Title
Parks and Recreation Summer Programs
Description
This report provides the Community and Cultural Investment Subcommittee an update on the Parks and Recreation Department’s summer programs, including PHX Plays Summer Camps and the 2023 Aquatics Season.
THIS ITEM IS FOR INFORMATION AND DISCUSSION.
Report
Summary
Each year, the Parks and Recreation Department gears up to provide safe and affordable summer programs for youth and families throughout the City. In addition to the variety of classes held in community centers and sports programs/events at park facilities, the department provides PHX Plays summer camps and access to swimming pools and swim lessons.
PHXPlays Summer Camp
The Parks and Recreation Department offers traditional summer day camps at 24 Citywide sites (Attachment A) for youth ages six to 12. Camp programs are offered Monday through Friday, from May to July. Participants can choose to participate in the camps on a weekly or monthly basis. A daily drop-in option is also available to accommodate families’ schedules. To provide families with a variety of options, prices vary and range from free to $80 per week depending on the site and programs and activities offered.
All camps include a minimum of:
- Themed weeks such as superhero week, circus week and safari week;
- Arts, crafts, sports, games, team building activities and STEM activities;
- Daily meals with either breakfast/lunch or lunch/snack provided, depending on the provider;
- Onsite events and special activities;
- Special guest presenters and entertainers;
- Monthly field trips; and
- Camp t-shirts.
The PHX Plays summer camp is marketed to participants who have previously enjoyed Parks and Recreation programs and advertised on social media. Staff also communicates with schools via phone, in-person or with distribution of flyers. Other marketing techniques include sharing information at neighborhood association meetings, email blasts and distributing flyers at park events.
Summer camp registration opened March 23 and will continue through the summer. Historically, registration numbers increase within the first two weeks of the program. Pre-pandemic in 2019, PHX Plays Summer Camps included 7,807 participants. In 2022, registration was only 5 percent lower than pre-pandemic rates with 7,431 participants registered as programming continued to recover from the pandemic. PHXPlays continues to offer youth and their families a safe, quality and affordable summer program.
2023 Aquatics Season
Preparation and recruitment efforts for the 2023 aquatics season began in July of 2022, first with a special Aquatic Academy program for aspiring Pool Managers, followed by ongoing lifeguard certification courses to encourage individuals to complete the course early in anticipation of working the following summer. Staff continues to utilize a variety of methods to promote aquatics job opportunities including Cashiers, Lifeguards, Swim Lesson Instructors, Assistant Pool Managers and Pool Managers. Methods include visits to High Schools, distribution of information to colleges and schools, direct interaction with High School swim and dive teams, participation in numerous job fairs, participation at community events and social media.
To further help with recruitment efforts, the department increased hourly wages for all certified aquatics positions and is offering a $3,000 hiring and retention incentive. The incentive has assisted in attracting returning and new candidates; as a result of this incentive and other retention efforts, 76 percent of aquatic staff from 2022 will be returning for the 2023 season.
This year, the department also introduced the Shallow Water Lifeguard position. This position was created to assist those interested in becoming lifeguards whose swimming skills did not meet the prerequisite of a lifeguard that must guard deep water. These individuals will have the opportunity to improve their swimming skills and receive the certification at a water depth of four feet compared to the normal certification at 12 feet or more.
To promote future lifeguard opportunities, the department continues to offer Junior Lifeguard and Lifeguard Academy programs for youth ages 14 to 17 in the months of June through August. These programs teach water safety, teamwork and leadership skills. Those who successfully complete the Lifeguard Academy will obtain Lifeguard and CPR certifications.
The department’s ability to increase the number of open pools and rebuild programs is directly tied to the number of filled Swim Instructor and Pool Manager positions. At the time of this report, 15 Pool Managers have committed to working during the 2023 season; therefore, 15 City pools can be open at any one time throughout the summer. In an effort to open additional pools, the department has developed a plan to open a total of 18 pools; 12 pools will open Memorial Day through July. A total of six additional pools will be open for one month each: three in June and three in July, allowing the department to open three pools that have not opened since 2019.
Of the 18 open pools this summer, 15 are participating in the Kool Kids program that allows kids 17 years and younger to swim for free. The Kool Kids donations this year include $58,493 from the Milwaukee Brewers and $10,000 from Salt River Project. Admission at the other three pools is $1 for kids. Adult admission at all pools is $3, and senior admission is $1.
The department has also incrementally restored programming and this summer will again offer youth swimming lessons at all open pools and, for the first time since 2019, will be adding adult swimming lessons and water aerobics at select pools based on the number of instructors hired. Youth swimming lessons are for participants ages six months to 12 years old and will be held June 5 through July 27. Each session consists of eight, 30-minute classes. Due to the Parks and Recreation Department's commitment to ensure programs are affordable and accessible, each session is $15, which equates to $1.88 per class. These prices are the lowest in comparison to other nearby municipalities. Also, thanks to a generous donation of $10,000 from the Arizona Diamondbacks, 833 swim lesson spaces across all 18 pools have been discounted to $3 and will be available on a first-come first served basis.
The 2023 pool season runs Memorial Day weekend through the end of July, with select pools open through Labor Day (Attachment B). Registration for all swimming lessons and water exercise classes begins on May 4 and will be ongoing throughout the summer as space is available.
Department
Responsible Department
This item is submitted by Deputy City Manager Inger Erickson and the Parks and Recreation Department.