Garden City parks staff awarded $40,000 youth OST grant to expand programs and form youth council

Zach reported that Garden City parks staff were awarded a $40,000 Southeast Michigan reimagined Out-Of-School-Time (SEMIWYFY) grant to expand youth programming and create a youth advisory body. He said the grant will support a part-time youth coordinator, program expansion (regular dodgeball, Nerf and other weekend events) and establishment of a youth council or junior volunteer club that will have authority to recommend and spend several thousand dollars on Parks & Rec activities.

Zach said the funding period begins July 1 but programming does not have to start on that date; the grant includes a midpoint check-in and additional reporting requirements to be specified by the funder. He described the grant as similar to a previous OST award that funded tutoring and camp programs and noted that the increase in OST funding statewide has created more free summer options for families.

Commissioners asked whether the grant requires specific reporting and how the council will oversee youth spending. Zach said staff will return with more information and a working structure, and that the parks administration aims to have flyers, a job description for a part-time coordinator and a program schedule within about a month. He said the grant-funded activities are expected to run on a predictable schedule (roughly monthly events) and will be covered by the grant whether turnout is five people or 100.

On related programming, Zach also reviewed the status of an earlier tutoring OST grant that runs through Sept. 30; he said staff met roughly 90 of the grant's target days so far and has hired nine seasonal staff to support operations.