Children ages 4-6 attending the "Aaaarrrt Matey" program at the beginning of July at the Southampton Art School location at GC Huston School in Southampton help accept the donation from Bruce Power that will pay for the UV filters that have been installed on their classroom's windows.

Thanks to Bruce Power, kids attending art camps through the Southampton Art School this summer will be a little cooler. New UV reflective and heat absorbent window film has been retro-fitted to the classroom windows that the Art School uses to try and control temperatures while the children immerse themselves in high quality artistic experiences.

The surplus classrooms at GC Huston School in Southampton, which are home to the Art School’s summer camp program are not air-conditioned. “We have used these classrooms for the past 10 years and they have worked very well for us,” said Cyndi Burgess, Art School Director. “However, every summer, the resulting high temperature of the classrooms proves to be a comfort and health issue for our students and instructors.”

With the record heat  in Ontario this year, the need to control temperature in the classrooms is extremely important for the health and well-being of the young attendees. “We’re going to be teaching over 400 students aged 3-18 this summer in week long half-day sessions and we want them to enjoy their experience in a fun and exciting atmosphere,” said Cyndi. “Keeping them cool is a part of that.”

Last summer, temperatures were recorded as high as 34C, and portable air-conditioners weren’t doing the trick. With the permission of the Bluewater District School Board, they were able to find a solution through a local company out of Walkerton, Shade Solutions, that could apply a window film that would help manage the amount of heat penetrating in through the windows. Bruce Power supported the project with a donation of $1,375 to cover the cost of the film and its installation.

“The health and well-being of youth in our community is very important to us,” said Catherine Williams, Manager of Wellness for Bruce Power. “The Southampton Art School provides experiences in our rural region that children wouldn’t otherwise have. We want these experiences to be positive, healthy and safe for all involved. We’re quite happy to support this initiative.”

To find out more about the programming that the Art School offers, visit www.southamptonart.com.