Summer vacation brings a few things to mind: swimming, bike riding, baseball, and relaxation. But some elementary- and middle-school students will add a few other activities, like media technology and robotics, to that list.

The Wareham Public Schools summer CARE (Community, Academic, Recreational and Enrichment) program, an extension of its school-year afterschool program, provides classes for students in grades three through eight. it aims to build upon what students learn in school, helping at-risk students improve grades and MCAS scores.

All classes are "taught with a project-based, hands-on focus," said CARE Program Director Jane Fondulis.

The free, five-week program, funded through a competitive state grant, is held for 12 hours per week, Monday through Thursday, during the summer. Any student can sign up for the program, with at-risk students accepted first.

"We've seen a tremendous growth in our students," Fondulis said.

Six CARE classes are offered: media technology, robotics, wood shop, FitMath, art with math, and drama. The summer program meets at Wareham Middle School.

In the media technology class, students work on their English Language Arts skills by writing scripts, producing, and staring in films. FitMath and art with math help students hone math skills by using math in exercises and by creating art.

In addition to building birdhouses and other handmade goods, wood-shop students build props for plays staged by the drama students and help maintain the CARE program's garden. Students start growing fruits and vegetables inside and then transplant them to the garden.

Students in middle school take one intensive course in the summer, while courses are "buddied" for elementary students so they can receive both English and math help.

"[Students] get a lot out of it," Fondulis said.

CARE program students will host a fair on August 4, selling products from their classes, along with fruits and veggies from the garden. All proceeds will be donated to a charity, with leftover fruits and veggies going to local food pantries.

For more information about CARE, or to donate to the program, contact Jane Fondulis, at 508-291-3550, extension 6118.