S.L. kicks off summer youth programs

Liberty Park is buzzing with activities this summer, and one in particular involves central-city youths. Children and city officials met this past week to officially open the newly renovated North Shelter and kick off the new YouthCity Web site.

The "flagship park" of Salt Lake City and Salt Lake County, as it was called by Rick Graham, director of Salt Lake City's Public Services Department, has been a "wonderful place for families to come and enjoy themselves and to recreate and to find a variety of activities that can strengthen them as individuals and also as families."

Liberty Park has been the anchor for Salt Lake City's YouthCity youth program for several years. Four other locations throughout the city also host after-school and summer programs for youths ages 9 to 14. The program is open to children of all economic backgrounds, but registration is limited.

"There are 87,000 kids between the ages of 7 and 12 in Salt Lake City. There are only six slots per 100 of these children — we have a long ways to go in our city, in our county and throughout this state," said Salt Lake City Mayor Rocky Anderson. "We like to say that we stand for our children, that we're a family state, but we haven't been paying due attention to the needs of children for good, productive, nurturing, interesting places to go and things to do when our children are out of school."

Anderson is a longtime advocate of sponsoring social and educational experiences for youths. He works with various federal and community resources to fund such programs and to promote youth involvement in the community.

One such resource is Jerry Pruyne, a philanthropist who lives in Salt Lake City. Pruyne said he was also a victim of society at a young age, having 32 sets of parents by the time he was 7 years old.

YouthCity programs offer unique opportunities to children who are often labelled "at-risk." Pruyne said programs such as YouthCity changed his life.

"These are opportunities that are broad enough," he said, "It's not just a swimming lesson, or a horseback-riding trip or a tennis lesson — these programs have the ability to catch the uniqueness of a child."

Pruyne, who works in dentistry, has agreed to provide the children involved in the program with a new smile, or at least the dental care to get there.

"I've written several books, but I've never changed anybody's life like I have with a whiter, prettier smile," and resulting boost in self-esteem, Pruyne said.

The new Web site, www.YouthCity.com, provides easy access to information and registration systems, schedules and a chat area and links to YouthCity partner Web sites.