BALTIMORE, MD (Thursday, May 23, 2024) – Today, Mayor Brandon M. Scott announced his administration’s Bmore this Summer youth engagement strategy for 2024.
Similar to last summer, the Scott Administration will focus its summer youth engagement strategy around providing events, opportunities, and resources for young people to enjoy themselves in a safe environment outside of school hours. These events will be combined with a heightened focus on ground-level outreach in the areas young people commonly congregate, starting Memorial Day weekend, that encourages young people to avoid congregating in public spaces and promotes their safety in accordance with Baltimore’s ordinance.
“We know that providing outlets and activities that young people actually want to participate in and access to necessary resources are two of the most important components to keeping our young people safe during the summer months,” said Mayor Brandon M. Scott. “I am proud to bring our Bmore this Summer comprehensive youth engagement strategy back this summer. We’re doing it bigger and better than ever, complete with extended rec center hours, job opportunities, and a range of events like midnight basketball, teen pool parties, and block parties for the whole family to enjoy. Keeping our kids safe and engaged is critically important, and with this approach, we’re doing it in a way that invites them in to help chart their own path and achieve their full potential.”
Event opportunities hosted through the Mayor’s Office and the Baltimore City Department of Recreation and Parks (BCRP) include BMore Night Hoops (ages 18+), Midnight Basketball (ages 14-17), pool parties, BCRP summer camps, and Rock the Block family block parties.
Additionally, the following recreation centers will be operating under extended hours until 11pm every Friday and Saturday night from June 28 to August 16 and feature programming tailored to teens and young adults ages 13-20:
- CC Jackson, 4910 Park Heights Ave, Baltimore, MD 21216
- Cahill, 4001 Clifton Ave, Baltimore, MD 21216
- Fred B Leidig, 301 S Beechfield Ave, Baltimore, MD 21229
- Robert C Marshall, 1201 Pennsylvania Ave, Baltimore, MD 21217
- Middle Branch, 201 Reedbird Ave, Baltimore, MD 21225
- Rita Church, 2101 St Lo Dr, Baltimore, MD 21213
- Greenmount, 2304 Greenmount Ave, Baltimore, MD 21218
- Roosevelt, 1221 W 36th St, Baltimore, MD 21211
- Edgewood/Lyndhurst, 835 Allendale St, Baltimore, MD 21229
- Herring Run, 5001 Sinclair Ln, Baltimore, MD 21206
- Madison, 1401 E Biddle St, Baltimore, MD 21225
These opportunities were informed by feedback from young people about what opportunities they would like to participate in this summer, especially around their desire for more events in their neighborhoods, pool parties, and basketball offerings. More information on summer events and programming is available on the Mayor's Office of Children and Family Success (MOCFS) website.
“We’re truly committed to supporting Mayor Scott and his administration’s efforts to provide our youth with top-flight programming this summer while keeping them safe. Baltimore City Recreation & Parks is always exploring new and exciting ways to engage with our youth,” said BCRP Executive Director Reginald Moore. “We’re excited to bring back our Friday and Saturday Night Hype Nights through extended hours at our recreation centers; expand our teen pool parties; host Charm City Games; and so much more. This summer is shaping up to be a truly awesome experience for our youth.”
"While summer is a time to have fun, meet new friends and catch up with old ones, we must also recognize the importance of staying connected with our young people and their families all year long,” said MOCFS Director Dr. Debra Brooks. “MOCFS is committed to continuing to support a city-wide collaborative effort to connect our children, teens and their families to vital resources needed to thrive in the City of Baltimore."
In addition to the event offerings listed above, the Mayor’s Office of Neighborhood Safety and Engagement (MONSE) and the Mayor’s Office of African American Male Engagement (MOAAME) will partner with We Our Us, the PEACE Team, and youth-serving social workers to provide in-person engagement during curfew hours and offer connections to services for young people and their families where appropriate around the city, particularly in locations that have historically seen significant numbers of young people gathering. This strategy builds on last year’s successful approach that de-emphasized the role of law enforcement in favor of proactive positive engagement.
“We want all of Baltimore to be safe and enjoy this summer,” said MONSE Director Stefanie Mavronis. “Together with our agency partners and community-serving organizations, we are striving to wrap our arms around our young people and their families in ways that prioritize their safety and make critical connections to resources where appropriate."
Overall, more than 7,900 young people engaged in the City’s YouthWorks program which celebrated over 50 years of service to Baltimore’s young people last summer. Additionally, thousands of young people engaged in Rec and Parks and Mayor’s Office of Children & Family Success (MOCFS) programming.
“My colleagues and I are going to do collaborative work along with committed partners to ensure that our youth and young adults have a positive, productive, and constructive Summer,” said Dr. Andrey Bundley, Director of the Mayor's Office of African American Male Engagement.
In addition to the efforts activated last summer, the City is creating an on-call rapid response team to be utilized in the event that a young person needs services. This rapid response team will be available to respond to pop-up youth gatherings all summer long, not just on weekends. Middle Branch Fitness & Wellness Center will be activated as a Youth Connection Center to provide young people a safe place if they cannot go home during curfew hours.
Last summer, as part of the City’s non-traditional curfew strategy, volunteers directly engaged approximately 650 young people at designated static engagement locations and through mobile engagement teams to encourage young people to be safe and head home during curfew hours.
Since the City implemented its curfew activation last year on May 26, 2023, youth-involved homicides decreased 83 percent compared to the previous summer as of September 5, 2022, with curfew ending on September 4, 2023. While there were nine additional non-fatal shooting victims, this uptick is representative of victims from the July 2nd Brooklyn Day mass shooting