Ebba Says: Get Outside!
April 19, 2018 12:13 PM
by Tati Simonian
Ebba Valenzuela, Community Services Program Supervisor of the City of Santa Monica, is an expert in Santa Monica Community Recreation. With more than 40 years of experience with the City, Ebba has connected with, taught, and assisted thousands of residents who have participated in Community Recreation programs.
Question: How long have you been in public services?
Ebba Valenzuela: Believe it or not, I participated in the Tiny Tots program in Marine Park, which was the park of my youth. Since then, community recreation in Santa Monica has become my life’s work. I was hired in 1975, and have worked as an instructor, staff assistant, special events attendant and more. Now I oversee multiple recreation programs in our beautiful local parks. I try to find offerings that balance fun, fitness and learning all in one. And take it from me, just because you’re all grown up doesn’t mean you can’t allow yourself to pursue fun activities that keep you happy and healthy.
Q: What's your favorite work memory?
EV: I was at Marine Park taking registrations, and a grandmother came up to me and said, “Did you know you taught my daughter in the Learning Through Play class? This is my granddaughter and we’re here to sign up for ballet camp!” I see generations of families come through these community recreation programs, and when we see each other in the community face-toface, I realize we are all connected. These are my favorite moments.
Q: Give us some helpful hints for participating in community recreation this summer.
EV: I’m very much looking forward to this summer. We’ve released a fresh new guide to the City of Santa Monica’s Community Recreation programs. The online publication, called RecScape, has everything under the sun you can do recreation-wise in Santa Monica — from pools to parks, from camps to classes. Folks can go to santamonica.gov/ recscape to see what we offer in the beautiful outdoors. I recommend getting a head start by registering an account (if you don’t already have one) and add activities to your “wish list.” It helps prepare for the rush when we open online registration to residents on April 25.
Another tip is for folks interested in putting their kids in swim lessons to carefully match the level of the lesson so it’s a good fit for the child. We’re here to help with this. Swim assessments are available at no charge at the Santa Monica Swim Center, every day of the week. Call (310) 458-8700.
I hope to see everyone who reads this out there in our parks and pools having a great time this summer. If you see me, come say hi!
Summer registration for Community Recreation camps and classes opens April 25 for residents, May 2 for non-residents. Get more info at santamonica.gov/recscape or call (310) 458-8300.
This article was originally published in Seascape.
Authored By
Tati Simonian
Public Information Officer