Summer at Grand River Friendship Society is an opportunity for children to continue learning, discover new interests, stay active, build friendships, and create meaningful memories beyond the traditional classroom.

The GRFS Summer School is an enriching summer program that brings together education, creativity, technology, physical activity, character development, and social connection in a safe, welcoming, and supportive environment.

Typically offered for approximately six weeks during July and August, the program runs four days a week and is hosted in local publicly funded school facilities. Each summer, the program is designed to provide children with a balanced experience where learning and recreation complement one another.

More Than a Summer Classroom

GRFS Summer School is designed around a simple idea: children learn and grow in many different ways.

Some children discover confidence through sports. Others become inspired by technology, art, music, language, teamwork, or creative problem-solving. By bringing these experiences together, Summer School gives participants opportunities to explore their interests while developing skills that support their academic, social, emotional, and physical growth.

Depending on the annual program, Summer School may include:

• Soccer, basketball, sports and outdoor games
• Coding, technology, AI and robotics
• Art and creative activities
• Music and cultural learning
• Language development
• Values-based education and character development
• Mind games and problem-solving activities
• Team-building and collaborative learning
• Weekly special activities, festivals and hands-on experiences

These different learning environments help make each day active, engaging and meaningful while giving children opportunities to learn through participation, creativity and discovery.

A Place to Learn, Connect and Belong

At GRFS, Summer School is about more than keeping children busy during the summer.

It is about creating a space where children feel welcomed, supported and encouraged to participate. Through shared activities, group projects, games and everyday interactions, students have opportunities to make new friends, strengthen communication and teamwork skills, develop confidence and experience a stronger sense of belonging.

The program combines structured learning with recreation and social experiences so that children can continue developing while still enjoying what summer should be: active, engaging and fun.

Learning Beyond the Classroom

Summer School also creates opportunities for experiential and hands-on learning.

Special activity days, celebrations, creative projects and other enrichment experiences give students opportunities to apply what they learn, try something new and connect with one another outside regular lesson formats. Previous GRFS Summer School programs have included weekly special activities and end-of-program celebrations designed to bring students together and create positive shared memories.

These experiences reflect GRFS’s belief that learning can happen through exploration, friendship, creativity, teamwork and meaningful participation.

Supporting the Whole Child

Every part of GRFS Summer School is designed with the overall development of children in mind.

By combining educational activities with sports, technology, arts, language, character development and social engagement, the program supports children intellectually, socially, emotionally and physically.

Our goal is to help every participant finish the summer with new knowledge, new experiences, stronger friendships, greater confidence and memories they can carry with them into the new school year.

Explore Our Summer School

Every summer brings new activities, experiences and memorable moments.

Discover previous GRFS Summer School programs, student activities, special events and highlights below.