The Borough of Punxsutawney will be hosting a Boroughs Explorers Summer Program for ten youngsters age 11 through 14 and requires attendance from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., on Tuesday’s beginning on May 31 and continuing through the month of June. This program is funded in part by the Punxsutawney Area Community Foundation, Inc., through a Bonus Grant. Participants must make a commitment to attend all sessions and to be present at the Explorer display in Barclay Square for a minimum of 4 hours during the Week of July 2 through 9.
The Borough Explorer program will provide participants a first-hand look at how the borough functions and serves the residents within their geographic area of responsibility. Each day the activities will be supervised by two adults. Applications for the Borough Explorer Program are available at the Borough Office in the Civic Center and the Punxsutawney Memorial Library.
Participants will learn how Punxsutawney became a borough, what a borough does, how it works and why the borough is important. They will also discover how borough services are paid for and by whom. The first four sessions will focus on fact gathering through visits to the various borough facilities, including the Borough Offices and facilities located in the Civic Center, the parks and recreational facilities maintained by the borough, the health and safety facilities operated by the borough, and the many changes which have taken place within the borough since its founding. The fifth session will be devoted to working as a group to prepare an exhibit showing what the participants learned about the Borough. During the final week of the program, participants will serve as a hosts at the exhibit which will be on display in Barclay Square during Festival Week in Punxsutawney. This will provide each participant with an opportunity to share what they learned during the Borough Explorer Program.
Participation in the Borough Explorer Program may help participants meet the requirements for a merit badge or earning extra credit for an education requirement. Participants, are encouraged to check with their scout leader or educational program advisor to find out if participation in this program will qualify for a merit badge or extra credit.
The maximum number of enrollees in the program is limited to 10. Sign up early to assure a place in the Borough Explorers Program. Forms are available at the Borough Office 301 East Mahoning Street or at the Punxsutawney Memorial Library. Forms must be received at the Borough Office, 301 E. Mahoning Street, no later than Wednesday, May 25, 2022.