Kid City Hope Place's tenth summer was an explosion of new and old friends taking big leaps towards a new leadership horizon. Many college students and graduates returned to participate as interns, mentors, tutors, and volunteers. They, along with High School students, were part of 14 classes and 12 events during June and July including Splash of LA and the Summer Showcase.

This summer, Kid City offered yoga, cooking, personal statement workshops, financial literacy, music lessons and band practice. Participants also improved their academic skills through SAT prep and math tutoring. Staff member Pedro Larios, and intern David Alonso (UCR), hosted a workshop in Hip Hop and Social Justice. Students learned about music as a form of self-expression and justice, and about social movements in Latin America. Kid City also hosted a job skills workshop in partnership with LA Youth at Work. And for a solid six weeks, college and high school students worked side by side in Splash of LA committees, which culminated in the annual summer festival.

Special events included a pizza-making day at  Urban Oven, a dinner for Kid City college alumni,  and college and high school graduation parties. In addition, we had some music and arts field trips to the Getty Museum and the Broad Museum, as well attending the Jazz Festival in South Central. One of our most successful events was the Summer Showcase, put together by Maria Alonso (UCSD 2018), alumni engagement intern. The showcase highlighted Kid City staff member Alma Catalan's thesis, which looked at the way Splash of LA prepares young people for careers in the entertainment industry and leadership positions throughout life.  Dr. Amber Bradley's presented the findings from her doctoral dissertation, which found that Kid City is distinguished from other similar programs by its deep relationships between staff, volunteers, and students, and a strong sense of belonging.