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By Martinique Davis
Although February snowstorms suggest winter is in full swing, summer truly is only a few months away. And before you know it, local and visiting kids will trade in their ski clothes for shorts and bathing suits, saying a cheerful farewell to the days spent in the classroom and welcoming with delighted grins the long summer days of exploring Telluride's great outdoor playground.
While the days get longer and kids begin to feel the mid-winter itch for summer fun and freedom, the Telluride Academy -- Telluride's leading source for summer adventure for kids of all ages -- is gearing up for their 25th season of summertime fun.
With a 2005 summer schedule that features such popular camps as Bows and Arrows, Flower Fairies, Wet 'n Wild, and Mudd Butts, as well as a few new programs like Epic Alaskan Adventure and an all-girl trip to Hawaii, the Telluride Academy staff is currently in the midst of preparing for what is already shaping up to be one of the best Academy summers yet! And with a revamped tuition assistance program, it may be more affordable for local children and their families to enjoy a Telluride Academy summer than they may think.
Larry Rosen, interim Executive Director at the Telluride Academy, explains that this summer's refurbished Tuition Assistance and Locals Incentives programs were designed with the Academy's primary mission in mind.
"The Academy was founded on the principle that every local child should be able to enjoy summer enrichment," he explains of this summer's improved financial assistance programs.
Rosen explains that the Academy has always offered financial assistance to local children who want to take a Telluride Academy camp; on average, the organization grants close to $100,000 each summer for local scholarships, thanks to grants from local nonprofit organizations including the Telluride Foundation, Just for Kids, the Council on the Arts and Special Events, One-to-One, San Miguel County Social Services, the Town of Mountain Village, TCAH and the Lucky Star Foundation. This year, the amount of local tuition assistance will be the same as in years past, but Telluride Academy staff has revamped the tuition assistance process to better identify who needs it most, as well as to ensure that even those families who perhaps are not on the far end of the "need" spectrum can still enjoy discounts on Academy programs throughout the summer.
Local families hoping to receive tuition assistance will now be required to fill out a confidential application, to better help Academy staff identify their campers' varying levels of financial need. Discounts of anywhere between 35 percent and 85 percent off the normal cost of summer programs are available for local families based on their level of need.
As Rosen explains, even families who may not think they qualify for tuition assistance should fill out an application, as the new tuition assistance program was designed to help local families across the income spectrum.
"We wanted to reach out to a broader local audience," Rosen says of the enhanced tuition assistance program. "We recognize that Telluride is an expensive place to live, and that local families that make a fair income may still find Academy camps to be expensive. We understand the challenges that local middle-class families face, and we want to raise the bar [with our assistance to them]."
Even local families who do not qualify for the new tuition assistance program can still enjoy discounts through the Locals Incentives program, which grants different discounts for local families. The Veteran's Incentives program allows any local student, ages 7 to 12, who has attended a minimum of three years of the previous five at the Telluride Academy to receive a 50 percent discount off any one or two programs (not to exceed $400.)
The Work Study program was designed for older local campers, ages 12 and older, who are willing to raise money for a summer program. The Academy will match every dollar that a student raises up to one-third of the total cost for the program. This incentive can be used toward any one or two programs and is limited to $1,000 per summer.
The Early Registration for Sessions 1, 2, and 6 program entitles local children a discount of 25 percent for any Camp Telluride or Camp Telluride Enrichment program during sessions 1, 2, and 6 (June 13-16, June 20-30, and August 15-19.)
Finally, the Last Minute Lucky Incentive program allows any student (local or visiting) to receive a program spot for half of the total cost of the camp, and is offered only on the Friday before the start of every program that still has availability (this incentive may not be used, however, for subcontracted programs like Wranglers, Golf Camp, etc.)
Deadlines for these locals incentives programs are coming up fast; don't miss out on your chance to enjoy these significant discounts! The Early Registration for Sessions 1, 2, and 6 deadline is less than a week away, with registration due March 1. Registration for all other locals incentives programs is April 1.
Available funds for the Academy's Tuition Assistance program are limited, and aid is awarded on a first come-first served basis, so time is of the essence for this tuition assistance program as well. Rosen urges any local family with questions or concerns regarding either the locals? incentives or the tuition assistance to call or stop by the Academy office, as he is more than willing to assist in any way he can.
"We were founded on the community, and we're here for the community," he says. |
