Hot Summer Milwaukee Returns
2nd year of program offers education, recreation and camps.
Hot Summer Milwaukee, version 2.0. Photo by Amanda Maniscalco.
Mayor Tom Barrett and nine community organizations announced their collaboration for the second year of Hot Summer Milwaukee, an online resource for parents to easily find a place for their kids to learn while also having fun this summer.
Pods of people scattered the tiled rotunda of the City Hall yesterday afternoon. They anxiously awaited the introduction to Hot Summer Milwaukee, version 2.0.
Barrett, State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Evers, and MPS Superintendent Darienne Driver spoke about how parents struggle to find productive things for their kids to do during the summer, how important learning is throughout the year, and what they’re doing to make it easier for parents to find a place where their kids can have fun while learning during the summer.
Barrett started the ball rolling, thanking each and every one of the partners of Hot Summer Milwaukee. They include Milwaukee Public Schools, Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction, School Choice Wisconsin, the Milwaukee Charter School Advocates, Milwaukee Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce, the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Milwaukee, Milwaukee Public Schools Recreation Division, United Neighborhood Communities of Milwaukee (UNCOM) and the YMCA of Milwaukee.
“Right now there are mothers throughout the city, fathers throughout the city, who are pulling their hair out thinking what can I do to make sure my child has something to do that’s productive this summer,” said the mayor. “That’s why we’re here.”
Evers expressed gratitude to the partners of Hot Summer Milwaukee for what he said was a great first year. This year, he noted, “We are expanding our efforts. We are making sure that we are using social media to reach out to folks, digital media to reach out to parents and the community members, and trying to work directly with the parents to make sure they understand the opportunities that are available to them and their young folks at home.”
Evers said he believes Summer School is one of the most important ways to raise a young person’s achievement and academic level. Through yearlong learning, children have a greater chance of success in the future.
Driver reinforced that theme. “This is our favorite time of year,” she said. “In MPS, learning really is a year-round activity. It’s something we want our young people to be doing 24/7, literally.” Driver was pleased to announce that the city will be dedicating $1.4 million annually just for summer programs.
At that point Barrett introduced a Milwaukee parent. The webpage was projected on to a screen for easy visibility, as she showed everyone how the webpage works, how to navigate and how to search for certain areas or schools.
In addition to combing fun activities and learning, Hot Summer Milwaukee provides a safe environment for kids during the summer and delivers access to good nutrition. Parents can choose from one-day events, week-long camps, summer school with field trips, bridge programs that help children transition to the next level, or community events.
Hot summer Milwaukee is dedicated to helping city students in kindergarten through high school.
MAY 19, 2017
As a concerned citizen, I thank you for sharing this upcoming outreach to the Core Constituents of the City of Milwaukee. It allows notice, input, and support.
The thought of elected-appointed-hired and donor for hire representatives for government services standing out in leadership efforts for quality of life recreation and opportunities for the Core Constituents of the City of Milwaukee is in line with expectation.
This is especially true for our children in the City of Milwaukee for their growth and well-being.
I noticed that there was no mention in this post OF PARENTS – the main partner in any education and recreational endeavor for Milwaukee Public Schools and others partnering in this effort. We strongly recommend that immediate efforts are shown that include PARENTS in the planning, “decision-making” and “operation” of Hot Summer Milwaukee. It is the first step in building success and BUY-IN.
As the Chief Visionary Officer of Milwaukee Professionals Association LLC, a Milwaukee-based public policy review firm, I support the inclusion of the parents and the family in this program and all public programs for the edification of our children. In fact, involving middle and high-school students in leadership roles can increase their excitement and Buy-In.
During the election campaign at Community Brainstorming in April, I posed the question to candidate Tony Evers, what was the role of involvement of the parents – I did not get the feeling his office was a champion of Parent Involvement based on experience. When we have reached out to MPS, Dr. Darienne Driver and some MPS Board of Directors, we have not seen the level of excitement that garners embracement for parent inclusion.
So, we Welcome the Department of Public Instruction, Milwaukee Public Schools Board of Directors and Dr. Darienne Driver, MPS Superintendent, to take the lead here in ensuring that the pathway of citizen participation for PARENTS are immediately known by the presence of a cross-section of parent representation from the Parent Governance groups at the MPS schools.
I would suggest a Press Conference with the PARENT Governance group and MPS Board for starters.
We ask that the “adjectives” used to describe the program is geared to FUN and FAMILY. The word “HOT” can certainly speak of the summer weather, but it also has negative overtones and whistle calls that are heard and seen too often when referencing the city of Milwaukee and its Core Constituents.
This is an All Hands-on Deck proposition. Let the BIDS/Business Improvement Districts, Neighborhood Strategic Planning organizations, and all other community-based organizations know how they fit in this “Neighborhood Commitment”. This commitment includes those who have come to the public coffers and gotten long-term mega favors for their projects, namely Bublr Bike, the Bucks, Mandel, Northwestern Insurance and Rick Barrett of the Couture Project.
Lastly, where are the businesses of People of Color around the table? Namely, points of gathering and notoriety like barbershops, cosmetology salons, restaurants and business associations.
We will be back.