Summer Fun returning to full capacity in 2022

By Staff Reports

(O‘AHU) – Mayor Rick Blangiardi and the Honolulu Department of Parks and Recreation (DPR) are pleased to announce the return of a full-capacity Summer Fun Program for 2022!

With this complete return of DPR’s most popular program comes an added need for seasonal staffing to help develop the program, supervise keiki, and help to put the “fun” into Summer Fun! These jobs are an excellent way to gain experience in the childcare field, while earning a minimum $15/hour in a dynamic work environment with dozens of program sites around O‘ahu.

Adults interested in these positions should visit bit.ly/dprsummerhire for more information, including how to apply. For more specific information, please contact the program location where you are interested in working. A list of the 58 Summer Fun Sites for 2022 is included below, along with the contact phone numbers.

“I am so thrilled we are bringing Summer Fun back to its maximum capacity this year,” said Mayor Rick Blangiardi. “I experienced this amazing program first-hand last year, including all of the fantastic opportunities the staff provide to our keiki through this remarkably crafted and affordable program. I hope anyone interested in helping to be part of the Summer Fun team gets the chance to enjoy the program. The bottom line is the more staff we get the more keiki we can accommodate. Let’s do our part to accommodate as many keiki as possible.”

The Summer Fun Program on Oʻahu began in 1944 with 26 sites in response to a community need for positive keiki engagement during World War II.

Summer Fun is a city-operated, seasonal day camp where children are engaged in learning experiences that help build on soft skills and areas of the whole child that promote leadership and success in education and life. Summer Fun is the largest program of its kind in the State. During the pandemic, when capacity restrictions were instituted, the program was completely free for keiki with nearly 3,700 keiki attending in summer 2020, and over 5,400 keiki in 2021. For a full-capacity program, we are expecting attendance to return to pre-pandemic levels of approximately 9,000 keiki.

Summer Fun 2022 will be held on weekdays from 8:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. beginning Monday, June 6 through Friday, July 22 (excluding holidays: June 10 & July 4). It is open keiki six years old before August 1, 2022 and not older than 13 years old by July 22, 2022. Summer Fun also welcomes volunteer Junior Leaders, who must be 13 years old before August 1, 2022 and no older than 17 years old by July 22, 2022.

Registration

For keiki, registration will be conducted in-person at your specific Summer Fun site on Saturday, May 14, 2022 from 9 a.m. to 12-noon. For Junior Leaders, please contact the specific site for registration information. DPR appreciates the understanding and patience of parents registering their keiki in-person, as we aim to further develop our online registration abilities in hopes of offering this more convenient option for future seasonal programs. Please be aware Summer Fun is a very popular program, and registration can fill up quickly. We ask those waiting for registration at the Summer Fun locations to please be prepared as the lines for registration can be lengthy.

This year’s Summer Fun registration fee is $25.00 per keiki, with an additional activity fee of no more than $100 for participating sites that offer extra-curricular activities such as an excursion to Kualoa Regional Park. Eligible families may qualify for waivers of the registration fee thanks to assistance from the Department of Human Services. Activity and registration fees, or proof of waiver with corresponding identification, must be provided at the time of registration in order for your child to be enrolled into the program. All combined fees will not exceed $125 per keiki. Accepted forms of payment are cash and checks made payable to the “City and County of Honolulu.” What a deal!

The Blangiardi Administration dedicated nearly $1.6 million in American Rescue Plan Act – State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds (FRF) to provide supplies for keiki program-wide, and to supplement the U.S. Dept. of Agriculture-sponsored Summer Food Service Program. This includes an additional snack to complement the meal provided and a waiver of activity fees for these qualifying food service sites.  

 “Weʻre excited to bring Summer Fun back to its full potential this year,” said DPR Deputy Director Kēhaulani Pu‘u. “Summer Fun has been a core service of the City serving ʻohana for over 70 years. Weʻre especially grateful to have assistance for these food and waiver programs benefitting families who are experiencing additional hardships or have been hard hit by COVID. Through our Summer Fun program activities, we are teaching keiki about health and wellness while helping them build and make connections to each other and to their communities in a fun and safe environment. We are always proud to hear about the fond memories and impactful experiences created by Summer Fun. Especially hearing stories of those who grew through the program, and how it instilled in them life lessons that stay with them to this day and into adulthood.”

Additionally, select Summer Fun locations will offer Summer Plus, which provides activities for enrolled keiki before and/or after the regular program hours. This extracurricular program is offered at an additional cost. The exact sites offering Summer Plus are being determined, and will be posted on the Summer Fun website ( bit.ly/summerfunoahu ) when they are confirmed.

Under current regulations, use of face masks by staff and keiki participants is voluntary. DPR respects the individual choice whether to wear or not wear a facial covering in any public setting.

2022 Program Sites

Summer Enrichment Programs

Separate seasonal classes and activities, commonly referred to as enrichment classes, will also be offered at parks around O‘ahu this summer! This includes popular classes like learn to swim, basketball, and dancing.

Registration for classes requiring payment will be conducted in-person at the location of the park activity on Monday, May 16 from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. Registration for free classes will be conducted online at pros.hnl.info beginning at that same time (May 16 at 4 p.m.) All of the classes, regardless of their fees, will be listed on the above mentioned PROS website by the end of April.