By Pat McGroarty and David Benoit
Reporter Staff

The perennial call for an increase in summer jobs and programming to keep teenagers busy and learning during the short summer season has gone out during the first week of vacation for Boston Public Schools. Beginning with last week's issue and stretching through the summer, the Reporter will profile one of these camps, training programs, or worksites each issue. From tennis lessons to park maintenance, the goal will be to explore what kids are learning and how it is helping them make the most of their short break.

Many programs are slated to begin after the Fourth of July; Mayor Thomas Menino's army of summer workers will first punch the clock the morning of July 10. The city expects to employ more than the 8,700 youths that held a position last summer, said Meredith Weenick, policy advisor the mayor. Positions allotted through the Boston Youth Fund will be up significantly over last year, while jobs provided by the Boston Private Industry Council and Action for Boston Community Development (ABCD) should be available at levels comparable to last year. Weenick says that is good news after the Hopeline, the city's telephone summer job application hotline, drew an all-time high 6,880 inquiries.

"As the mayor says, it's a double-edged sword," said Weenick. "We've got so many kids who need a job, but on the other hand we feel good that we're reaching as many as we can."

By participating in some of the city-run programs, kids can increase their chances of getting one of those jobs, and have a summer filled with fun and activity as well.

This week we continue by featuring White Stadium's Sports Center program, which looks to use sports and instruction to engage many city kids during the day for the summer weeks.

Run by the Boston Centers for Youth and Family, White Stadium in Franklin Park will open its doors on Tuesday, July 11 to hundreds of kids a day for sports and recreation. The sports center is especially focused on fighting the trend of childhood obesity and inactivity, stressing athletics as their battlefront. But another important goal is getting them off the summer streets by giving them something proactive and safe to do.

"The goal is to keep them busy, and just add the physical activity," says the program manager Laurelle Bryson. "We offer wellness and life skills and we try to teach them basic social networks."

The program runs for six weeks from Tuesday to Friday, and kids ages seven to 14 can be signed up for any amount of weeks. This year the focus will be especially on boys' and girls' fitness and how to combat lackadaisical youths. Each kid gets to pick a sport or activity a week, and they will learn and play that sport for that week. This way each week they will get extensive exposure to a particular game they are interested in.

Starting at 8:30 in the morning the participants will be served a light breakfast from the Boston Public School meal program, and then will move out to their respective programs. Mornings consist of instruction and history of the games, teaching sportsmanship and the role athletics should play in the youths' lives. In the afternoon the kids will scrimmage and play their sport of choice until 3 p.m., Bryson explained.

The special fitness programs will include activities such as aerobic exercising, nature walks, dancing and other active, yet fun, endeavors. And other sports that are offered for the kids to participate in include basketball, soccer, baseball, softball, tennis, track and field, and volleyball.

Last year the program had about 600 kids every day, and Bryson expects to meet those same numbers, if not surpass them this year, it's fifteenth in operation.

"I'm very excited about the summer," she said. "I love the program and I love working with the kids."

The major funding of the program comes from the Alice P. Chase Trust administered by Mellon Charitable Giving Program of New England. The Trust provides the bulk of the expenses for the camp, which doesn't cost participants anything.

Those interested in the White Stadium Sports Center summer program can call the Boston Center for Youth and Families at 617-635-4920, extension 2218. Registration is required and spots may be limited for the program.