Summer vacation is right around the corner for thousands of children in the Central New York area. But, thanks to a program offered by the Gebbie Speech-Language-Hearing Clinic, the learning doesn’t have to stop when the last school bell rings. Facilitated by graduate students in Syracuse University’s Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, enrollment is now open for the Phonological Awareness Camp for Kids (P.A.C.K), a six-week program that will help children learn important early literacy skills.

P.A.C.K. is a fun, play-based program designed to promote early literacy skills in young children. The camp will meet every Tuesday from July 1 to August 5, between 9:00 a.m. and 11:00 a.m. at the Gebbie Clinic, located at 621 Skytop Road. Enrollment is limited, and is open to all area children ages 4-5 (regardless of skill level), who will be headed to Kindergarten in the fall. Children who attend the camp will practice phonological awareness skills which are key to developing successful reading skills. Children will also participate in listening and rhyming games, vocabulary activities, songs, crafts, and story time in a fun, engaging, small-group setting.

The cost of P.A.C.K. is $90 for children of SU faculty and staff members; $180 for non-SU faculty and staff members. Siblings will be charged the full amount for one child (i.e., $90 for SU personnel and $180 for non-SU personnel) and, in all cases, $90 for each additional child.

Megan Leece, a speech language pathologist who specializes in early childhood speech and language disorders is a clinical supervisor at the Gebbie Clinic, will oversee the team of graduate students teaching at the camp.

Housed in Syracuse University’s College of Arts and Sciences, the Gebbie Clinic provides complete diagnostic and treatment services for adults and children having difficulty with any area of communication. Last week, The Gebbie Clinic celebrated its new facilities and 40 years of excellence with a ribbon-cutting ceremony. The event also marked the 65th anniversary of the Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders.