Agenda - Parks and Recreation Commission - 06/12/2008 - Joint with City Council

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normally arrive at about 2:45 p.m. and are done about 5 p.m., but she does stay late depending on the needs of the kids. She stated that they currently have about 10 to 20 middle school boys and two girls. She advised that the primary focus of the program is to help the kids with homework and to have success in school. She stated that a lot of the kids that come into the program are struggling in school or migrant families whose children are behind in credits. She advised that because of the contact with the teachers she is able to know about missing assignments before the kids even reach her program after school. She stated that within the program they have formed a teen council, who perform community service throughout the area and other areas of the community. She advised that it is a great experience and that they put in 560 hours of community service last summer. She stated that for those who put in over 40 hours of service, they did take them to Valley Fair as a reward. She reported that they have also established movie nights once a month at each site. She explained that they bring food and the kids come to hang out, on a Friday night, and watch movies together. She was surprised at how many kids actually come to the movie nights. She advised that the school district donated a computer lab to the site that the kids are able to utilize for homework projects. She advised that they have also been added as a bus stop for Anoka High School, Sandberg Middle School, and Fred Moore Middle School. She reported that there were 60 kids enrolled in the Ramsey summer program last year, which included kids from all over Ramsey, grades two through 12. She advised that during the summer program they do offer free bag lunches for all of the kids, and this year will offer six separate weeks of programming. She advised that the elementary school kids would be coming during the morning for the summer program and the middle and high school kids would have programming in the afternoon during the summer. She advised that they would look to focus on team building and field trips for the older youth. She advised that they also work together with the Public Works Department to setup an immunization clinic this year and make sure that the kids are up to date on their physicals and shots before school starts. She reported that they also have programming for families in the summer months and are working to establish a crime watch within the Oak Terrace neighborhood. She stated that they do work closely with surrounding businesses to secure funding for programs, and that Midwest Auto Care funds some of the special summer programming. She advised that all of the funding they receive must come through grants or donations. She brought two of the youth that participate in the Ramsey program with her to speak about their experiences. Mateo, a 9th grader at Anoka High School, is new to the program this year and stated that he enjoys using the homework center. He explained that if you are unsure of the answer you can receive help and someone can teach you how to get the answer. He advised that you could also look things up in the computer lab. He stated that there are a lot of things to keep -kids out of trouble and fights. He advised that they also have games, like basketball, that the kids can play. Martin, a 6th grader at Fred Moore Middle School, has been in the program for quite a while and stated that when he started the program he had three F's and since joining has not received another f in school. Commissioner Backous commented that it appears the site is looking for a PS2 and advised that he would be able to donate one for them. Park and Recreation Commission/May 8, 2008 Page 6 of 13