By Tashi McQueen
AFRO Staff Writer
tmcqueen@afro.com
Mayor Brandon M. Scott’s (D) administration unveiled its summer youth engagement strategy during a May 13 press conference at the newly renovated Chick Webb Memorial Recreation Center in East Baltimore.
The Mayor’s Office, Downtown Locker Room (DTLR) and the Baltimore City Department of Recreation and Parks (Rec and Parks) are partnering on this summer’s programming. Activities include teen concerts, pool parties and community block parties.
The initiative comes as cities nationwide face concerns surrounding viral “teen takeovers,” large youth gatherings often organized through social media. Baltimore leaders said the strategy aims to keep youth safe and engaged.
Scott was not in attendance, but released a statement later that day.
“As always, our goal this summer is to keep our young people safe, connected and engaged by combining non-traditional curfew engagement with programming directly tailored to their interests,” said Scott. “This summer, we’ll be ‘In the Mix in ’26’ with even more opportunities for our young people to make the most out of their summer break and stay safe.”
The initiative aims to provide safe spaces and activities for youth during the summer months. Baltimore generally prohibits youth aged 14 to 16 from being in public spaces between 11 p.m. and 6 a.m. daily.
According to Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, 13 percent of Baltimore youth aged 16 to 24 are disconnected from school and work, with major racial disparities across Black and White youth populations. Around 21 percent of Black females and 24 percent of Black males are disconnected, compared to 4 percent of White females and 6 percent of White males.
Researchers say these young people need stronger connections to education, jobs, supportive adults, transportation and community resources in order to thrive, highlighting broader challenges the city is working to address through summer programming.
According to the mayor’s office, 3,204 young people attended Rec and Parks summer camps in 2025. About 1,800 residents also attended “Rock the Block” community block parties. The city also reported 1,313 attendees at Splash Fest teen pool parties and 8,604 YouthWorks job placements across nearly 700 employers.
“What we’re doing to meet their needs is we’re meeting them where they are by offering assets throughout this city that interest them,” Rec and Parks Director Dr. Reginald Moore told the AFRO. “Some kids are not interested in rec centers, but even in this facility that we’re in now, it has a recording studio. That’s going to bring young people out. If you go to our Medfield Recreation Center, almost a year and a half ago we opened up our first e-sports lab, because they love gaming.”
The city will also provide teen and young adult spaces focused on TikTok content creation, STEM activities and robotics. Some locations will also offer areas where teens can charge their phones and relax.
This year’s programming will continue many offerings from the past three summers. New additions include more recreation centers remaining open until 11 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays from June 26 to Aug. 15 with programming customized for youth aged 13-20.
Partners in the effort include the Mayor’s Office of African American Male Engagement, Redesigning Minds, The P.E.A.C.E. Team, Baltimore City Schools Police and B-360’s Youth Connection Center at the Inner Harbor.
“One thing that I know really draws teens is Baltimore YouthWorks,” said Taylor Fraling-Taylor, a 17-year-old junior at Western High School. “I’m also a product of YouthWorks.”
Photo Credit: AFRO Photo/Tashi McQueen
Taylor said she has participated in YouthWorks every year since starting high school. She has also interned with the Mayor’s Office and its agencies.
Taylor also addressed why some youth participate in viral “teen takeovers.”
“When you think of adolescence, you don’t think of power,” she said. “I think that giving adolescents and teens that kind of power and that opportunity to come together is really big .”
Youth ambassadors told youth at the event that if they want to organize gatherings, they can reach out for help to do so safely with supervision.
Taylor said having more student ambassadors could help reduce issues while still creating fun spaces for youth.
“If we were able to get student ambassadors who are actually in the schools with these students every day and involve them with youth outside of school—bringing the community together through education and safe fun—then we’ll be able to influence that and build a stronger community,” she said.For those interested in learning more about the city’s summer programming, go to bmorethissummer.wpcomstaging.com.