DENVER (KDVR) — Denver Mayor Mike Johnston on Monday announced new funding for initiatives to keep young people busy during the summer months as he continues to work on increasing public safety.
Community leaders said they want to ensure the right people get wind of these opportunities. The mayor said the funds will be available to help keep young people out of trouble.
“Summer is a great opportunity to get young people engaged in positive activities. It can also be an at-risk time for young people who are not engaged in positive activities to be exposed to violence,” Johnston said at a news conference on Monday. “So we are thinking about this as a multi-pronged approach to how we can engage young people into positive summer activities.”
Johnston announced three new opportunities this summer that aim to reduce youth violence when school is out.
The first aspect of the plan is the Youthworks Initiative. Young people ages 14-21 can apply for this initiative, and those who work more than 100 hours between May 20 and Aug. 16 will be paid a $1,000 stipend.
Alvertis Simmons, longtime activist and president of the Simmons Foundation, said the initiative could yield positive results.
“You’ve got the right leadership in place. I think the kids will listen,and yeah, they will get their jobs and that’s good that they are going to have a job for the summer, keep them out of trouble. We want our kids to be alive, not dead. Not shot up, not being scared about gangs, not being bullied,” Simmons said about the program.
$500K in grants for Denver youth programs
There is also a new grant program, which will offer $500,000 in funding to community groups dedicated to hosting programs that keep young people engaged in positive activities.
Simmons and his foundation have hosted a life skills basketball camp for 18 years. It is set to take place at Manual High School this year. He said the key to the Johnston administration making these initiatives work is better communication about these proposals.
“Why am I hearing about it from news media?” Simmons said about the new grant money. “I don’t know, but I think Mike Johnston has his heart in the right place. I hope he comes out and speaks to my kids during the camp like the previous mayors did: Mayor Webb, Mayor Hancock and now we are asking Mike Johnston,” Simmons said, speaking of former Mayors Wellington Webb and Michael Hancock.
Simmons worries that organizations like his could miss out on helping more young people if the new effort is structured like similar initiatives, like My Spark Denver, which offers $1,000 for afterschool programs.
“I like the idea, I like the concept. I think I told Mayor Johnston that two years ago when he first started talking about My Spark. I think it’s a great idea, but it’s leaving out some people. It’s leaving out some people like the Simmons Foundation, my foundation,” Simmons said. “You know why it’s leaving us out? Because we don’t charge the kids any money for the activities we do. So I can’t get the My Spark money or the My Spark kids to come over and support my foundation because we don’t charge. I think they’re going to have to figure that out.”
Johnston said he and Denver Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Alex Marrero will be touring high schools to get the word out about the new opportunities. The city will also house a list of resources that students and families may need over the summer.
