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Santa Ana outlines summer youth programming, trips and camp enrollment details
Summary
Recreation staff described teen excursions, STEAM classes, volunteer involvement and summer-camp details: nine excursions for teens, 182 participant teams, summer camp serving ~339 youth and mixed messaging about weekly camp fees that staff clarified during questions.
Deputy director Tim introduced recreation specialists Danny Palon and Alan (Lopez Kazano), who presented a detailed report on youth programming across Santa Ana community centers, including teen excursions, STEAM offerings and the Summer Splash day camp.
Why it matters: The city’s youth programming provides structured activities, meal support and transport for hundreds of children each summer; enrollment, cost and eligibility affect families’ access to care and enrichment.
Danny Palon described the teen excursion program for ages 15–17: eligibility requires city residency, attendance in the Santa Ana Unified School District or a parent/guardian employed by the city. He said staff offered nine excursions this season and reported "total participant served is 182 teams" with an average attendance of 46 per trip. The model team program (ages 13–17) and volunteer corps contributed 38 volunteers and 257 volunteer hours to 15 supported events.
A second recreation specialist reviewed programming for younger children (ages 2–5): neighborhood‑based motor‑skills and arts activities, a Make It Build It STEAM series for older children, and a 10‑week Summer Splash day camp offered Monday–Friday (7:30 a.m.–5:30 p.m.) at Salvador Community Center, Jerome Recreation Center and Garfield Community Center. Staff reported total youth served for summer programming at 339 and an average attendance rate of approximately 95 percent; they also noted the summer program was about 65 percent enrolled before the first day.
Commissioners asked about camp costs and discounts. Staff replied that resident and nonresident rates vary and explained a sibling discount; during the discussion one speaker clarified the base weekly rate as about $115 and staff explained the fee covers roughly 55 hours of care, daily lunch provided by SUSD, swim lessons and at least one major excursion.
Staff said some programs are offered on a first‑come, first‑served basis and that volunteers in team programs receive priority registration for certain opportunities. The city said it will continue to evaluate summer programming and may retool offerings based on budget constraints and staffing changes.
The commission thanked staff for the report and recognized the recreation specialists’ contributions.
