Gonzales recreation staff outline Kid Power, sports, senior and youth-council programs and recent grants

Recreation staff told the Gonzales City Council about program growth, grants and partner support for youth, adult and senior services and said summer camp registrations will open May 16.

Jessica Olmedo, recreation coordinator and administrative analyst, and colleagues Isabelle Navarro, sports program coordinator, and Julie Douglas, youth program coordinator, presented a detailed recap of the department’s activities, including Kid Power after‑school programming, multiple sports leagues, senior classes and the Gonzales Youth Council.

The presentation showed Kid Power averaging about 30 children per month, with after‑school programming serving transitional kindergarten through fifth grade and seasonal camps serving TK through eighth grade. “Kid Power After School and camps have touched the lives of many of our children in our community,” Julie Douglas said. She described staff who began as interns and later joined the department’s paid staff.

Why it matters: staff said the programs provide supervised academic support, STEM exposure and career outreach for youth, and bring seniors programming into the city through partnerships with county health services — all using a mix of city staff, unpaid interns and community volunteers.

Program details and recent funding - Kid Power staff described daily one‑on‑one homework support and STEM activities; staff…