School Year Youth Programs
Parents must complete a registration form for each youth program participant. Registration forms may be picked up at Jennings Recreation Center.
Parkview Healthy Seeds
Parkview representatives are sewing the seeds of healthy nutrition in our youth.
Ivy Tech Career Program
Youth learn about career opportunities.
Ms. Lovie’s Kids’ Café
Children age 5-18, are served a healthy, nutritious meal each weekday. Served 2:00-3:00 when FWCS is closed.
Study Club
Staff provides homework guidance and assistance.
Crafting Around
Youth will create fun crafts for gifts and display.
Boys to Men/ Sisterhood
These life skills programs are designed to teach elementary through high school youth etiquette, mannerisms, respect for self and others, social skills, positive behavior and decision making. They will work together on community service projects and more to help them become successful and productive young adults.
Show Time
Opportunity for youth to showcase their talents!
Etiquette
Youth learn acceptable social behavior.
Everlasting Fitness
Everlasting Fitness is an exercise and nutrition program for children of all ages. Youth enjoy a variety of health and nutrition related field trips within the community and learn how to prepare simple, healthy meals and snacks.
Summer Programming at Jennings Center
The Neighborhood Recreation Center summer program will run June 4-July 27, 9:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m. at Weisser, Jennings and Cooper Centers. Field trips are scheduled throughout the summer for children who participate in the enrichment programs. Open swims will also be scheduled for each of the three centers. The Fort Wayne Community Schools Summer Lunch Program will provide free lunches each weekday between 11:15 a.m.-12:45 p.m. at all three sites. Stop by Jennings, Cooper or Weisser Center to complete a registration form. The activities at our Neighborhood Recreation Centers are FREE! For more information, please contact Michael Ayers (260.427.6700).
For additional information about the Jennings Center Summer Schedule check out the link or the above flyer.
Upcoming Special Events
Teenage Sunday
June 3, 3-6 pm
Jennings Recreation Center
Wassail Celebration
December 2, 4-6 pm
Jennings Recreation Center
Fort Wayne Derby Girls
The Fort Wayne Derby Girls chose the Fort Wayne Parks & Recreation Department Youth Centers as their charity recently and presented us with a check for $500! Thanks to Kellie Adkins, Outdoor Education Supervisor for the Fort Wayne Parks & Recreation Department AND member of the Derby Girls (pictured above with our kids and staff) for assisting with this effort!
At Jennings Recreation Center we offer plenty of opportunities for activities of all sorts!
Enjoy our newly remodeled Fitness Studio. We have added fresh paint and duraflex flooring that is resilient and provides a safe environment for multi-functional, plyometric and group exercise activities.
Youth & Adult Fitness Classes
Kids 5 and up are able to be registered for the after school program and participate in programming while adults are in the fitness studio. Kids fitness is available during after school programming for registered students.
Jennings Creative Dance
Student learns a variety of dance style, including hip hop breakdance in this fun, interactive program. The dedication and commitment required of students and parents is evident in the performance showcase.
Basketball Program/Leagues
Our basketball program is designed to help youth (8-16) develop basketball skills. This program also helps build self-confidence, develop leadership ability and promote sportsmanship.
A big congratulations to the Jennings Center Fitness & Wellness crew! The ladies participated in the 9th annual Saint Francis Formula for Life Walk/Run. It was the first time many of the ladies participated in a run/walk and they all finished! If you'd like to learn how to get involved with JC Fitness and Wellness, contact Chantell Davis at 427-5966.
JC Fitness Studio - Fitness Class
Tuesdays & Thursdays, 6:00-7:00 p.m.
JC Fitness Studio is located inside the Jennings Recreation Center at 1330 McCulloch St. and offers a FREE quality fitness. Join us on Tuesdays and Thursdays at 6:00 p.m. for Total Body Fusion. Special classes such as Cardio Kickboxing and Cardio Rhythms are occasionally held at Weisser Park Youth Center (802 Eckart St.) and are led by various instructors from Strength Factory in Indianapolis. These special classes require a $5 drop-in fee. Join us on Saturday, May 19 at 2:30 p.m. for Cardio Rhythms. Call 427-5966 for more information.
UBUNTU
A Celebration of Community featuring:
Sonny Charles of the Checkmates 
Jennings Center & Weisser Center staff & youth assisted with serving the food.
Staff & youth also assisted with hosting & helping where needed.
Condra Ridley couldn't resist taking a photo of Sonny Charles!
Thanks to members of the Jennings Center Advisory Committee and other caring adults we were able to enjoy a very successful evening celebrating our Youth Scholarship program! If you would like to learn more about the Youth Scholarship program check out the Jennings Center link.
Hope Books
Katie Dorsey has a passion for reading and giving back to the community. Katie will be at select special events throughout the year at Jennings, Cooper, and Weisser Youth Centers distributing FREE books. Thank you Katie for sharing your love of reading to others. To find out more about Katie and her organization Hope Books read below.
Katie Dorsey started Hope Books in March 2015. It started as a challenge to create a take a book, leave a book box. After seeing how many children came into Community Harvest Food Bank she decided that was where she wanted to place her box. The program evolved from there to include Boys and Girls Club, The Urban League and several Community Centers in downtown Fort Wayne, along with various other locations. Nearly all of the new and gently used books are donated. Since March 2015 she has given away over 7000 books to kids in our community who may not have the opportunity to own a book otherwise. Katie says, "My favorite part of this program is seeing the children's face light up when I hand them a book and tell them it is theirs to keep. It reminds me why I do this. Through Hope Books kids will grow a passion for books and learning that will help them succeed in the future. " You can find out more about what Katie is doing through Hope Books by visiting HopeBooksFW.blogspot.com or find her on Facebook at HopeBooksFW.
Team Read
Team Read is a group from ACPL that comes to Jennings one time a week for an hour (as well as visits other centers and some playgrounds). Team Read employees read to and with the children as well as listen to them read and play games with them.
Gardening
Basic gardening skills are being taught to the youth by Lynda Heavrin, Manager of Landscape & Horticulture. The students have an outside area where they have planted various plants to take care of and watch grow. The students will be able to harvest these herbs, fruit and vegetables and make dishes at the center as well as possibly take them home and use them for their own families. If you would like to see a list of the plants the youth are growing, check out the following: Jennings Center Plants
WBNA Game
Thank you to the Indiana Fever, Jr. NBA and NRPA for making a trip possible for 47 youth to attend a recent WBNA game (Indianapolis Fever vs. LA Sparks). The youth and adult chaperones had a wonderful time-even though it was a very late night!!
