TACOMA, WA: No more teachers, no more books, no more wondering what to do or where to go with friends this summer. After a successful launch last year, the award-winning community program Summer Late Nights returns on Monday, June 24 for middle and high school students in Tacoma.
A total of 12 locations across the city will open their doors to students from Tacoma Public Schools, providing a place where they can grab dinner and spend the evening socializing with their friends for free. Popular programming options will also be back, including basketball and volleyball tournaments, art, music and STEM activities, mentorship and leadership clinics just to name a few.
An exciting addition to this year’s program, students at all locations on August 16 will enjoy a field trip to Cheney Stadium to watch the Tacoma Rainiers take on the Sugar Land Space Cowboys from Texas in a game sponsored by Metro Parks Tacoma. Late Night participants will throw out the first pitch, and the program will be highlighted on the big screen during the game. The event includes free tickets to the game, transportation to and from all Summer Late Nights sites, a free t-shirt and free hotdogs, chips and soda at the game.
“After the success we saw with the launch of Summer Late Nights in 2023, there was no question that it would be back this year,” said Sheryl Blessing, a recreation supervisor with Metro Parks Tacoma who helped oversee the development and launch of Summer Late Nights. “Our goal is to serve at least 2,000 students this summer, and we’ve been hearing a lot of excitement from the community as summer gets closer.”
Last year, Summer Late Nights recorded more than 12,000 visits from 1,687 middle and high school students across all 12 sites. A 15 percent increase is a goal shared by all the community partners involved, which includes Metro Parks Tacoma, Tacoma Public Schools, Foundation for Tacoma Students, Boys & Girls Clubs of South Puget Sound, Greentrike, YMCA of Pierce and Kitsap County, City of Tacoma and Pierce County.
“We are beyond grateful to have the full support of our community partners for Summer Late Nights again this year,” said James Neil, Director of Athletics and Activities for Tacoma Public Schools. “Our community continues to make safe spaces for teens a priority. It’s so important to give kids a safe, fun place to be and show that their community cares about them all day, every day.”
“Last year was just the beginning of providing safe and engaging spaces across Tacoma, and I can only imagine our impact continuing to grow,” said Kylie Waddill, Teen Services Manager with Boys & Girls Clubs of South Puget Sound. “Through the uplifting of youth voices and the power of many amazing community partners, our organization is charged up and ready to make this Summer one for the books with more themes, activities, opportunities for their future and more!”
The catalyst for Summer Late Nights was Tacoma City Council’s unanimous adoption of Resolution 41197 in May 2023. The first three months of that year had been marred by the deaths of three Tacoma youth due to gun violence, with 10 more charged as adults in connection to crimes involving gun violence. The resolution named the disparity of those impacts on Black youth, affirmed the Council’s commitment to decreasing violence in the community and directed Tacoma’s City Manager to implement immediate actions that would bolster community safety and the wellbeing of our youth. Summer Late Nights opened its doors just five weeks later.
“This partnership between community organizations and the school district is a testament to the love and care we all have for the youth in Tacoma,” said Senior Program Director Vincent Barron with the YMCA of Pierce and Kitsap County. “The Y is thrilled to continue supporting and providing a safe space for teens this summer.”
The 12 sites for Summer Late Night were chosen after examining the Tacoma Equity Index and assessing community strengths and disparities. Locations were prioritized in areas with low or moderate opportunity zones, and programming is focused on providing safe and healthy activities as well as minimizing barriers to access and helping alleviate food insecurity.
Darren De Leon, founder and co-director of Game Time, one of the program providers, is proud of the work he and his staff do in the same communities they grew up in.
“We’re a grassroots organization, and a lot of our staff grew up facing the same challenges and attending programs like Summer Late Nights,” he said. “It was great to have a positive place to go to get away from all the negativity that surrounded us, and it is so exciting to be called on to support this program.”
In recognition of its mission and goals, Summer Late Nights received a Spotlight Award from the Washington Recreation and Parks Association for Program Excellence in Equity, Health and Wellness.
Program Details:
Enrollment: Suggested but not required, through Tacoma Public Schools’ COMPASS Family App
When: Monday through Friday from June 24 to August 30 from 5-10 p.m. (No program on July 4 or 5)
Where: Students can drop in at any location that provides programming for their age group, but are encouraged to attend the location correlated with the school they are enrolled in. That list can be found on the Metro Parks Tacoma website at MetroParksTacoma.org/summer-late-nights.
Middle School Locations (finishing grades 6, 7, 8):
- Al Davies Boys and Girls Club
- Baker Middle School
- Eastside Community Center
- Giaudrone Middle School
- Mason Middle School
- Meeker Middle School
- Morgan Family YMCA
- Stewart Middle School
- Topping Regional Hope Center
- Truman Middle School
High School Locations (finishing grades 9, 10, 11):
- Baker Middle School
- Center at Norpoint
- Eastside Community Center
- Giaudrone Middle School
- Mason Middle School
- Morgan Family YMCA
- People’s Community Center
- Stewart Middle School
- Topping Regional Hope Center
- Truman Middle School
