School's out for summer, and there's plenty of fun to be found at Rainbow's End Youth Services (REYS) as the organization rolls out its summer programming.

"We have a 'Summer Vibe' theme this year," said Travis Reish, director of student ministries. "We'll have a beach week, shark week, a superheroes week, a Star Wars week." Summer programming will kick off on Tuesday, June 20, and will run until Monday, Aug. 7.

Programs will be offered for children in grades one through five on Mondays and Fridays. Boys in grades six through 12 are invited for programs on Tuesdays, and programs for girls in grades six through 12 are offered on Wednesdays. On Thursdays, boys and girls in grades six through 12 are invited to attend. All programs are held from 3 to 6 p.m. at REYS, 105 Fairview St., Mount Joy.

"We will be having special guests come in for our kids' club, including ZooAmerica, who will do a presentation for families in July," Reish stated. "Our teens will be going on outings as well, to ice cream parlors and local parks." Special events, including a pool party, will also be held.

"Our summer programming is an opportunity to try and see if you like it," said Hannah Wheeler, program and communications coordinator. "You don't have to attend every week, but you can try it out. Why not come and play games, hang out and meet new friends?" She underscored the need for many families to have places for children to go over the summer. "A lot of parents still work during the summer, so it's helpful for parents to know students are getting exposed to a positive influence while they're at work," she said.

Reish emphasized that the summer groups serve a purpose beyond just providing fun, with a mission to offer Christian programming in a welcoming space. "We want to be sure kids have a safe place to go this summer," he said. "We want to offer a place to socialize, get a hot meal, play some games and also learn about Jesus as well."

REYS will wrap up its summer programming with a Kids' Carnival on Aug. 7. Featuring games and prizes, the carnival will be open to participants in REYS programs as well as the general community.

REYS will also hold its free backpack giveaway again this year for students in kindergarten through 12th grade, with distribution set to begin on Thursday, Aug. 10. Each backpack will also include school supplies. Registration is now open for the backpacks at https://reys.org/events. The organization is also looking for donations of new backpacks.