How Santa Monica Plans to Incorporate Strategic Goals into its Youth Programs

June 5, 2018 9:54 AM
by Diane Cancino

If we are going to transform the City of Santa Monica into a high performing local government for the 21st Century, we need to inspire our City’s youth to embrace these ideals as part of our core values when developing year-round programming. 
 
Correspondingly, Camp Santa Monica, the City’s signature summer camp, is collaborating with many of our City partners to feature a fun and innovative experience for urban explorers ages 8 to 14 by tapping into different perspectives of the City’s Five Strategic Goals. Developed by staff in the Community and Cultural Services Department’s CREST Division, this program has the perfect outcome - a memorable summer in the City for all participants. 
 
We kick of summer 2018 with an emphasis on mobility as campers enjoy activities that cruise, roll and connect over two weeks of camp beginning June 11 - June 22. Campers will be led on a behind the scenes tour of the Big Blue Bus maintenance depot; take a guided tour on the Expo Line; spend the day biking with Santa Monica Spoke; swim at a City pool; and kayak at Castaic Lake. A special field trip to Boomers Family Entertainment Center will ensure non-stop fun, as will special projects to create motorized airplanes and balloon powered cars.
 
After kids #GoSaMo for the first two weeks, our 3rd and 4th weeks, June 25 - July 6, will look at how a city is planned and developed. In conjunction with the City's Planning and Housing & Development office, Camp Santa Monica participants will be introduced to basic concepts of city planning so that they can then create a 3D model of what they think makes a city both functional and a great place to live. Jason Harris, Manager, Housing & Economic Development; Kriss Casanova, Senior Development Analyst; and Amy Miller, Associate Planner, are working with CREST on a fun multi-day experiential activity that will activate 21st Century skills such as critical thinking, collaboration, creativity and communication. As a special added treat to expose our youth to what makes our region great, we will take campers to a Dodgers Game and host the LA Chargers who will lead a Football Clinic on campus for all CREST Camps. A trip to Knott’s Berry Farm rounds out this module on July 6.
 
 
As we think of what makes a city work for everyone, community engagement is another key initiative to promote to our young citizens. Camp focus for July 9 - 20 highlights empowerment, engagement and citizenry. We continue into the hot summer months with sustainability projects and outings July 23 - August 3; culminating with a Heal the Bay beach clean up and swim recreation day trip, water games and tie-dye craft to Learn & Thrive the week of August 6 - 10.  Kids will head to Soak City water park on the final day of camp.
 
Camp Santa Monica runs for 9 weeks at Lincoln Middle School. Santa Monica residents pay $200/week for camp 8:30 a.m. - 5:00 pm, with extended care costing an extra $35. CREST also offers Water Adventures and Sports Experience. Register at www.smgov.net/reserve.

Authored By

Diane Cancino
Community Services Program Specialist