $135 for others.

Varsity Sports Camp, a sports-filled camp for ages 9-12. Monday-Friday, 8 a.m.-5 p.m., breakfast, lunch and snacks included. June 19-23 and July 31-Aug. 4. $90 per week for city residents, $135 for others.

Williams Day Camp, a Wilson summer tradition for 60+ years, including games, sports, swim lessons, nature, and is primarily outdoors. Ages 7-12. Monday-Friday, 8 a.m.-3 p.m., breakfast, lunch and snacks included. June 19-23, June 26-30, July 10-14 and Aug. 7-11. $80 per week for city residents, $120 for others.

Gymnastics Camp features flips, jumps, and tumbles at Recreation Park Center. The camp is limited to 40 participants. USA Gymnastics certified coach from Traditional Gymnastics leads the camp. Ages 5-14. Monday-Thursday, June 26-29, 9 a.m.-12:30 p.m., $70 for city residents, $105 for others.

Golf Camp is a beginner level camp that focuses on teaching campers technique and the rules of the game. Ages 7-16. 9 a.m.-Noon, Monday-Thursday, June 26-30 and July 31-Aug. 3. $55 per week for city residents, $80 for others.

Summer Art Camp is for ages 7-11 to develop art skills and learn new techniques. Session 1 (July 17-21) will focus on 2-D artwork such as painting, drawing, crafting, and more. Session 2 (July 24-28) will focus on 3-D artwork. 9 a.m.-11:30 a.m., Monday-Friday. $65 per week for city residents, $97 for others.

Youth Volleyball Camp will help participants will learn basic skills or improve on their volleyball fundamentals. Ages 10-12. 9 a.m.-noon, Monday- Thursday, July 17-20. 60 for city residents, $90 for others

ROCK (REACHING OUR COMMUNITY KIDS) Basketball Camp teaches kids basic fundamentals of the game of basketball to improve their skills. Session 1 will be for ages 5-11, Monday-Thursday, Aug. 7-11, 5:30-7:30 p.m. Session 2 will be for ages 12-17, Monday-Thursday, Aug 14-17, 5:30-7:30 p.m. $40 per week for city residents, $60 for others.

Wilson Police Department PAL camps

Wilson PAL offers several camps during the summer that are meant to give young people something fun to do and give police officers a chance to build close ties to the community. These camps are always offered at no cost to the participants or their families, and they usually include transportation, meals and snacks.

Here is the 2023 schedule:

Wilson PAL Football Camp, June 19-23. The football camp is PAL’s largest and most chaperoned event of the year, bringing hundreds of young men and even young women to the campus of Fike High School. PAL recruits many former high school and college players to be instructors and to train the campers in fundamental techniques at all position groups. Many campers have gone on to play football in high school, college and even the NFL.

Wilson PAL Cheerleading Camp, June 19-23. The cheerleading camp runs along with the annual football camp, typically at nearby Toisnot Middle School. Campers practice from 9 a.m.- 1 p.m. and learn cheer and dance techniques.

Wilson PAL Baseball Camp, June 26-27. Police officers partner with the Wilson Tobs to hold a two day baseball camp every year for youth ages 9-14. The camp covers basic baseball fundamentals and is meant to introduce participants to a game they may not have played.

Wilson PAL Softball Camp, June 28-30.This camp is designed for girls with a desire learn how to play fast-pitch softball or to sharpen their skills as an experienced player. The instructors will focus on teaching participants basic fielding, and hitting techniques.

For further camp details or to pre-register, contact Courtney Jones by email or 252-399-2318.

Youth Citizen Academy

The Wilson Office of Human Relations will offer its Youth Citizen Academy from Monday, July 24 - Wednesday, July 26. The agenda hasn't been set yet, but it will be a three-day exploration of the various roles of city government and a chance to get a taste of several careers in local government. The academy is open to high school age teens. Call 252-399-2309 for more information.

Students recognized for civics lesson on Wilson Mall (plus an update on progress) 

When young people became concerned about the future of Wilson Mall, they decided to write Mayor Carlton Stevens letters -- a whole notebook full of ideas. In return, the mayor invited the students from Wilson Christian Academy to come to the April 20 City Council meeting to be recognized and thanked for joining the discussion. Afterward, Assistant City Manager Rodger Lentz gave a brief update on the project. Geoffrey Schiefer's 8th grade North Carolina History class wrote the letters in February as part of a civics lesson. Each student shared suggestions including a mall makeover, a paintball course and a youth center among other suggestions. Mayor Stevens told the kids that he was impressed with their interest. "I hope your students will draw an important lesson from watching this project develop," he said. "The mall has been an eyesore for years ... allowed to decline for many years by an out-of-state property owner." Lentz told the audience that the city has not yet closed on the property, but once the city owns it, it will demolish the structure and redevelop it. A portion of the mall site will become a city park, he said, More information will be announced this summer. Mayor Stevens urged the students to "remain involved in the issues that affect their lives – issues at their school, in the community and beyond. Today they can write letters and share their ideas, in a few years they can vote, and maybe someday hold public office or work in local government."

Sunday in the Rose Garden is May 21

The annual Sunday in the Rose Garden will be Sunday, May 21, 2-4 p.m. at the Wilson Rose Garden, 1800 Herring Ave. The event will include entertainment by Wilson's own Bill Myers, refreshments, door prizes, cornhole, children's activities and more. This free event is weather permitting and will be cancelled if it is raining; watch the group's Facebook page for updates.