With a nod to a phrase popularized during the Philadelphia Eagles’ march to Super Bowl LVII, Mayor Jim Kenney and other officials this morning announced “It’s A Summer Thing!” as they unveiled the city’s lineup of programs and activities available to children and teens this summer.
Pools, spraygrounds, reading enrichment, STEM activities, free meals, sports activities, summer camps and seasonal jobs were all promoted as ways to keep young people engaged when schools dismiss for the academic year.
Families can visit phila.gov/itsasummerthing to learn about summer programming offered by the city’s Office of Children and Families, consisting of Philadelphia Parks and Recreation, Free Library of Philadelphia and the Department of Human Services as well as its partners, the School District of Philadelphia and Philadelphia Police Department. Links will guide visitors to information on registration, timelines, locations and requirements.
Summer activities for children and youth include:
- Over 100 summer camps at recreation centers and parks sponsored by the PPR.
- Swimming and free swim lessons at pools and water play at spraygrounds.
- Out-of-School Time summer camps located in schools and community-based locations throughout the city.
- Reading activities at library branches throughout the city.
- Fun activities and play time on hundreds of blocks throughout the city as part of the city’s Play Streets Program.
- Positive youth development programming such as gaming, conflict resolution and financial literacy classes at the Community Evening Resource Centers that are open from 7 p.m. to 2 a.m.
- Recreation and athletic programming at PAL sites throughout the city.
- Diversion programming and activities through the DHS Intensive Prevention Services program for at-risk youth.
- Paid job opportunities for teens through the WorkReady program.
- Summer jobs at the city pools as lifeguards and pool maintenance attendants through PPR.
Free meals are distributed at PPR camps, OST Summer Programs and Play Streets throughout the city. For more information about free food, see phila.gov/food.
To help make this a safe summer for children and youth, PPD First Deputy Commissioner John Stanford urged parents to be responsible and accountable for their children and to help police enforce youth curfew laws. He also said police would step up patrols around pools and recreation centers during the summer.
Information about enrollment, applications and descriptions of these programs and numerous others throughout the city can be accessed through phila.gov/itsasummerthing.
