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.
The Winter program runs from January 14-May 11
Homework Assistance
Homework assistance and tutoring; Clever Crazes computer activity (online STEM education games)
Everlasting Fitness
Exercise, nutrition and hygiene; exposure to health related businesses within the community; preparing healthy meals and snacks.Includes Parkview Healthy Seeds program.
Ms. Lovie Kids Cafe
Nutritious meal prepared and served on-site
Passage 2 Manhood / Sisterhood
Life skills program designed to give boys/girls the tools necessary to be successful in their life endeavors
Boys to Men
Rite of passage program teaches young men life skills, self-care, character building, respect for self and others, discipline, manners and etiquette.
Crafting Around
A variety of craft activities are available for children to make and take.
School Success Celebration
Youth meet with partner FWPD officer to share school accomplishments. Partner FWPD officer leads group in a vote for Student of the Week.
Recreation
Structured and unstructured free time such as board games, outdoor play, field games.
Ivy Tech Youth Skills Program
Powered twice a semester by Ivy Tech, this program encourages critical thinking skills, challenges students’ minds and fosters teamwork.
Basketball Program/Leagues
6:00-8:00 p.m. at Lakeside M.S.
Tuesdays ages 7-11, Thursdays ages 12-16
Our basketball program is designed to help children and teens develop basketball skills.
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Showtime
Visual arts and talent are presented by the youth.
Ivy Tech Career Program
Youth learn about career opportunities.
Upcoming Special Events
Community & Family Engagement Nights
Thursdays (3rd Thursday of the month) 5:30-7:30pm
March 21, 2019 (Jennings) April 18, 2019 (Faith United Methodist Church, 207 E. Dewald)
Sept. 19, 2019 (Weisser) Oct. 17, 2019 (Jennings) Nov. 21, 2019 (Faith United Methodist Church, 207 E. Dewald)
Door prizes, youth activities, light meal, and more!
Fort Wayne Derby Girls
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!!
Summer Programming at Jennings Center
2019 Will be a great summer in the park!
It’s going to be a great summer in the park and you are invited to join the fun! Kickball, t-ball, bumper pool, Mancala, basketball, arts & crafts and field trips program are just a few of the fun and exciting activities planned for our summer playground program. All seven playground sites are supervised by qualified, trained staff. Children are free to come and go as they please. The program is FREE and is open to boys and girls ages 5 and older. FREE lunches are provided daily by Fort Wayne Community Schools. Each park will host a FREE summer carnival featuring games, food and fun for kids and their families. Stop by Jennings, Cooper, or Weisser Center to complete a registration form. Parents must complete a registration form for each child at their first visit. For more information, please call Chantell at 427-5966.
The Summer Playground Program is a Walk in/Walk Out facility for children. To learn more, check out the Walk in/Walk out flier.
Playground Program Locations
Hamilton Park
Spring & Cherokee
Carnival: June 13, 5-7 pm
Lakeside Park
1401 Lake & Vermont
Carnival: June 27, 5-7 pm
Hanna Homestead
Gay & Lewis Mondays 3-5 pm
(Youth Basketball 9 & under)
Carnival: July 11, 5-7 pm
Lafayette Park
Lafayette Espl. & Sherwood Ter
Carnival: July 18, 5-7 pm
Memorial Park
2301 Maumee & Glasgow
Carnival: July 19, 5-7 pm
Packard Park
Fairfield Ave.
Kaboom Play Day: July 25, 5-7 pm
Enrichment Programs
The enrichment program is an interactive review in math, reading and language arts skills. All of the activities are designed to keep your child engaged, using and building the skills he or she has learned in school as well as learning something new. Some of the activities include sparkle spelling, bingo math, chalkboard races, free writes, storytelling, grade appropriate worksheets, crosswords and more.
Character Building/Etiquette Program
Helping children learn, develop and grow is the purpose of this program. Designed to teach life skills and build self-esteem our Character Building/Etiquette Program helps participants reach their academic potential; succeed in the workplace; live happy, worthy and fulfilling personal lives; and become engaged, responsible and productive citizens. All ages are invited to participate in the programs.
