Friends,

The African proverb "It takes a village to raise a child," has remained true over the course of history. Our youth will undeniably be impacted and influenced by the community around them. Therefore, it's my administration's objective to support and empower Little Rock's youth. We do that through a wide range of programs that help children from cradle to career..

In addition to the City of Little Rock's successful Summer Youth Employment opportunity which employs more than 600 high school and college-aged residents during the summer, the Department of Community Programs leads the way in supporting our children and youth through innovative outreach and programming.

This week, DCP and the Little Rock Police Department will join with the nonprofit Carter's Crew to present the 2023 Empowering Youth Voices Teen Summit.

This years summit is intended to facilitate engagement among teenagers on topics that are important to them. They'll hear from subject matter experts and discuss issues like personal development, mental health, leadership skills and community engagement. 

Scheduled speakers include Catherine Pierce, senior advisor to the administrator at the U.S. Department of Justice Office of Juvenile Justice, Sixth Judicial District Prosecuting Attorney Will Jones, representatives from the City of Little Rock and the Little Rock Police Department, nonprofit and community organization leaders, and many others..

The two-day summit kicks off this Thursday (July 27) for ages 12-14. Friday's program is for ages 15-18.

The Teen Summit will be held at Southwest High School, 9715 Mabelvale Pike. Breakfast and lunch are provided each day, with breakfast and registration beginning at 8 a.m. 

The event is free, but registration is required. Click here to register.today!

I'm grateful for DCP. the LRPD, Carter's Crew, and sponsors Forge and Axon for their support of this beneficial programming for our youth.

• The Little Rock Board of Directors will meet Tuesday, July 25, at 4 p.m. at The Centre at University Park, 6401 W. 12th St. At that time, the Board will set the agenda for its next regular meeting. All board meetings are livestreamed on the City of Little Rock Facebook and YouTube pages. To view the agenda, click here.
• On Thursday, July 27, starting at 8 a.m., the Board will have a working session to discuss a future sales tax proposal. The working session will be at The Centre at University Park.
• The City Beautiful Commission will hold a public hearing on Thursday, July 27, at 4 p.m. at the Willie L. Hinton Neighborhood Resource Center, 3805 W. 12th St. The Commission considers requests for variances from the City of Little Rock's landscape ordinance.
• The Little Rock Police Department hosts a quarterly meeting for its Southwest Division at 6 p.m. Thursday, July 27, at the Southwest substation at 6401 Baseline Road. This is last of three quarterly meetings this month. It begins at 6 p.m. 
• Midnight Basketball tipped off last week at three community centers: the Jim Dailey Fitness & Aquatic Center, the West Central Community Center and the Southwest Community Center. This free program is open Thursdays and Fridays from 9 p.m. to midnight. It's free for anyone ages 16 and up.