Summer Nights Keeps Kids Safe and Schooled

Each summer for eight years, Easton's Centennial Park has transformed into a makeshift summer camp.

That's important for people like West Ward resident Toni Holmes, who has been bringing her kids to the park's Summer Nights program since the beginning.

"Right now, I know my son is here," she said, gesturing to a group of boys playing basketball at the park's court. "And I know he's safe here."
That's a strong selling point for a section of the city where residents are troubled by crime. 

For a few hours each weeknight, the city's Weed & Seed program gives neighborhood kids—and sometimes their parents—something to eat and something to do, all in a safe environment.

About 100 to 125 people are expected to show up for the Summer Nights program, said Weed & Seed director Laura Acetta.

But this year, there's a new component. The program will provide curriculum for kids while school is on summer break, and a Lafayette College economics student will study how the children do with retaining knowledge between school years.

It costs $30,000 a year to run Summer Nights, Acetta said. Getting that kind of funding is easier, she argued, if things like the Lafayette study are there for her to point to.

"They need to see that they money is having some outcome," she said. "I can't just say 'We're going to go out and play with balloons.'"

The program will include other educational aspects this summer, Acetta said.

The Cops 'n' Kids Reading Room will offer kids free books every Monday. And the non-profit, health-oriented Kellen Foundation will be there Thursday nights, promoting healthy eating. 

Summer Nights runs until August 22 from 4 to 7 p.m.