Tacoma late-night summer youth program to curb violence

Tacoma summer youth program returns to curb violence

With recent gun violence victimizing young people and communities in western Washington, the fear is that this kind of crime will increase once summer break starts and kids are out of school.

TACOMA, Wash. - With recent gun violence victimizing young people and communities in western Washington, the fear is that this kind of crime will increase once summer break starts and kids are out of school. Two organizations in the South Sound are teaming up to curb the violence by keeping young people active in a safe environment.

Metro Parks Tacoma and Tacoma Public Schools are partnering to offer the Summer Late Nights program for a second year in a row.

"We are excited to have them come to our spaces, have a hot meal, have interactions with caring adults and to be able to make friends," said Sheryl Blessing of Metro Parks Tacoma. "We want them to be able to engage with other youth their age and be a part of something where they can develop their skills, they can gain independence."

Students in middle school and high school can participate in the Summer Late Nights program, available at 12 different locations. Each weeknight, students can play games, learn new skills, have a hot meal, meet with friends, and make new ones, all for free and with peace of mind.

"We want them to know that they are valuable, and they are an important part of our community. And participating in Summer Late Night is an opportunity and avenue for them to find out something that they're going to be more interested in, rather than being out on the streets and potentially being put in an unsafe situation," said Blessing.

Blessing oversees out-of-school time programming as Metro Parks’ youth services recreation supervisor. She said summer is a time of year that draws concern for public safety, as communities throughout the region see a rise in young people caught up in violent crimes.

"Last year, we had encountered a lot of violence within our city and our young people are looking for a place where they can get along. They feel welcomed," said Blessing.

Last year, Summer Late Nights recorded more than 12,000 visits from 1,687 middle and high school students across all 12 sites. The program was such big success, Metro Parks and the school district decided to offer it again this year. A 15 percent increase is a goal shared by all the community partners involved.

"Not only were we able to make an impact on the children’s lives, but they also gave us a fresh perspective on how we can we create a safer environment for them that’s also very welcoming," said Blessing.

Additional community partners include Foundation for Tacoma Students, Boys & Girls Clubs of South Puget Sound, Greentrike, YMCA of Pierce and Kitsap County, City of Tacoma, and Pierce County.

Registration is open for the free summer program while space is available. It’s open weeknights from 5-10 P.M., starting June 24 to August 30. The program will close on July 4-5.

An exciting addition to this year’s program, students at all locations on August 16 will enjoy a field trip to Cheney Stadium to watch the Tacoma Rainiers take on the Sugar Land Space Cowboys from Texas in a game sponsored by Metro Parks Tacoma.

The program will be held at one of the following locations in Tacoma: