Summer in the City provides weekend program for teens
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Summer may not start for a few more weeks, but Summer in the City starts Friday.
Why it matters: Aimed at giving kids safe places to have fun on weekend nights over the summer, the program is part of a larger effort to curb youth violence.
What they're saying: "A key piece of violence prevention is ensuring young people have safe, positive ways to spend their time in the summer months," Mayor Joe Hogsett said in a statement. "The reimagined Summer in the City programming is doing just that for our youth in Indianapolis."
The big picture: The decline of malls, cheap hangout spots and welcoming public spaces has left teenagers with few places to gather without money or access to a car, urban designers and youth researchers say.
- With few options, teens have organized large gatherings in cities nationwide, which local officials have dubbed "teen takeovers."
- Some cities, including Indianapolis, have responded to these and other safety issues with curfews aimed at keeping minors from gathering in public, although some research shows they aren't effective.
State of play: Programming like Summer in the City tries to give kids a safe, welcoming alternative.
- The free offering, hosted by Let Them Talk Inc. on behalf of the Office of Public Health and Safety, starts June 12 and runs each Friday and Saturday from 6–10pm through August.
- "It's important that we meet the youth where they are and provide them an environment where they feel comfortable and safe," Shardae Roper-Hoskins, administrator of community violence reduction for OPHS, said in a statement. "We've spent a lot of time listening to and engaging with our youth and heard them loud and clear — they are looking for something to do at night on the weekends."
How it works: Kids 12 to 17 will be welcomed by live DJ music, free meals and a variety of group activities and games.
- All activities are free and located at Brightwood–Forest Manor Community Center, 4062 E. 34th St. Free transportation to and from the community center is provided.
- Registration is now open.
Zoom out: Indy Parks is offering hundreds of additional free and low-cost activities throughout the summer, including open gyms and sports.
- The parks' summer meal program also provides free meals to those under 18 on weekdays.
- The city has also partnered with the YMCA of Greater Indianapolis for free late-night recreation for those between 12 and 24.
- From 6–11pm on the first and third Saturdays of the month, Y Zone 2.0 will offer free community dinners, mentor support and opportunities for sports and art.