ST. LOUIS — The City of St. Louis is expanding its youth programming locations and events to help keep kids safe throughout the summer months.
An eighth location has opened at Jefferson High School due to Summer Fun STL, the collaboration between the City, St. Louis Public Schools, and the St. Louis Youth Collaborative. The city made the announcement Thursday.
All eight locations are running through July 29, from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Each location, administered by the Boys and Girls Club, provides recreational and educational activities that are to enhance physical, emotional, and social needs. Three meals a day to youth ages five through 17 are also provided through this program. All locations and programs can be found on the City's website.
“Keeping our children safe is the most important investment we can make,” said Mayor Tishaura O. Jones in the emailed news release. “As a mom, I know how hard it can be to juggle work and family while school is out for the summer. I encourage families to check out these fun opportunities for youth to learn and grow.”
The City of St. Louis is working with VPC to also host youth events, movie nights, block parties, and much more throughout the summer. A full list of events with dates and locations can be found on their website.
“We have heard from youth for years that they feel like they don’t have safe spaces in their neighborhood,” said Jessica Meyers, Director of the St. Louis Violence Prevention Commission. “This partnership with the City allows us to fund pop up events for our partners to create safe spaces where they may not already exist. The goal is for these events to cut across interests and neighborhoods to offer something safe for everyone.”
The program was announced back in May, ahead of Memorial Day Weekend, using $1 million in Community Development Block Grant funding to hold activities throughout the summer.