It started last summer as a pilot project with 7,000 12- to 24-year-olds in Prince George’s County Councilman Tony Knotts’ District 8 spending their free time off the streets in safe havens.
Knotts’ project, Safe Summer, went countywide this summer, and as of the end of last month, more than 13,000 residents had joined the after-hours get-togethers, said a Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission spokesman.
The programs run from 10 p.m. to midnight Monday through Saturday and provide safe places for the county’s youth to hang out with friends, explore new recreational activities and learn about making their communities safer. There are steel drum workshops, movies, sports table games and Wii video games.
Safe Summers held a “Keep It Clean Night” on Saturday, which brought teens and their parents together for a nutrition seminar, dance lessons and tennis at the Fairland Sports and Aquatics Complex. There was laser tag Monday night at the Temple Hills Community Center.
But the summer isn’t over, and events will run through Aug. 22. They include a basketball game at the Suitland Community Center tonight, a fashion show at the Glassmanor Community Center on Saturday, and pool parties at Rollingcrest-Chillum Splash Park, Prince George’s Sports and Learning Complex, and Allentown Fitness and Splash Park on Aug. 15.
Nightly events are held at community centers, aquatic facilities and schools across the county. Each night, about 600 youth participate across the county.
The Safe Summer program is open only to Prince George’s County residents who are between 12 and 24 years old. For more information, visit pgsafesummer.com or call 301-699-2255.
