After a four-year hiatus due to budget cuts during the pandemic, the City of Burien’s Parks, Recreation and Cultural Services Department (PaRCS) welcomed the return of Camp CRAZ (for youth entering grades 1-5) and Burien Teen Summer Crew (for teens entering grades 6-9, formally called “Summer Teen Scene”) to the Burien Community Center.
Both camps ran for ten weeks during the summer. Camp CRAZ hosted over 140 youth, with up to 60 campers per week. Burien Teen Summer Crew served up to 36 teens per week.
Campers were able to experience a variety of activities each week, including art projects, group games, and local adventures to the Burien Library and Burien Farmers Market as well as large field trips around the greater Puget Sound area. They wrapped up each week with swimming at Evergreen Community Aquatic Center every Friday.
With the success of the 2024 summer camps, we anticipate 2025 summer camps to fill early. Registration will begin Monday, March 17, 2025 for both Camp CRAZ and Burien Teen Summer Crew.
In addition to Camp CRAZ and Burien Teen Summer Crew, PaRCS hosted its third summer of Outdoor Explorers, an outdoor recreation and environmental education camp. This free program for students was funded by the Washington State Recreation and Conservation Office’s No Child Left Inside grant.
Students were able to learn kayaking, work with the Environmental Science Center, attend field trips, and learn survival skills in Seahurst Park. The camp worked with over 36 different middle school youth. Five high school students were able to intern to learn skills on how to run a summer camp and build real-world work experience in a supervised setting.
