ALTON - Youth mini camps started this week at the RiverBender.com Community Center on West 3rd Street, with River Bend Yoga leading the way in a series of weekly exploratory classes for kids. Executive Director Jeff Allsman said the idea for the fun and educational mini camps developed from a desire to add more value to the center's after-school program by exposing kids to areas of interest they may not otherwise get to explore. "These are just the basics," he said. "We just thought if we can expose the kids to something, they may love it and make a lifetime out of it." Running 4-5:30 p.m. Monday through Friday, the highly interactive weeklong camps give kids in grades three through eight the opportunity to learn hands-on from experts in a variety of fields. Utilizing games, exercises, physical activity and technology, volunteer instructors and coaches donate their time to teach lessons in self-defense, food science, floriculture, 3D computer imagery, golf, vet science, survival skills, electricity and money management. "We've had great support from the community," said Allsman. "All of the folks who are coming down to instruct are volunteers. We already have 13 or 14 mini camps." Allsman said the center initially wanted to start with just one mini camp a month during the school year. But the response has been overwhelming and there's now at least three months where they have had to double up on camps. "We don't force the kids to do it," he said. "If you're in the after school program, there's no charge. If you're not, you can still be a part of it." For anyone not already enrolled in the after-school program, the fee is $40 per camp, including all materials needed for the class. Although the River Bend Yoga mini camp concludes...