The Purpose of God Annex Outreach Center has kicked off its annual summer program for at-risk youth, providing a healthy balance of learning and recreation for children and teenagers. The program is open to any child in the county, 6 to 15 years old.

The faith-based organization offers the program each summer, giving the participating youth a structured environment from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday. The program runs until Aug. 15, a week before school starts in Beaufort County.

POG Director Sharon Jones said the program aids in the academic, spiritual and social development of youth. Each summer, the staff of the center oversees around 100 youth participants.

Parents simply have to fill out an application to register their child for the program, Sharon Jones said.

“They don’t have to go through any strenuous processes,” Sharon Jones said. “It’s open door policy.”

CEO and Founder of POG Bishop Samuel Jones, Jr. said the program is set up to add structure and stability to the childrens’ lives because of their at-risk status. The summer program gives the center time to continue its efforts during the school year, such as the after-school program.

“In the after-school program, we only have enough time for homework,” Bishop Jones said. “In the summer, we have all day to work with academics, recreation, mannerisms, respect, social skills and things like that. We teach them to love and respect each other, play together, work together and we can introduce them to a side of life that they don’t get to understand how to be a child and not be too grown before their time.”

While the center does not force any religious practices on those who participate, there are religious teachings offered within the program, Bishop Jones said. Kids are taught the 10 Commandments, basic Sunday school lessons and stories, the Lord’s Prayer and Psalms from the Bible. Each day, along with hearing the Star Spangled Banner and the Pledge of Allegiance announced like they would in school, the center gives children a daily devotional or scripture to hear and teaches them to pray.

Sharon Jones said children are exposed to academic instruction during the summer program, including a STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math) program. Kids learn to use microscopes and conduct research on different specimens. There are also spelling and reading contests in which children are motivated to read and learn new words. Sharon Jones said the kids receive medals and awards for best speller, writer and reader. Kids are even exposed to baking using Easy Bake Ovens as well as sewing lessons, Jones said.

In the backyard of the center, there are inflatable water slides and bounce houses as well as playground equipment and a basketball court that the children use during their recreational period. The center develops basketball, baseball and softball teams for the youth, providing them with recreational activity as well as teaching them teamwork and good sportsmanship, Sharon Jones said. The kids practice at the center and at John Cotton Tayloe to prepare for a basketball tournament at the end of the summer. This summer, East Carolina University has agreed to provide 12 slots in their basketball camp for underprivileged kids in the program to participate as well.

The center participates in the Summer Feeding Program at Eastern Elementary School, an annual program in which school age children in the community can eat breakfast and lunch for free, Sharon Jones said.

Over the summer, children in the program can go on several different field trips, including Sylvan Bird Park in Scotland Neck, River Park North in Greenville, the Children’s Museum and Science Center in Rocky Mount and the Museum of Natural Sciences in Raleigh, Sharon Jones said. There are also trips planned for Beaufort County Community College for kids to tour the career center and campus and to the Beaufort County Health Department in which kids will learn about nutrition, hygiene and physical activity.

Bishop Jones said he enjoys seeing the kids get together and play and learn in a healthy environment. Grants funded by organizations like the United Way, the Juvenile Crime Prevention Council and the City of Washington as well as donations from private contributors make the program possible. The center also relies on events like their annual dinner to raise funds for its programs.

“We’ve been blessed through grants to afford these things so they can have some enjoyment,” Bishop Jones said.

For more information or to enroll your child in the summer program, please write or visit the Purpose of God Annex Outreach Center at 1051 E. 6^th St, Washington or call 252-974-1483.