Summer youth programs available throughout Los Angeles

With summer around the corner, Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti and Los Angeles Unified School District Superintendent Albert Carvalho spread the word Friday about the city’s summer youth programs, including camps, sports and paid internships.

“Summer is a time for learning, growing, and playing — and in Los Angeles, we’re committed to providing those opportunities to our children and young people,” Garcetti said in a statement. “The city has something to offer for everyone, from sports and arts programming to the chance to earn a paycheck while building the skills to kick-start a career.”

The city’s summer programs include:

— Play LA sports programming for children 5 to 17 years old;

— Swim LA for children 4 to 17 years old;

— LA’s Best, which provides after-school programming for elementary school students;

— Hire LA’s Youth, which provides job opportunities for people 14 to 24 years old;

— Summer With The Library, which provides art and educational activities;

— Summer Art Programming with the Department of Cultural Affairs, which provides art and music classes; and

— YouthSource Center and FamilySource Center, which provides job training and academic support.

Summer programming was expanded through support from a $9 million donation from the Ballmer Group, an organization founded by the Los Angeles Clippers’ billionaire owner Steve Ballmer and his wife Connie which supports efforts to improve economic mobility for children and families in the United States who are disproportionately likely to remain in poverty, and contributions from The Eli & Edythe Broad Foundation and Great Public Schools Now.

“We know that too often, access to summer and afterschool enrichment programs is dependent on family income,” said Nina Revoyr, the Ballmer Group’s Los Angeles executive director. “We also know that students who have access to high quality summer learning and activities see less learning loss, are more likely to stay engaged in school, get more access to mental health care and have safe places to be — all hallmarks for long term success and economic mobility.”

LAUSD is also offering summer school at 600 sites throughout the district and prekindergarten summer learning opportunities are also available. More information is available at SummerSchool.LAUSD.net.

The district’s summer school program includes classes in literacy, math and science for students from transitional kindergarten through eighth grade and classes in animation, arts and crafts, creative writing, music, STEM and STEAM, filmmaking and world languages for high school students, Carvalho said.

The Mayor’s Office of Gang Reduction and Youth Development also provides free meals, activities, sports and resources for youth through its Summer Night Lights program, which will begin its 15th season July 13.

Information about the city government’s summer programs for youths, including paid internship opportunities, is available at EarnLearnPlay.LACity.org.

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