MILWAUKEE — This is another one of those hidden gems hiding in plain sight. We’ve all seen those MKE REC booklets around town, but when was the last time you really took a look inside?
If you do, you’ll find enrichment programs, activities, and classes for all ages. I recently spent some time with the book and met some of the people who work to bring these gems to our city.
Lynn Greb, Director of Milwaukee Recreation, says “Milwaukee is unique in that the recreation department is a part of the public school system. It started in the early 1900s when people were asking, what are individuals doing in their free time?” Apparently, Milwaukee had plenty of bowling alleys and pool halls, but not many activities for the kids. Lynn says the founders said, “We’ve got these schools that are dark at night, why don't we turn the lights on, invite people in, offer some classes, and really the rest is history.” A great idea that led to Milwaukee being recognized nationally as the "City of the Lighted Schoolhouse."
Derek Donlevy, Manager for MKE REC Playgrounds and Community Centers says, “We have community centers operating this summer at 6 different locations. We've got programs going on for youth and adults. That means arts, music, fitness, and sports. We've got a little something for everybody ages zero to 100. In addition to our community centers, we also have 16 summer playground sites on both the North and South side of the city, these sites offer a safe place for kids.” The sites are staffed from 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM, Monday through Friday, and some of the locations offer summer meals.
I spoke with Lauren Lopez, Manager of the Twilight Centers and Playgrounds. These programs generally run between 6 and 9:00 PM and are for children ages 10 to 18. Lauren says, “It's a free drop-in program for them to come in and enjoy their time in the evening.” Basketball is a favorite, but Lauren said “We ask them directly, is there something that you'd like to see? And then we try to bring that programming in. Sometimes, kids just don't know what they don't know yet. And so, we try to bring different offerings that introduce them to new things.”
Leighton Cooper is the Recreation Coordinator for Before- & After-School Programs. His team oversees 100 plus before and after-school programs across the city that serve thousands of youth day in, and day out and provide memorable academic and recreation experiences. Leighton says, “We can't do it alone. We partner with local community-based partners to provide academic and recreational enrichment activities such as tutoring, exposure to the arts, sports and fitness, and social-emotional learning.”
Bobbie Kelsey, Commissioner of Athletics and Academics for Youth Sports and High School sports said “We provide a variety of diverse programming to not only children starting from first grade all the way up to adults, but for older seniors as well. They have an opportunity to be engaged in the athletic space, also in our enrichment programs, anywhere from cooking to musical instruments all the way across the board. We're very proud of the diversity of the programs. Bobbie recounted her exposure to the magazine as a child, saying, “When I was a kid and I saw the recreation guide in the mailbox, the first thing I wanted to do was flip through it and see what all the offerings were. Not just sports, because I played musical instruments, I tried to do some of the ballet, tap, and jazz kinds of things, and it was just exciting. It's almost like Christmas in the magazine.”
I agree with Bobbie, it could be like Christmas, but like a present, you’ve got to unwrap it...or open the book and check it out.
For more information on what Milwaukee Recreation has to offer you, clickhere.
It’s about time to watch on your time. Stream local news and weather 24/7 by searching for “TMJ4” on your device.
Available for download on Roku, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, and more.
