Parks & Recreation launches 18–20 ‘Next Level’ internships; director asks council to shore up school-meal funding

Acting Parks and Recreation Director Melody Phillips told the Education, Youth and Families Committee on Feb. 12 that the department is launching a paid internship for older teens and young adults and has moved its academic-year meal service to a local vendor.

The new “Next Level” internship is a seven-week, paid placement for people ages 18 to 20. Phillips said participants will be placed with employers including ChristianaCare and other local sites and will be paid $16.25 an hour; the department’s traditional summer workforce track pays $15 an hour. Phillips said registration for Next Level was open Jan. 17–Feb. 21, 2025, and that the program “begins 01/16/2025.” She said the Department of Labor provided the funding that sets the program goal at 25 interns and that, as of the briefing, 25 people had applied but only 12 met the 18–20 age range.

Why it matters: the internship creates a paid pathway into health-care and tech…