LITTLE ROCK (June 4, 2018) – The City of Little Rock welcomed more than 2,200 youth this week participating in summer employment, internship and other youth programs that kicked off Monday.

The Little Rock Parks & Recreation Department will host 1,537 kids, between the ages of 6-15. The Summer Playground Program is the largest of these programs for the department, featuring eight locations and 1,180 kids.

The Department of Community Programs welcomed approximately 650 youth interns in the Summer Youth Employment Opportunity program and 14 mentors to manage the interns. Community Programs also provides support for 14 summer enrichment and recreation programs around the city and 35 year-round youth programs. Partnering with these organizations helps the City of Little Rock reach an additional 1,350 children.

The Summer Playground Program still has availability at some sites. Visit the parks website, at www.lrpr.org, to register. The cost is $100 for the first child and $50 for each additional child. This is an eight-week program, which runs from 7:30 a.m. to 6 p.m., Monday through Friday. Breakfast and lunch is served each day. The program also features a variety of field trips, including swimming, fishing, roller skating, going to the movies, the Museum of Discovery and to close the summer, a trip to Wild River Country. For more information on this program, please call 501-371-4445.

“This is one of the signature programs within the Parks Department and City as a whole,” said City Manager Bruce T. Moore. “Entering its 98th year, the Summer Playground Program has helped to provide a safe, fun and rewarding experience for kids during the summer months for generations.”

The Summer Laureate Program, at Southwest Community Center, will host a six-week program, and still has space available. Registration for this program is done in person at the center, which is located at 6401 Baseline Road. For more information, please call the center at 501-918-3975.

“We are very proud of all of the youth programs we are able to host or provide support for,” Moore said. “We are constantly striving to grow our programs and better serve the needs of the community.”