Say Yes Summer Festival in Thornden Park to showcase student talent, achievement

Approximately 3,000 Syracuse City School District children, ages 7-10 who attended one of 17 Say Yes to Education Summer Camps this summer, will gather in Thornden Park on Wednesday, July 27, for the Say Yes to Education Summer Festival. Students will showcase their work and demonstrate the new skills and talents they have developed throughout their summer camp experience.

Since early July, the children have engaged in hands-on activities, creative thinking and embarked on exciting adventures. They spent their mornings engaged in challenging academic programs and their afternoons in outdoor activities including sports, music, photography, dance, theater, nature, science and field trips. Approximately 350 college students were hired and trained as summer enrichment specialists to work with the children this summer; 60 of them are Say Yes Scholars.

The Say Yes Summer Festival is free of charge and open to the public. Festival hours are 8:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m.

In addition to the children’s performances and presentations, Syracuse Stories will provide children, teachers, parents and community members with story-based arts programming provided by community artists representing a range of cultural traditions and art forms from 10 a.m.-noon. Clear Channel Radio will also be on site to provide face painting, music and giveaways.

Syracuse Mayor Stephanie Miner will present awards to students, families and the quadrant that read the most during the Mayor’s Summer Reading Challenge, which was introduced this summer in the Say Yes Summer Camp program. She is scheduled to present the awards at 1 p.m. on the Thornden Park Amphitheatre stage.