- The Children’s Trust of Alachua County awarded over $2 million in scholarships to more than 1,000 children for summer camps in 2026.
- Scholarships cover 21 camps with arts, sports, STEM, and special needs programs, averaging 23 days of attendance per child during summer.
More than 1,000 children in Alachua County are getting the chance to experience summer camps this year thanks to the support of the Children’s Trust of Alachua County (CTAC), which has awarded over $2 million in camp scholarships to local families.
According to a press release, the CTAC’s Summer Camp Scholarship program provides scholarships for eligible children ages 5 to 17 to attend one of 21 participating camps across Alachua County. Camp offerings include arts, sports, STEM and specialized programs for children with special needs.
“The Children’s Trust of Alachua County is proud to invest in meaningful summer experiences that provide children with access to high-quality programs in safe and supportive environments,” CTAC Executive Director Marsha Kiner said in the release. “By helping families overcome financial barriers, we are ensuring more young people can build skills for life, develop confidence, and create positive memories that contribute to their growth and well-being.”
To qualify for a CTAC scholarship, children must live in Alachua County and be entering kindergarten through 12th grade, according to CTAC’s website. They must also meet at least one of the following requirements:
- The family receives Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits.
- Household income is at or below 300% of the 2026 federal poverty guidelines (roughly $99,000 for a family of four).
- Child is in foster care, voluntary formal kinship care or under case management supervision.
On average, the release said scholarship recipients attend camp for 23 days during the summer, giving children opportunities for learning, recreation and social development.
Additionally, more than half of the participating camps integrate literacy initiatives intended to prevent summer learning loss, the release said. CTAC notes that campers maintained or improved their literacy skills, while also increasing their enjoyment of reading and the time spent reading and doing writing activities.
Data from CTAC’s 2025 summer camps also shows high marks from participating families.
According to the data, 91% of families said they were satisfied with the learning activities offered at camp; 95% of families reported their child enjoyed their camp experience; and 97% of families felt their child was safe while attending camp.
The release notes that CTAC funding also helps with staff training, preparing camp personnel with skills to maintain safe environments and respond efficiently in emergencies.
The Gainesville Circus Center is one of the camps funded by the CTAC. In an interview with Mainstreet, Corey Cheval, founder and director, discussed the impact of the CTAC’s support.
“The support from the Children’s Trust allows us to keep high-quality staff on board, make sure we have a safe environment, and can provide really interesting programming for the kids to have a lot of fun and be in a positive learning environment, learning new skills, and getting to do some really unique activities,” she said.
Those activities, Cheval said, consist of aerial and ground acrobatics, dance, juggling, balancing skills and crafting.
Cheval said the circus center has 12 children/youth who are currently attending their summer camp through the CTAC scholarship. She added that the circus center has no more scholarship spots available and that there is a waitlist.
“That is true in most places, too,” Cheval said of the waitlist. “There is always a higher need [for spots] than there are available positions.”
Cheval noted that the high demand for summer camp scholarships is why Florida residents need to vote “no” on the proposed property tax amendment that will appear on the statewide ballot in November.
“Even though it sounds like a good idea for homeowners to pay fewer property taxes, those are the taxes that fund these types of [summer] programs,” she said. “And even if you don’t have children, if the children in our community do not have a safe place to go when there is no school, it affects all of us, and we all have to work together to support the youth in our community.”
For more information about the CTAC’s Summer Camp Scholarship program, including a full list of CTAC-funded camps, visit https://www.childrenstrustofalachuacounty.us/programs/page/summer-camps.
Nick Anschultz is a Report for America corps member and writes about education for Mainstreet Daily News. This position is supported by local donations through the Community Catalyst for Local Journalism Fund at the Community Foundation of North Central Florida.