Spots are still available for a three-day summer camp that will give children and teenagers a chance to develop better communication skills and learn how to make good decisions, while enjoying arts and crafts and outdoor activities.

The third annual “Think Smart, Don’t Start” camp for children age 9 to 17 is set for June 18-20. Registration is required and is open through June 15.

For the $25 fee campers get a T-shirt, all materials, breakfast, lunch and a snack. The camp will be held at the Thames Center at Copiah-Lincoln Community College from 7:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. each day.

“Everything is included, everything is there, all they have to do is show up,” said Miesha Smith, program director with the Mississippi Tobacco Free Coalition of Copiah and Lincoln Counties. The Mississippi Prevention Alliance for Communities and Colleges and the National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence are also sponsors.

Smith said the camp was created three years ago to be a fun and educational summer experience.

“Summer is often a time of enjoyment that people look back on for years to come,” she said. “Give your child the opportunity to create great memories while learning some valuable life skills.”

Campers will also learn about drug prevention and education and participate in team-building and life skills exercises.

“The goal is to educate them while they’re having fun but still give them a good summer experience,” she said.

Smith said the campers the past two years have made new friends at the summer camp because children are coming from Copiah and Lincoln counties to attend.

“They’ve made friends because they’re not all from the same schools and the same areas. That’s always fun,” she said.

Volunteers are also needed to help with the camp activities. Smith is specifically looking for current or retired educators as well as college students who are education majors.

For more information about the camp or to volunteer, call 601-899-5880, ext. 3 or 5, or email msmith@ncaddms.org.