Easton ROCKS is pleased to present this year's fall lineup for Talbot County youth! To register, go to www.talbotymca.org. All the programs below meet at the YMCA in Easton. Each is 10 weeks long, but programs will not meet on a day that Talbot County Public Schools are closed. For more information on any ROCKS programs, please contact Program Director Susan Langfitt at 410-770-3852 or slangfitt@eastonrocks.org. If a program fee is a true hardship for your family, scholarships are a available by contacting the program director.

Airtime Talbot

For Students in Grades 6-8
Meets Mondays from 3:30-5:00 p.m.
September 17-December 10
Fee: $35

Imagine being a middle- or high-schooler with the opportunity to really fly. In this program, youth learn the principles of flight, navigation, weather patterns and how to pursue a career in aviation and actually get to take the controls and fly a Cessna out of the Easton Airport.

A local pilot and flight instructor will provide interactive learning opportunities and group activities designed to teach basic mathematic and scientific principles and show how to put those concepts into practical application. Class time will span such topics as how an airplane flies, what it takes to be a good pilot, how to read charts and plan a flight route, and how to know where you are in the air.

Air Time Talbot concludes with an exciting day at the Easton Airport, where students will fly two at a time with the instructor. This is the kind of experience that an change a young person’s life and open up a whole new world of possibilities for their future! 

Chess Club

For Students in Grades 4-12
Meets Saturday mornings at 10 a.m.
Grades 4 to 12
Club Dues: $10

It has been said that chess is everything! We beleive that each game opens up a whole new world, where players develop strategic thinking, concentration, independence, and the ability to predict consequence of actions. The Chess Club gives new players and experienced players a weekly chess match. Come and join the fun and make some new friends!

Girls Circle

For Girls in Grades 6 and 7
Meets Mondays from 3:30-5:00 p.m.
September 14-November 16

Fee: $25

The middle-school years can be the most challenging and confusing time in a girl’s life. They also can be the most important in a girl’s physical, social, and emotional development. For the first time, many girls experience trouble in their relationships with other girls, their parents, or their teachers. Feelings of isolation and self-doubt creep in, dragging down self-esteem. They face exposure to alcohol, drugs, and sexual experimentation.  

Girls Circle is a national, strengths-based program designed to give girls a safe and structured place to voice their ideas and opinions. It promotes the self-confidence girls need to make good choices and encourages girls to maintain meaningful connections with peers and adult women through the adolescent years. For some girls, their weekly, small-group circle is the one place they feel completely free to share feelings or ask questions without fear of being judged or criticized.

Horseback Riding

For Students in Grades 6-8
Meets Thursdays from 3:30-5:00 p.m.
September 17-December 10
Fee: $35

One of our most popular and rewarding programs, our beginning Horseback Riding program gives youth a unique opportunity to spend time at a local horse farm and riding school. Participants travel to Miles River Farm where they learn basic barn safety, get to know the schooling horses, and practice grooming and tack up.

The benefits of horseback riding are many. At the barn, youth enjoy the fresh air and quiet atmosphere a horse farm offers. Riding also is great exercise, building endurance, coordination, and large-muscle strength. But for many of today’s youth, one of the most important benefits of horseback riding is that it develops a sense of self-control, discipline, and responsibility. Learning to confidently control an animal so much larger than oneself does wonders for an adolescent’s self-confidence.

The experience of traveling off site for an after-school program gives youth the sense of independence they crave, but it comes with the expectation that they behave responsibly and respectfully. Trainers require students to adhere to safety rules at all times and to treat the horses’ with care and respect.

Because horseback riding is an expensive sport and hobby, many of our youth never have an opportunity to learn to ride. For that reason, this program is designed for, but not limited to, students who would not otherwise be able to experience the thrill of horseback riding. We believe so strongly that this program is a priceless opportunity, Easton ROCKS subsidizes this program.

Musical Theater

For Students in Grades 6-8
Meets Tuesdays from 3:30-5:00 p.m.
September 15-November 17
Fee $35

Love to sing, dance, and entertain the crowd? Or maybe you just love the idea of working backstage and making the show happen. Either way, join our production of "Schoolhouse Rock, Live!" The Emmy Award-winning Saturday morning cartoon is back, but now it's a LIVE musical production. Students will learn about all aspects of muscial theater. The program will culminate in a stage performance.

Running ROCKS

For Students in Grades 6-11
Meets Wednesdays from 3:30-5:00 p.m.
September 16-November 18
Fee: $25

Easton ROCKS will launch a new opportunity for Talbot County youth to embark on a life-changing physical, academic, and social challenge. Running ROCKS is an original youth running club that is based on many of the same principles as our adult marathon training program. Designed specifically for youth, this program will help shape their growing bodies, minds, and characters in a safe, disciplined, and engaging way.

Participants will run a total of 26 miles over the 10-week program; read at least 2,600 pages of age-appropriate books that inspire imagination, creativity, and personal growth; and reach out to their community in 26 positive ways through simple acts of kindness, charity, and helpfulness. Students will log their miles, their books, and their deeds to track their progress.

Running ROCKS will help to combat the growing problem of obesity among American children by teaching them how to safely set attainable eating habits and exercise goals and promoting a consistent fitness program in a supportive group setting. The program will culminate in a 5K race that the group will run together.