Summer Splash, A Celebration of the Arts, is a free two-week cultural enrichment program for children who otherwise might not have an opportunity for a hands-on experience of the arts. Over the course of its nine-year history, Summer Splash has brought the arts to hundreds of children in the Scranton area. This year the program, held July 10-14 and 17-21, extended its geographical reach with the establishment of a site in Wilkes-Barre. With the help of professional artists, teachers, volunteers and teens, over 100 children ages 5-11 had the opportunity to experience the arts in creative and fun ways.

Summer Splash served children at Lackawanna College in Scranton and Boulevard Townhomes in Wilkes-Barre. The Lackawanna College site welcomed children from a variety of neighborhoods including Central City, Weston Field, Pine Brook, the Hill Section, Hilltop Manor, Skyview Apartments and Valley View Terrace. Children from Mineral Springs also attended the Boulevard Townhomes site.

Local artists and educators taught dance, drawing, crafts, drama, music, creative writing, gymnastics, juggling and sign language. Children also learned about personal hygiene and safety, caring for the environment, making healthy snacks and team building. These learning experiences aimed to enhance children’s self-esteem, provide constructive play, foster meaningful relationships, and encourage creative self-expression. One hundred twenty-eight students from area high schools including Bishop Hannan, Seton Catholic, Bishop O’Hara, Bishop O’Reilly, Western Wayne, Hazleton, Crestwood and Weatherly  donated nearly 3,500 hours of service while acting as mentors and positive role models to the children. Several volunteers were bilingual and were able to assist Spanish-speaking participants.

Summer Splash is sponsored by Collaborative Ministry, an organization of women religious in the Diocese of Scranton who seek creative solutions to issues of social concern. Collaborative Ministry members who organize and support Summer Splash include the Sisters of IHM, Sisters of Saints Cyril and Methodius, Sisters of Mercy, Sisters of the Good Shepherd, and the Sisters of Christian Charity. The success of the Summer Splash program depends on the generosity of volunteers, local businesses, agencies, and schools, and grant funding. The 2006 Summer Splash program received a grant from the VMR Charitable Trust and was supported by the Pennsylvania Partners in the Arts (PPA), the regional arts funding partnership of the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts, a state agency. State government funding comes through an annual appropriation by Pennsylvania’s General Assembly and from the National Endowment for the Arts, a federal agency. PPA is administered in this region by The Scranton Area Foundation.

Thank you to the following artists, educators and community groups for sharing your time and talents with Summer Splash 2006:

Boulevard Townhomes

• Lloyd Wagner - author
• Valerie Taylor, Devon Rother and Bobby Hughes of the Eastern PA Coalition for Abandoned Mine Reclamation (EPCAMR) - environmental group
• Patty Nardone - nutrition
• Kelli Harvilla - nutrition
• Elizabeth Bustin - school nurse
• Lisa Perkowski – art
• Michele Geiser - computer teacher
• Sr. Ruth Neeley, RSM and Richard Zeglin - health and safety presentation on choking/Heimlich maneuver
• Bishop O’Reilly Players – performed “Jack and the Giant”

Lackawanna College

• Ann Farina – art
• Sr. Mary Beth Makuch, SSCM - sign language
• Rachel Yaklic - nurse and dancer
• Sr. Joanne Jones, RSM - sculptor
• Lloyd Wagner - author
• Sr. Mary Elizabeth Muir, IHM - noncompetitive games
• Amanda Ruddy – music
• Michael O’Malley – music
• Debra Beer - professional hair dresser
• Heather Szczech – gymnastics
• Sr. Ruth Neeley, RSM (nurse practitioner) and Richard Zeglin (E.M.T.) - health and safety presentation on choking/Heimlich maneuver
• Rob Smith - juggler
• Bishop O’Reilly Players – performed “Jack and the Giant”