Council committee approves summer marketing and theatre programs for city youth

CLEVELAND — The committee approved emergency ordinances authorizing contracts for two out-of-school programs for youth run through the city’s Office of Prevention and Intervention and the YOU youth employment initiative.

Ordinance No. 559-2025 authorizes a 12-month contract (with two one-year renewal options) with Rhonda Crowder and Associates, LLC to provide an out-of-school marketing program that is part of the YOU youth employment academies. Assistant director Sherry Ellery described the program as an "academy" that teaches marketing skills in structured sessions: "They come for 8 weeks during the summer, 4 days a week, 5 hours a day for a total of 160 hours during the summer. And then in the fall, they come for 10 weeks, 8 hours a week, for 80 hours total during the fall."

Ordinance No. 558-2025 authorizes a contract with Carol Mulhouse to provide an out-of-school theatre arts program based at Karamu House. Ellery told the committee the Karamu program covers dance, drama, vocal music, literary and visual arts, plus technical theatre skills such as set building and costuming. The program runs five days a week, five hours per day, and the presenter indicated the summer program takes about 30 youth.

Council members asked about access and sign-up. The committee heard that youth apply through the YOU summer job program application and that programs are citywide. Council members praised both programs as ways to engage youth in career pathways and character-building activities; Councilman Polensek asked about neighborhood delivery and Councilman Conwell urged more coordinated linkages between these programs and Cleveland Metropolitan School District offerings.

Both ordinances were passed by committee and advanced to the full council. Contract terms are 12 months with options to renew; financial terms were not discussed at the committee hearing.

Speakers and program details below are taken from the May 19 committee transcript.