The city of Walthourville and the Pleasant Hill Holiness Church partnered to sponsor their first free summer enrichment program, which focused on reading, science and arts and crafts for students ages 3-13. Seventeen students enrolled in the program, which ran from 8 a.m.-noon July 9-27.

Sherry Baker, a Liberty County Board of Education-certified teacher, served as the instructor. She and many other volunteers offered their services free of charge. Mary Underwood, a paraprofessional, and Mary Wilson, a high school student, assisted Baker. Students performed science experiments, did research on computers, built rockets, made Play-Doh and completed paper-mache’ projects.

Baker came up with the idea for the program after talking to Walthourville Mayor Daisy Pray, who saw a need to keep the children’s mind stimulated during the summer. Pray presented the concept to the Walthourville City Council, which green-lighted the project. Pleasant Hill Holiness Church volunteered the use of its facility.

On the last day of the program, certificates were presented to participants.

Next summer’s program is scheduled to run July 8-26.