St. Paul, Minn. (June 3, 2010) – With a focus on collaboration, Mayor Chris Coleman and Saint Paul Public School Superintendent Valeria Silva kicked-off the 2010 Second Shift summer out-of-school-time programming Thursday. This year, Saint Paul and SPPS have combined their efforts to reach students and families about opportunities throughout the summer.
“Our children do not stop learning when the school year is over, and it is the goal of the City and Saint Paul Public schools to provide learning opportunities throughout the summer,” said Coleman. “This partnership will change how we approach getting the word out about summer activities, connecting with kids through social networking and texting.
“There are exciting opportunities planned throughout the summer and I hope our youth will take advantage of them,” he added. “This work is an investment in our community, furthering Saint Paul as a national leader in out-of-school-time programming.”
The City will develop Public Service Announcements throughout the summer, updating residents on upcoming activities and posting the videos on Youtube and Facebook to attract area youth. These videos will also be shown on the closed circuit televisions in each school.
The City is also starting a texting campaign where residents can sign up to receive updates about upcoming events and programs. These updates will be neighborhood orientated, allowing subscribers to learn about opportunities in the communities of their choosing.
This new approach to disseminating information will ensure youth who may not have participated in summer out-of-school-time programming before will have the opportunity to learn about activities of interest to them, and extend the learning day throughout the summer.
In addition, the Saint Paul Public Libraries will join the Parks and Recreation department in their “Summer Blast” program for youth grades 1 – 6. The program features free activities Monday – Thursday from 1 – 4 p.m. at 11 Recreation Centers. With the library’s partnership, youth will have access to books and other fun, engaging educational activities at recreation centers. Special educational opportunities at library and recreation centers will include a variety of unique guest appearances throughout the summer such as Underwater Adventures Aquarium, Dakota Wild Animals and many more. A full schedule of these appearances is available online.
For more information about activities happening this summer, check out Saint Paul Libraries, at www.stpaul.lib.mn.us, and Parks and Recreation at www.stpaul.gov/parks.
