Youth After-School and Summer Programs

One of the highest priorities for each of the 22 community recreation centers is offering quality programs for school-aged children. Each center offers after-school and summer enrichment programs for children from 6 to 14 years of age. Select centers also offer the NAZA (Nashville After-School Zone) program for middle school students.

Children can participate in a drop-in program that focuses on active recreation, while supporting healthy social and academic development. Space is limited for these free programs, so advance application is required. Summer programs have a designated registration day, and applications are not accepted prior to that date. The application dates and required forms are available at each community center.

After School programs operate Monday through Friday, from 3:00 pm until 6:00 pm. Summer enrichment programs operate from 9:00 am to 4:00 pm daily during the Metro Public Schools summer break. Most summer program locations also participate in the Metro Action Commission's summer youth lunch program. This program provides free lunches for children who qualify for free or reduced-price school lunches.

Participating children are expected to conduct themselves in a respectful manner, follow directions from staff and adhere to all park and community center rules. Unruly children can be expelled from the program and the center. Parents are expected to pick up children on time at the end of the program session. Repeated late pick-ups will result in expulsion from the program.

To ensure the safety of children and maintain the highest quality program, capacity limits are established for each center. More specific program information is available at each community center location.