Veteran elementary teacher Mary Beth Roberts conducts class during the 2018 session of Read to Achieve Camp. Lenoir County Public Schools is offering two by-invitation camps as well as STEM Summer Camps to its students this summer. Submitted photo

As many as 500 Lenoir County Public Schools students are expected to be involved in academic camps this summer that focus on reading skills, English language proficiency and science and technology activities.

Read to Achieve Camp and English learners camp are offered to selected elementary-age students by invitation. STEM Summer Camps are open to LCPS students of all grade levels on a space-available basis.

Read to Achieve will operate at Southwood and Northeast elementary schools for current first, second and third graders selected to participate by their schools. The camp will run July 8 through Aug. 1 from 8 a.m.-1 p.m., Monday through Thursday.

English Learners Camp moves this year to La Grange Elementary School after operating for years at Pink Hill Elementary. It begins July 8 and ends Aug. 1, with instruction from 8:30 a.m.-2 p.m. Monday through Thursday.

The six-week summer school that LCPS has offered for the past three years with Teach for America will not be held this year because of changes TFA has made in its system for incorporating new teachers into the program. Instead of having a regional training site in Kinston, where TFA teachers gained experience in the district’s summer school classes, Teach for America is consolidating its training this summer at Wesleyan College in Rocky Mount.

STEM Summer Camps registration is open for any of its 15 different week-long camps, which begin July 8 at Contentnea-Savannah K-8 School. The cost of each camp is $30. For information on individual camps and access to the online registration form, go to www.lcpsnc.org/domain/1000.

In addition to providing breakfast and lunch for students enrolled in its summer camps, the district’s Child Nutrition Department will operate its summer feeding program at five school cafeterias at various times during the summer.

The program, which provides free breakfast and lunch to anyone 18 or younger, begins June 10 at Northeast Elementary School.