Philadelphia looks to employ thousands of youth this summer with city-led program

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Philadelphia officials will once again refer to its summertime jobs program as “#ItsASummerThing.”

The initiative, which began last year, aims to keep violence down while youth are out of school for 10 weeks.

City officials announced dozens of programs and a plan for thousands of summer job opportunities during an hourlong event at City Hall on Monday. Mayor Cherelle Parker said the goal is to give youth working experience, while they make money.

“I think we are taking away any excuse that anyone can have about making sure young people in this city, during this time, are a bit connected to something constructive,” Parker said.

School Superintendent Tony Watlington said the district will also participate in summer programs to enrich students.

“130 of our buildings will be open, we are going to serve more than 21,000 of our student population this summer,” Watlington said. “Registration is open for grades K–12.”

Deputy Mayor Vanessa Garrett Harley explained that the city’s effort is designed to protect children by giving them options during time off from school.

“Something safe, something positive, and something that will occupy their space and time, but also enriching,” Garrett Harley said. “We don’t want them to forget what they learned across the school year, but more importantly, we just want to keep them safe.”

There are 9,000 confirmed jobs, about 1,000 more than last year. The city is working with the business community to get that number to 10,000.

Marcus Hall, director of the Career Connected Learning program at Philadelphia Works, explained the summer initiative will offer positions at hundreds of employers.

“Not just to push [students] in any particular direction, but to give them the space to explore their gifts and make informed decisions about their own futures,” Hall said. “When a young person can stand inside an industry and ultimately work alongside professionals who care about them, and get paid, ultimately, something does shift.”

More information about the jobs program can be found online.

In addition, Laura Crandall, the city’s director of food security initiatives, announced the return of the summer meals program. Crandall explained that this year’s program will be available to school-aged children at hundreds of sites across the city starting Monday, June 15, and running through Friday, Aug. 21. Families can find their closest summer meal site by visiting the city’s free food and meals finder online.

Proof of income, ID, citizenship or registration is not required to access meals at any of the finder’s sites.

The city is also bringing back play streets, summer camps and other opportunities provided by the Parks and Recreation department.

Its commissioner, Susan Slawson, said her department will have spray parks opening right after Memorial Day. For the city’s more than 60 available and operable pools, more lifeguards are still being sought.

Gary Williams, deputy commissioner of the city’s Department of Human Services, said a program, Intensive Prevention Services, is designed to bring youth to a number of sites in the city to participate in “psycho-educational grouping that focus on building relationships, healthy relationships and conflict resolution.”

That program works with children who have experienced some level of trauma, and how to process that. The program serves young people from 10 to 17.

Kelly Richards, president and director of the Free Library of Philadelphia, added they would also have a robust summer program, which is designed to encourage reading through the use of an “adventure.”

The program starts Monday, June 8, and runs through Friday, Aug. 14, giving library patrons the opportunity to select a book character and choose their own adventure. The program offers multiple paths to follow, such as the creator, the scientist, the reader, the gamer or the explorer.

“Our summer program encourages creativity, exploration, reading and community connection through library programs helping our city’s youth stay engaged in discovering new ideas and interest, but also keeps them reading all summer long,” Richards said.