Town of Danby

Danby Youth Program offers free after school and summer programs open to elementary and middles school aged youth of Tompkins County, with priority given to Danby Youth.. These programs are offered through a partnership between the Town of Danby and Rural Youth Services, 4-H of Cornell Cooperative Extension Tompkins County

Check us out on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DanbyYouthPrograms4H

Program Offerings

Please Note - Some programs are inside. For programs that take place outside it is vital that your child comes prepared with proper clothing for the afternoon. Students who are not prepared will be sent home on the bus. Please let Heidi Doggett know if you need help acquiring appropriate clothing.

All programs adhere to CDC Guidelines. Masks are required for indoor programs as well as for time traveling in the 4H Vans.

Fishing at Jennings Pond (4-5 grade)

Monday, June 27, 9:00am-1:00pm, @Jennings Pond

Come for fishing, exploring, and making your own picnic lunch.

Fishing at Jennings Pond (6-8 grade)

Tuesday, June 28, 9:00 am-1:00pm, @Jennings Pond

Come for fishing, exploring, and making your own picnic lunch.

Hawk Meadow Farm Tour (4-5 grade)

Wednesday, June 29, 9:00am-2:00pm, Hawk Meadow Farm in Trumansburg, transport from Danby available

Tour a local mushroom farm where they grow mushrooms on logs outdoors. Eat lunch at their beautiful picnic grounds. Spend a while playing in the woods before heading home!

Meyers’ Gardens Tour (6-8 grade)

Thursday, June 30, 9:00am-2:00pm, Myers’ Gardens in Spencer, transport from Danby available

See a working water wheel, blacksmith, a 30-foot sundial, and more! The gardens are full of interesting buildings, hundreds of plants, and old tools that youth are permitted to handle rather than just viewing in a display case. We’ll explore and then eat lunch before heading back.

Cardboard Boat Building

Tuesday, July 5- Thursday, July 7, 9:00am-4:00pm, Meyers Park

Use cardboard to build a boat! At the end of the week, we put them in the water and see if your work stands up to the elements.

Lake Life

Monday July 11-Thursday July 14, 9:00am-4:00pm, Meyers Park (Lansing)/Ithaca Farmers Market

Tuesday we meet at the Ithaca Farmers Market, then head to the Floating Classroom for some lake science with the Cayuga Water Lab. Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday we meet at Meyers Park for lake exploration, water activities, crafts, fishing and hiking.

Cayuga Nature Center

Monday, July 18, 9:00 am-1:00pm

Drop youth off for a few hours of fun at the Cayuga Nature Center’s six-foot tree house and nature trails. The Center opens at 10:00, so we’ll spend the first hour exploring the Black Diamond Trail, which runs nearby. Bring a bagged lunch. Dessert will be provided.

Martial Arts: Skills Focus

Tuesday July 19-Thursday July 21, 9:00am-4:00pm., Ithaca Farmers Market

Balance, discipline, speed. Come learn functional self-defense plus some stuff that just looks cool! We’ll practice sneaking through the woods, refine our punching skills, explore dodging and redirection, and of course learn some fancy kicks. This program is no-contact and beginner friendly, but if you already have experience we’ll make sure you’re challenged. There will be a second martial arts program in August. This first program will have more focus on developing broad skills such as agility, reflexes, and perception. The August program will have more technical focus. Both programs will include spaces for sensory breaks and encourage youth to listen to their bodies so they can rest when they need it.

Dotson Days

Monday July 25-Thursday July 28, 9:00 am-2:00 pm, @ Dotson Park

Leave your mark on Dotson Park! Come for a week of fun building projects and workshops by Danby locals. We'll be making an outdoor xylophone, pipe instrument, and bongos for the natural playground. We hope to finish the Dotson Dragon sculpture using wood, weaving, stones, and other natural materials. We'll be installing a permaculture garden with the help of Danby locals. There will be bubbles, tag, crafts, and more. We're still collecting volunteers for workshops, so who knows what other chances for fun will pop up! 

The Great S’more-tacular Spectacle

4-5 graders: Monday, August 1, 9:00am-2:00pm, Dotson Park

6-8 graders: Tuesday, August 2, 9:00pm-2:00pm, Dotson Park

Bring a bagged lunch to eat in the woods as we embark upon The Great S’more-tacular Spectacle! Experiment with different ingredients to create the tastiest s’more, the fanciest s’more, the most unusual s’more, and the most structurally impossible s’more. We’ll try s’mores in a solar cooker, and other fun s’more-based activities. We’ll also take photos of our favorite creations, and I’ll send out a cookbook containing photos and recipes afterwards.

Color-Changing Garden Party

Wednesday, August 3, 9:00am-2:00pm, Ithaca Children’s Garden

Come make color-changing beverages, team up on a treasure hunt, and explore the garden.

Swimming at Jennings Pond

Thursday, August 4, 9:00am-2:00pm

Swim, hike, and explore at Jennings Pond.

Local Camping/Overnight

Monday August 8-Wednesday August 10, Arnot Forest (Van Etten)

Join youth from Dryden, Lansing, and the Town of Ithaca for a local camping trip. We’ll explore, cook, and camp for two nights. There will be an additional paper permission form for this program--please contact Heidi for more information.

Martial Arts: Technical Focus

Monday August 15-Thursday August 18, 9:00am-4:00pm., @Ithaca Farmers Market

Balance, discipline, speed. Come learn functional self defense plus some stuff that just looks cool! We’ll practice sneaking through the woods, refine our punching skills, explore dodging and redirection, and of course learn some fancy kicks. This program is no-contact and beginner friendly, but if you already have experience we’ll make sure you’re challenged. This is the second martial arts program of the summer. This first (July) program will have more focus on developing broad skills such as agility, reflexes, and perception. This program will have more technical focus. Both programs will include spaces for sensory breaks and encourage youth to listen to their bodies so they can take breaks when they need it.

Cooking!

Monday August 22-Thursday August 25, 9:00am-4:00pm, @Cornell Cooperative Extension (Ithaca)

Work in teams to cook savory and sweet foods, and eat the food together each day. We may walk to the Ithaca Farmer's Market at Dewitt Park or to a store to buy foods to cook.

Register Here: https://reg.cce.cornell.edu/danby_summer22_250

Last updated June 23, 2022