Economic Growth & Cultural Vitality: Santa Monica summer programs provide enrichment for local youth
September 23, 2024 2:10 PM
by Jenny Rogers, Heather Averick
It was a busy summer full of learning, playing and adventuring for Santa Monica’s youngest residents, thanks to a host of city-run summer camps, classes and programs that offered a fun and safe way to spend the summer.
More than 55,500 school-aged youths participated in the Recreation and Arts Department’s Aquatics, Recreation & Arts summer camps, classes and special events.
And more than 350 kids took advantage of a fun-filled summer thanks to the Housing and Human Services Department’s Virginia Avenue Park (VAP), Police Activities League (PAL), and Childcare, Recreation, Enrichment, Sports, Together (CREST) summer camps.
These summer programs, offered at no- to low-cost, are a win all around. Kids receive the engagement and community involvement needed to help them thrive in the school year, and parents can go to work knowing their kids are well cared for.
Here’s a look at what young recreators experienced this summer.
Virginia Avenue Park (VAP)
VAP staff actively engaged 138 campers of all ages this summer in a variety of fun, hands-on activities including science projects, cooking, recreational games and more. Campers loved making slime, engineering roller coasters, playing dodgeball and volleyball, and playing minute-to-win-it games where participants race against the clock to complete a fun and silly task.
Campers enjoyed weekly excursions to the Santa Monica Swim Center and nearby hiking trails, as well as adventure field trips to places like a ropes course, Fountain Valley Skate Park and Knott’s Berry Farm.
VAP campers also participated in the Santa Monica Public Library’s summer reading challenge, making weekly visits to the Pico Branch Library and immersing themselves in new reading adventures.
We’re appreciative of the many collaborations with community partners this summer, such as the Police and Fire Departments, Providence Saint John's Health Center, SEWI, The Hummingbird Project, Green Tea Studios and more. Thank you, partners!
Police Activities League (PAL)
The PAL summer program was a dynamic success, marked by several exciting achievements and enriching opportunities for 127 local youth, ages six to 17.
In addition to traditional summer camp activities, camp this summer featured two educational initiatives: Summer Brain Gain, designed to combat summer learning loss, and a Teen Book Club that fostered a love for reading for youth ages 12 and older.
Other highlights included a vibrant mural project for the Santa Monica Airport, where campers showcased their artistic talents, and tennis lessons with the Santa Monica Tennis Collective.
Additionally, one of our high school seniors taught an 8-week financial literacy class to help younger participants learn budgeting, saving and developing responsible spending habits.
Campers especially loved field trips to places such as Knott's Berry Farm, John's Incredible Pizza, Will Rogers State Park, Raging Waters, and Will Rogers State Beach. They also had a blast on mini excursions to El Capitan Theatre, UC Irvine and CSU Long Beach, an LA Sparks game, the Orange County Fair, and the Aquarium of the Pacific.
Childcare, Recreation, Enrichment, Sports, Together (CREST)
CREST Summer Camp was well-attended by an average of 85 campers weekly, ranging from age eight to 14. Campers enjoyed an exciting summer, with two activity group options to choose from that matched their interests.
Campers who chose STEAM Adventures engaged in STEAM activities such as creating robotic hands and learning to code with LEGO robotics.
Campers who chose Surf n' Turf Adventures focused on water and sports, with activities such as surfing lessons.
All the campers also enjoyed excursions to Six Flags Magic Mountain, the California Science Center, Knott’s Soak City, and the Santa Monica College pool.
Parents expressed their gratitude for CREST camp, noting that their children were safe and happy, which allowed them to work during the summer with peace of mind. To ensure the program was accessible to all families, the city offered a financial assistance program, which benefited 93 youth participants this summer.
Community Aquatics
This summer, the Department of Recreation, or RAD, Community Aquatics programs transformed the city’s aquatic facilities into vibrant hubs of activity. At the Santa Monica Swim Center, Annenberg Community Beach House, and Santa Monica High School (SAMOHI) pool, we offered a diverse range of classes, camps, and events, reflecting our dedication to providing enriching recreational experiences for all.
Program highlights included:
- A total of 1,528 participants, including 1,265 at the Swim Center and 263 at the Annenberg Community Beach House, benefited from RAD’s comprehensive “Learn to Swim” classes.
- Fitness classes were met with enthusiasm, drawing 1,416 participants for water aerobics, 145 participants for “Floating Fitness,” and 44 for stand-up paddleboarding. Additionally, Santa Monica Yoga, Sinjin Volleyball, and Bounce LA offered beachside fitness opportunities for all ages, from kids to older adults.
- With 106 dedicated participants, the Sharks Swim Team achieved remarkable success, securing a second-place finish in the Southern California Municipal Athletic Federation competition and a first-place victory in the BASE qualifiers.
- Our Teen Nights and Family & Friends Splash Night community events drew more than 500 attendees, and Sunset Swims at the Annenberg provided lively and memorable evenings for the 498 attendees throughout the summer.
- With 46,001 total participants, lap and recreational swimming were among the most popular summer activities, offering a refreshing way to beat the heat.
- The Santa Monica Swim Center hosted 3,532 campers from various Los Angeles programs, including Santa Monica’s CREST, PAL, and VAP.
- Continued community engagement was evident at SAMOHI Pool with more than 800 participants in youth swim lessons and water polo through permitted user groups. The introduction of RAD’s well-received Junior Lifeguard classes, along with other programs, was supported by the city’s Master Facilities Joint Use Agreement.
As we transition into fall, our commitment to providing exceptional aquatic experiences remains steadfast, ensuring that our offerings continue to enrich the lives of our community members throughout the year.
Community Recreation summer camps and classes
The Community Recreation Division activated Santa Monica parks all summer long with youth summer camps and classes, including baseball, tennis, dance, language arts, creative arts, soccer, STEM engineering and “parent and me” education. Adults also took advantage of great recreational programming at our wonderful parks participating in dance, arts, yoga, and tennis classes.
Summer 2024 saw a total of 1,431 participants in 115 weekly summer camps and 230 weekly recreation classes at city parks, including Memorial Park, Euclid Park, Douglas Park, Joslyn Park, Clover Park and Marine Park. Some of the most popular programs for the summer included SoulofCali Creative Arts Camps, Tennis with Goldenson Summer Tennis Camps, and Santa Monica Baseball Academy camps at Memorial Park.
Check out this adorable video highlighting SoulofCali Arts Camps at Marine Park.
Other summer highlights
In addition to summer camps, the city supported the community’s youth this summer with services such as the return of the now fully city-funded Free Summer Lunch program at VAP and a Back to School Supply Giveaway and Seeds of Hope Free Produce Market, where more than 150 children received fully loaded backpacks, thanks to Kiwanis Club of Santa Monica, and families were able to pick up free produce, thanks to Seeds of Hope.
PAL hosted its annual Back to School & BBQ event, where youth ages six to 17 received free backpacks donated by the Huntley Santa Monica Beach Hotel and Toyota of Santa Monica. Each backpack was filled with school supplies sponsored by the Kiwanis Club of Santa Monica and Santa Monica Travel and Tourism. Other highlights included stylish haircuts provided by Project Fly LA’ s local barbers and gift cards to Target from the Santa Monica Lions Club.
At all of these events, our incredible local partners offered free resources, swag and information to the community, and we’re so appreciative of their support.
As summer officially comes to a close, we’re glad so many of our community’s youth will have memories of playing in the summer sun at these camps!
And while camps have come to a close, Community Recreation is still going strong. Check out open classes to keep the party going all year long.
Authored By
Jenny Rogers
Director of Recreation and Arts
Heather Averick
Director of Housing and Human Services