DALLAS (1080 KRLD)- Dallas Parks and Recreation has announced a program that will make free passes to nine locations available to teenagers this summer. "Youth All-Access Passes" are available at any of the department's 43 rec centers.
"Hopefully, this generates ideas for what they could do after school, whether that's a career, vocation or something that just gets them excited," says Calvert Collins-Bratton, president Dallas Parks and Recreation board.
Youth All-Access Passes can be used in July at:
- Dallas Arboretum
- Dallas Holocaust and Human Rights Museum
- Dallas Museum of Art
- Dallas Public Library
- Dallas Zoo
- Shakespeare Dallas
- Trinity River Audubon Center
- Bahama Beach Waterpark
- Southern Skates Roller Rink
The passes are available to kids ages 12 to 17. The Dallas City Council approved $500,000 for the parks department to expand programs and services for teenagers in 2019.
"Kids in the 12 to 17 age group often have either aged out of camp or just aren't interested in some of the day camps and adventure camps some of the younger kids are," Collins-Bratton says. "These kids are going to get see recreational, outdoor, a variety of educational opportunities. Hopefully, this will bring them back in throughout the year."
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While Dallas Parks and Recreation started working on the plan before the pandemic, Collins-Bratton says Youth All Access passes can help teenagers reconnect with their education after many have spent a year logging into classes from home.
"The pandemic kept so many of us at home, there haven't been field trips over the past year," she says. "This is a great opportunity for students and teenagers to get back to seeing wildlife up close, art and cultural exhibits up close."
Many of the attractions will give up to four tickets.
"This will allow kids to try out different things, see different parts of the city and then, perhaps, when they get back to school in August, they can follow up on some of the things they learned throughout the summer," Collins-Bratton says. "They're welcome to take younger siblings as well and maybe generate ideas for them while they're on these family field trips."
Children must live in the City of Dallas to be eligible. Details are available HERE.
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