July is Park and Recreation Month. It's a time to recognize and support the dedication of parks and recreation programs to the health and well-being of their communities.

For AWC, during Park and Recreation Month, we want to recognize the great work our public parks and recreation agencies are doing to support the Summer Experiences & Enrichment for Kids (SEEK) Fund – a funding program dedicated to increasing access to quality, outdoor summer programming for youth and communities who have historically been underserved and who have been most impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.

In 2021, AWC contracted with the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) to distribute federal funds to public parks and recreation programs around the state. AWC partnered with the Washington Recreation and Park Association (WRPA) to increase the reach of the funds and ensure that all public agencies (cities, counties, and park districts) were aware of the available funding.

In 2021, 32 agencies received $1.6 million in SEEK funding. In 2022, 75 agencies were approved to receive up to $10.1 million in SEEK funding.

Over the past two summers, we have seen huge successes from the SEEK program. Below are just a few examples of how parks and recreation agencies are using SEEK funds to benefit their communities.

Point Roberts

Point Roberts is a uniquely situated community of 1,100 residents. Located just south of the 49^th parallel border between the United States and Canada, it is only accessible by ferry or by driving 25 miles through Canada. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the community was essentially cut off from the rest of the country.

In 2021, Point Roberts Park and Recreation District received $13,486 to provide outdoor summer programming. Due to travel restrictions, the camp saw almost 50% more participants than expected (43 campers vs. an expected 30). Activities included sporting events, arts and crafts, general recreation, and a service project to give back to the local community. In 2021, camp participants washed 40 cars of local residents, as Point Roberts does not have a local car wash.

In 2022, Point Roberts will receive $31,100 to expand their camp as well as provide field trips to the surrounding areas.

Olympia

The City of Olympia Parks, Arts, and Recreation Department partnered with the Bridge Music Project to provide creative and accessible programming to at-risk youth. This year, the program provided songwriting and music production courses to youth living in halfway homes. The seven youth participants worked in teams to write and record original music as well as share their stories with experienced musical mentors. The youth also participated in team-building exercises to help promote unity and build confidence. A highlight of the program was a visit from the Grammy award-winning artist, Wanz. Wanz is best known for his work on the song “Thrift Shop” by Seattle artist Macklemore. By the end of the program, the group recorded two songs exploring heartbreak, abandonment, and anger.

Asotin County

Asotin County is located in the southeastern corner of the state. It is home to just over 20,000 people. The county does not have a dedicated parks and recreation department, so county staff stepped up to provide recreational activities for area youth.

In 2021, the county received $10,280 to carry out a mobile parks and recreation program, provide sporting equipment to youth, and offer field trips. The program served 119 youth between the ages of 4 and 17, with over half of participants qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch. The mobile parks and recreation program traveled around the county providing supervised sporting activities at local parks and open spaces. The county also created a sport equipment “library” that allowed youth and families to check out equipment to use during the summer. Finally, their field trip program allowed for older youth to explore historical sites, connect with peers, and experience new activities.

In 2022, Asotin County will receive $62,768 to expand their mobile recreation program from two days a week to five days a week. The program will provide at least four hours of daily activities for local children and youth. This year, the program will be able to hire dedicated staff to run the program.

Tacoma Metro Parks

Families of children with disabilities can already struggle to find suitable childcare and activities for their children. Metro Parks Tacoma was able to provide several weeks of high-quality programming specifically for children with disabilities during the summer of 2021. In total, 57 children with disabilities participated in full-day programming that included traditional summer school programming, lunch, outdoor enrichment and recreation activities, and field trips. Staff provided full support to campers including personal care support and support for physical limitations. The program, including transportation, was provided at no cost to all campers.

The SEEK program has demonstrated that even small amounts of funding can have a significant impact on local children and youth. With an investment of just $1.6 million last year, the 32 SEEK-funded programs served thousands of youths across our state, providing them with targeted and high-quality summer activities. We heard repeatedly from our parks and recreation agencies that SEEK funds made it possible to connect with communities that normally don’t take part in parks and recreation programming.

This year, we are thrilled to provide more funding to more agencies. With more time to develop and market programs, we expect to see record numbers of youth taking part in summer programming. We have heard from several organizations that they have already maxed out their scholarship funds and filled their SEEK-funded programs.