The Ministry of Tourism, Culture, and Sport is pleased to announce that the 2024 Summer Day Camps programme has seen a substantial increase in the number of children accommodated, marking significant improvements over the previous year.
This year, the government successfully registered 985 children for the Summer Day Camps, compared to 490 children in 2023. This impressive increase of 495 additional children highlights our commitment to providing enriching summer programmes and supporting Bermuda’s families.
Furthermore, the waitlist has been reduced dramatically, with 346 children on the waitlist this year, down from 511 children last year. This reduction of 165 children demonstrates our efforts to make summer camps more accessible and ensure that fewer children are left without a spot.
Key Statistics:
- Total Registrations: 985 children in 2024, up from 490 children in 2023.
- Waitlist Reduction: 346 children on the waitlist in 2024, down from 511 in 2023.
- Spots Offered: 3,402 spots available in 2024, compared to 2,550 in 2023 – an increase of 852 spots.
- Average Time to Sell Out: Camps sold out in 5-10 minutes this year, an improvement from all camps selling out in 10 minutes last year.
- Website Performance: 21,309 page views were recorded without any crashes, ensuring a smoother registration process for all users.
Minister of Tourism, Culture, and Sport, Sen. The Hon. Owen K. Darrell, JP stated, “The significant increase in registrations and the reduction in the waitlist are clear indicators of our dedication to expanding access and meeting the needs of our community. We understand the importance of these programmes for our children’s development and the relief they provide for parents during the summer months. Our team has worked tirelessly to improve the system.”
Minister Darrell Continued, “While we are proud of these achievements, we acknowledge that some parents experienced difficulties during the registration process. This year marked the first time we included private camps in our registration system, which allowed us to vastly expand the number of available slots. However, this also introduced some unforeseen issues that we have been addressing promptly.”
Addressing Parent Concerns:
- Registration Errors: Some parents encountered issues such as incorrect camp names and locations. These errors were due to information being entered into the system incorrectly and were rectified as soon as they were identified. Emails were sent to all affected parents to confirm the correct camp locations.
- Technical Difficulties: Despite the high traffic on our registration website, the site performed well overall. However, we acknowledge that some users may have experienced errors due to various factors. We are continually working to improve our systems to prevent such issues in the future.
- Waitlist and Extra Placements: We are currently reviewing applications and will pull from the waitlist in the order of submission if spaces become available. While we cannot guarantee additional placements, we are committed to maximising our resources to accommodate as many children as possible.
The Government remains committed to continuously improving our programmes to better serve the children and families of Bermuda. We are proud of the strides made this year and look forward to building on this success in the years to come.
For more information on the Summer Day Camps or to address any concerns, please click here.