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Library, district and city present expanded summer programs; free meals and targeted enrichment highlighted
Summary
Library, Newark Unified and the city’s recreation department outlined summer programs including a library “Imagine and Build” summer reading campaign, district summer schools and camps, and city recreation camps and scholarships.
Library, school district and city staff presented coordinated summer programming for Newark residents at the May meeting, describing free meals, targeted academic support, volunteer tutoring and dozens of recreation options.
Library director Joe Stoner summarized the library’s “Summer Adventure: Imagine & Build” program, an expanded calendar of performances and community partnerships and a revived Reading Buddies tutoring effort. Stoner said the library’s after‑school meals and summer lunch program serve children ages 1–18 and that the library is averaging about 150 meals a day during the school year; the library’s large annual health fair has seen 600–700 attendees in a four‑hour period in recent years.
Newark Unified’s Assistant Superintendent of Educational Services described three district summer programs: a 20‑day elementary enrichment program (Coyote Hills and Schilling) run by Think Together from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.; a morning‑only four‑hour special education program at Schilling for students with IEPs; and a new 10‑day intensive high‑school credit‑recovery program that lets students make up one or two semester courses within a shorter schedule so families have more summer time.
Nick Cuevas, the city’s Recreation and Community Services director, outlined city offerings including the Ash Street Summer Park program (June 23–July 25, weekdays 11 a.m.–3 p.m., $10 for the summer), Camp Newark, approximately 95 classes and 45 camps this season, and scholarship support covering 75% of participant fees (participants pay 25%). Cuevas said the summer scholarship fund has capacity for about 200 scholarships at $300 each—roughly $60,000—based on available funding. He also gave water‑park and facility hours for the Soliman (Silliman?) activity and family aquatic center and listed special events including Groovin’ at the Grove and the Mariachi Festival.
Library staffer Jenny Chavez Valencia described a revived Reading Buddies program serving students identified two or more grade levels behind; Stoner said three Newark Memorial Puente volunteers were tutoring six students currently and that staff hope to continue the program through the summer given early progress.
Committee members asked whether summer programs can produce grade changes; the district replied that teachers assign semester grades but that summer programs can help students enter the next year better prepared. City and district staff said they are coordinating outreach—via postcards, social media and Peachjar—and that registration, scholarship applications and program details are available through city and district channels.
Attendance figures and program capacity cited in presentations: the library reported nearly 300 people at some performances and 600–700 health‑fair attendees; Recreation reported 3,284 summer program registrations so far; the Ash Street Summer Park program has hosted 30–100 children historically and uses a rolling wait list. Scholarship eligibility relies on NUSD verification of free or reduced‑price meal eligibility or other income documentation.
