Twin Cities park departments get creative with teen programming
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Twin Cities parks departments are offering activities this summer that go beyond the swimming pool and open gym.
What's happening: From drone camp to open mic nights, officials in Minneapolis and St. Paul are experimenting with new, low- or no-cost programming for teens in a bid to keep them busy and engaged while school is out.
Why it matters: Teens need safe, accessible places to congregate as amusement parks, malls, and other go-to gathering spots of summers past add curfews or other restrictions for underage visitors.
What they're saying: "Teenagers in particular and tweens are at that age in their development where they're trying to figure out who they are in the world," Shaina Abraham, St. Paul's recreation services manager, told Axios. "Am I somebody who was really excited about math, or am I somebody who really likes baseball, or am I somebody who really likes music?"
- "It's really important to provide safe places for them to test those boundaries and test those identities," she added.
Zoom in: Here are some of the new things happening this summer:
🎤 St. Paul Parks and Recreation is partnering with radio station WFMU to host a series of talent show-style open mic nights dubbed the "St. Paul Get Down."
- Winners selected by the crowd at the weeknight events get to open for local artist Nur-D at an end-of-summer performance at Harriet Island. It's open to performers ages 14 to 24.
🏀 A decision to waive fees for youth sports has already resulted in a big increase in teen participants. Basketball numbers are up and participation in volleyball doubled.
🎮 Teens who prefer video games will find Xboxes and Playstations throughout the city’s rec centers, a move meant to give them something to do indoors.
🐦 Minneapolis is gamifying its effort to get more teens to spend time outdoors with a summer challenge that includes activities like urban birding, volleyball, and fishing, Recreation Centers and Programs director Nicole Hernandez told Axios.
- The program includes "field trips" to Valley Fair and Target Field and an end-of-season party with prizes for those who participate.
🎥 The city also expanded its "Spark'd" creative studios initiative to provide hands-on experience with graphic design, video, and music production in more neighborhoods.
- "Some of these camps would be like $300 or $400 for kids to participate in (from private programs), while we're offering all these free of charge," Hernandez told Axios.
🤖 Both cities are debuting drone camps as part of a push to add more STEM programming.
Between the lines: Teen involvement in park programs dropped after COVID hit, as cities paused activities and closed centers. But both Abraham and Hernandez said numbers are now meeting or exceeding pre-pandemic levels.
Of note: Officials are taking steps to prevent altercations and fights within their parks and programs, especially in the wake of a winter shooting at a St. Paul rec center.
- Abraham said St. Paul recently began requiring youth to sign in at rec centers so staff can keep track of who is on the premises.
- Minneapolis park staff and police seek to proactively build relationships with local teens and monitor social media to get ahead of potential issues before they escalate, per Hernandez.
What we're watching: Some community activists are calling on cities and nonprofit organizations to offer even more programming this summer in an effort to curb teen crime.
- "In the community, there are very few places to go," activist Nekima Levy Armstrong said at a news conference earlier in June.