TAHLEQUAH — As the spring semester winds down, students in Cherokee County grow tantalizingly closer to the freedom summer allows.

Meanwhile, working parents must figure out ways to keep their children safe and occupied. Boys & Girls Club of Tahlequah will wrap up its after-school programs concurrent with the end of the school year, leaving an afternoon void, and this year, there will be no afternoon summer program.

But Northeastern State will be there to pick up the slack with a series of activities slated to begin the first week in June.

“We started these Centennial Camps in 2009, and this will be our fourth year, so it has become an annual thing,” said Dr. Dana Eversole, mass communications professor and executive director of the camps.

Eversole and company will offer two cooking camps, a kayaking camp, a science camp, broadcasting camp, a movie camp, and two camps for early childhood (ages 4-7).

“The price of the week long camps is $125, with the exception of the kayaking camp,” said Eversole. “The kayaking camp is limited to 10 kids, and will cost $150. We feed the kids lunch and snacks every day, and on Fridays we are going to go on a fun local field trip.”

Registration begins Monday, May 7, and will run through the first week of camps in June. Parents may register their children from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. in Eversole’s office in Loeser Hall on the NSU campus. Early registration will be accepted.

“Those who would like to register, but cannot pay until camp, can still register,” said Eversole. “Payment arrangements can be made for 8:30 a.m. on the first day of the camp.”

Eversole said fliers will be out at every school in Tahlequah early next week. In the interim, more information is available at nsuok.edu under the NSU news tab. Eversole is also available to answer questions at (918) 444-2892 or (918) 616-1166.

Children who are unable to participate in the activities NSU has to offer may find the rest of the summer landscape rather bleak.

The Cherokee Heritage Center, 21192 S. Keeler Drive, will offer its Ancient Village Tour throughout the summer. The village boasts a station specific to stick ball, basket-making, flintknapping, blowguns and dugout canoes. However, the tour requires an adult chaperon, and will only occupy one afternoon. The center has no plans to offer an extended children’s camp, as it sometimes has in years past.

The Boys & Girls Club has a football camp in the works, with an anticipated start time in late July, or the first week in August. But, at the present time, Athletic Director Dennis Kelley has not identified specifics. Excluding the gridiron tutorial, B&GC has no other day camp in the works.

Camp Cherokee Day Camps are scheduled for seven different locations across the 14-county jurisdiction of the Cherokee Nation. The only one offered in the Daily Press coverage area is the Heart O’Hills Camp in Welling, July 16-20.

Cherokee Day Camps are available to Cherokee students entering grades 1-7 in the fall 2012-’13 school year. Students are divided into age-specific groups and placed in a morning and afternoon class. At this time, however, the Cherokee Nation has not announced any plans for additional area day camps.

In years past, former Oklahoma quarterback Josh Heupel brought his Day of Champions football camp to Tahlequah. But, as a matter of happenstance, the camp will take place at the South Lakes Sports Complex in Oklahoma City this summer, leaving it up to Tahlequah High School to provide any additional sports camps.

According to Tahlequah Public Schools Superintendent Shannon Goodsell and Assistant Athletic Director Brad Gilbert, Tahlequah High School will offer several sport-specific summer camps.

The dates and details were not yet available when reached for comment, however. Those interested should check the Press periodically, as we will provide updates as they become available.

The Tahlequah Public Library will offer summer reading programs and other activities during the summer, mostly lasting two hours in the morning or afternoon. These programs will also be announced in the Press, or parents can call (918) 456-2581 or go to http://tahlequah.lib.ok.us and click on the calendar for details.