NILES —  With summer right around the corner for local school children, Helping Our People Evolve is hoping to get more people connected with the Summer My Way program.

H.O.P.E. is partnering with the YMCA to host an informational session about Summer My Way from 7 to 10 p.m. Friday at the Bell Building, 305 N. Third St. in Niles. The event is free and open to the public to attend.

Zechariah Hoyt, the director of Early Childhood Development at the YMCA, will attend the event to answer questions about Summer My Way.

H.O.P.E. members Doug Freeman and Beverly Woodson said they wanted to help get the word out about the program because they feel it is beneficial to local children.

“It is a positive environment, where they are not just sitting at home,” Woodson said.

Summer My Way is a six-week long camp. This year, the program will take place at Ballard Elementary. The camp seeks to provide hands-on educational activities to local youth and is led by the Niles-Buchanan YMCA. Camp registration opens at 7:30 a.m. May 6 on the YMCA’s website.

There are a few changes to the program that Hoyt said he felt would be ideal to discuss. The program has traditionally been free, but this year there will be a fee to 150 of the 300 campers. Hoyt noted that the 150 at-risk students identified for the camp by the schools will still get in free. Those not pre-identified will have to pay a fee.

For children from the Niles school district, the cost will be a $130 fee for each two-week track provided by the camp. It will be $260 for children who attend school in a district outside of Niles.

Hoyt said the fee was implemented for several reasons, namely to help sustain the program.

“As we grow and want to continue to offer slots, funding has to keep up with that,” Hoyt said.

Hoyt said they also wanted those who sign up to be held accountable for attending the camp. In the past, he said some have signed up and then not showed up to participate.

In addition to the location change, there will also be 50 additional slots available to children as compared to attendance caps in prior years.

Hoyt said they do not want financial hardship to keep local children from participating, so scholarships are available to those who need them. Friday’s forum will be an opportunity for people to discuss this with Hoyt, he said.

Freeman encouraged those interested in the camp to attend the event.

“We are inviting people to come out Friday and hear more about the program,” Freeman said. “We just want to facilitate a place where they can come and ask questions.”