Monroe City Council held a work session focused on the city's summer recreation programming, where presenters from the Opportunity Center and the YMCA reviewed participation numbers, funding partners and program highlights.

Stephanie Kasperczak, executive director of MCOP and the Opportunity Center, told the council the Opportunity Center exceeded expectations under a two-year National Recreation and Park Association mentoring grant, recording 47 mentors and 709 mentees across the grant period versus an original target of 350. "We received additional funds on several occasions because we were doing a wonderful job," Kasperczak said. She also described the center's summer youth employee program, which hired 24 young people ages 14 to 21 this year; those youth helped run Tot Lot sites, assisted Sodexo with meals, maintained the community garden and received training in financial literacy and substance-abuse prevention.

Kasperczak reported program totals for the Opportunity Center this summer: 43 unduplicated summer-camp participants producing 1,262 visits and 149 unduplicated children at Tot Lot with 2,384 visits. Sodexo provided 4,691 meals across Tot Lot sites and center summer camp, she said. The Opportunity Center also ran specialized weeks (digital literacy, health and fitness, boxing and art), a skilled-trades camp in partnership with United Way, and celebrated a Juneteenth event and an end-of-summer bash.

Kristen, a YMCA representative, thanked city staff and highlighted the YMCA's role in community sports and field coverage. She named Hawk Milke as the community recreation director and Jay Heiserling as the YMCA's mobile sports director, and noted the YMCA hired Brian Stang this season to help cover fields. "We hired over 75 youth ball volunteers," Kristen said, and she reported 135 youth took part in the YMCA's summer basketball league. Kristen also credited city staff and public safety for support at games and events.

Presenters listed funding partners and grants that supported the summer work, including the National Recreation and Park Association grant for mentoring, a Michigan Fitness Foundation grant for a citywide health and fitness week (which Kasperczak said drew 3,055 participants July 7'12), United Way support, and contributions from the La-Z-Boy Foundation, MyLeap and the Port of Monroe for specific programs. Kasperczak said the Opportunity Center completed state childcare licensing and was renewed in June to meet Michigan's requirement for after-school and summer care programs.

The presentation clarified program locations and partnerships: Tot Lot sites operated at Munson, St. Mary's, Father Carnes, Labor Park and the new Greenwood community center; art activities included a Port of Monroe field trip; and skilled-trades activities involved United Way volunteers who helped build a ramp. Presenters said summer programs emphasize workforce development and community service alongside recreation.

No formal actions or votes were taken during the work session; the item was presented for briefing and council awareness. City Manager David Robinson and Director Mark Cochran introduced the presenters and acknowledged the city's ongoing partnerships with MCOP and the YMCA. The recap will inform upcoming budget and program planning but no decisions were made at the session.