Fresno Unified winter camps teach design and serve 3,000 students

Fresno Unified closed its winter break gap by hosting 40 week-long free camps that served roughly 3,000 students across the district, giving children from transitional kindergarten through 12th grade access to arts, athletics and hands-on career exploration. One standout offering, Digital Illustration, Design and Screen Printing, taught students illustration, graphic design and practical screen-printing skills that produced wearable and usable projects.

The camps ran the week of Jan. 10 and included multiple age-appropriate tracks. Young artists like second-grader Celina Castro saw their drawings become custom tote bags, while third-grader Nyeli Conley helped screen-print shirts. Other participants selected embroidered patches and customized hats, blending creative expression with tangible outcomes students could take home.

The program operates through a partnership between Fresno Unified and KLSD Education as part of the district’s Expanded Learning efforts. District leaders emphasize a range of options from athletics to the arts so students can discover new interests and develop skills outside the regular classroom. The district plans to repeat similar offerings in the summer, with registration typically opening in May.

For Fresno families, the camps offered more than arts exposure. Free week-long sessions reduce pressure on households juggling work and childcare, particularly in neighborhoods where after-school enrichment is scarce or costs are prohibitive. Hands-on courses like screen printing and digital design also introduce students to creative pathways that can feed into later electives, internships or vocational opportunities in a region where access to arts education is uneven.

From a public health and policy perspective, expanded learning programs address social determinants of health by keeping children engaged, providing structured activity, and relieving financial strain on caregivers. Community partnerships with organizations such as KLSD Education stretch district resources and expand capacity to serve thousands of students during school breaks. Maintaining funding and staffing for these programs will be critical if the district hopes to meet continued demand.

The takeaway? These camps are more than a few fun projects; they are community infrastructure that support working families and broaden access to arts and career-related skills. If your family needs similar support next year, mark your calendar for May registration and check with your child’s school about Expanded Learning options so you don’t miss the sign-up window. Our two cents? Sign up early and encourage your school to keep pushing for more free enrichment across Fresno County.