Fresno Unified winter camps begin with tons of free activities for students

FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- While school is not in session, learning is not on pause for Fresno Unified kids.

A group of 80 are enrolled at the winter camp at the Fresno Discovery Center.

It's one of the 40 free camps available to FUSD students providing an opportunity to spend their winter break doing something different.

The Fresno Discovery Center provides 8 am to 5 pm childcare while kids spend the day doing STEM activities.

"We want to accommodate the working parents," Stephanie Barajas with the Fresno Discovery Center says. "We want to be conscious that we are providing a safe environment for students to come while parents have to be at work."

At Vang Pao Elementary in southeast Fresno, there are 200 kids enrolled in the school's winter program.

Literacy, art and sports for kids provide parents with a solution to childcare over winter break.

"They still need to have somewhere to take their children while they are at work. They still need to have meals." FUSD Director Amanda Harvey says. "A lot of our kids depend on our meals."

Vang Pao is one of several FUSD schools offering free hot lunches to all children. The meals must be eaten on-site.

"Every day they can come to one of our school sites that are operating during that time and lunch is served between 11:30 am and 12:30 pm. Children one to 18, so they don't even have to be a Fresno Unified student."

Across town kids at KLSD are learning all about graphic design and art.

Meantime up in the mountains at China Peak Resort, students are spending their break snowboarding and skiing.

Coming up in January at Break the Barriers in northeast Fresno, kids will sharpen skills in parkour, archery and taekwondo.

Fresno Economic Opportunities Commission Food Services is also providing free and healthy meals for children across Fresno County for the next three weeks.

Two colorful buses will deliver to five rural and five city locations for kids up to 18 years old.

Kids must eat the meals aboard the bus.

To see full list of locations click here.