Your Summer Starts Here: Mayor’s Summer of Safety 2025
As the school year winds down, the City of Dallas is gearing up for another exciting Summer of Safety — a citywide initiative that keeps youth engaged, active, and safe while school is out. Now in its fourth year, the 2025 campaign builds on past success with even more free and low-cost programs designed to inspire learning, promote creativity, and encourage healthy activity for kids and teens across our city.
From free museum passes and teen tech workshops to summer camps, sports leagues, library programs, and aquatic adventures, Dallas is once again putting youth first — thanks to coordinated efforts across city departments, including the Dallas Public Library, Office of Arts and Culture, Dallas Park and Recreation, and Dallas Police Department.
Kicking off in late May and running through early August, the Summer of Safety includes signature programs like the SMART Summer reading challenge, the Teen All Access Pass, and the Mayor’s Youth Sports Ticket Program, all aimed at giving young residents meaningful opportunities to discover, grow, and have fun — without financial barriers.
So whether your child is diving into a good book, learning to swim, building a robot, or cheering on their favorite team, there’s something for every young Dallasite this summer. Let’s make Summer 2025 our safest, most engaging season yet!
Arts and Culture
Culture Pass Dallas
A collaboration between the Office of Arts and Culture and the Dallas Public Library, Culture Pass Dallas is designed to provide Dallas residents access to arts and culture programming free of cost, ensuring all residents have opportunities to experience arts and culture throughout the city. The pass is available to all Dallas Public Library Card Holders For more information visit culturepassdallas.com.
Dallas Public Library
With 30 locations in every part of the city, you’re always close to a Dallas Public Library. Get all the books, DVDs, comics and magazines you need to stay entertained all summer long. Take advantage of free Wi-Fi in our buildings, use a computer or attend any of the hundreds of workshops, events, classes and other activities for all ages every day! A library card is free for Dallas residents.
SMART Summer
Dallas Public Library’s annual SMART Summer learning program includes hundreds of events and activities May 31 to August 9. Kids ages birth to 18 can earn free books to build their own home libraries if they keep track of every time they read, discover and create. The fun starts with a kickoff party for the whole family on May 31 at select libraries, in partnership with Dallas ISD. For more information and to sign up, visit www.dallaslibrary.org/smartsummer
Free lunch!
Dallas Public Library offers free meals to kids under age 18 who need it at 15 library locations. No proof of need is required. Just come hungry! Find one near you.
Just for Teens!
Dallas Public Library has programs and activities just for teens! Highlights include Roblox presented by Arrayscape Gaming at the North Oak Cliff Branch and a Teen D&D program at the Pleasant Grove Branch. Plus, Dallas Public Library will partner with Dallas Parks and Recreation to participate in the Teen All Access Pass. Throughout the month of July, teens will visit any Dallas Public Library location with their pass and receive a free Teen Kit that will include a fun activity designed just for them.
Dallas Park and Recreation
Dallas Park and Recreation hosts a number of programs all summer long. Browse everything Dallas Parks have to offer at dallasparks.org.
Aquatics
Dallas Park and Recreation maintains nine community pools and 17 spraygrounds across Dallas for residents to enjoy. In addition to these facilities, residents can stay cool at the three Cove and five other aquatic centers and Bahama Beach Waterpark. Click to find a pool or aquatic center! Teach A Child To Swim scholarships are available to help youth enroll in lifesaving swim lessons. Apply for scholarships here!
Aquatics Seasonal Job Opportunities
Dallas Aquatics each summer hires more than 400 seasonal employees for positions at
community pools, aquatic centers, and Bahama Beach Waterpark. Seasonal pay ranges from $19.83 to $23. Find your summer job here. Click here for Bahama Beach positions! Dallas Aquatics offers low-cost lifeguard and water safety instructor training and certification programs. Click here for course prerequisites, schedules, and cost!
Best Buy Teen Tech Center
Dallas Park and Recreation Department’s Best Buy Teen Tech Center is an innovative, creative, out-of-school learning space where young people, ages 12 – 17, can work with adult mentors to develop new skills, explore their own ideas, and build confidence in themselves with technology.
City Park
City Park is open daily to enjoy. Explore a selection of historic buildings between 10 am – 4pm daily. The summer calendar will include classes, tours, music, movie nights and more! Visit the website for a full calendar of weekly activities and events for visitors of all ages.
Counselor in Training (CITs) Programs
Youth ages 13-17 have an opportunity to acquire job skills through a summer leadership training program. CITs support recreation programs and have a primary focus on youth Summer Camp. $35/per week. Call these locations for details:
Kiest: (214) 670-1918; Martin Weiss: (214) 670-1919; Pleasant Oaks: (214) 670-0945.
Discover Dallas
Discover Dallas is a free summer camp experience for Dallas residents ages 5-12 to fill their summer with fun, learning, and adventure at various locations including libraries and recreation centers across the city. Campers will enjoy creative crafts, sports, swimming, life skills activities, enrichment programs, and field trips.
Outdoor Adventures Summer Camp
Outdoor Adventures New Horizons gives ages 7-15 a low-cost outdoors adventure at the 400-acre Samuell Farm in Mesquite. Inspired by the golden age of aviation and exploration, campers will discover mountain biking, kayaking, archery, fishing, survival skills, and nature photography.
Recreation Centers
Dallas’ 42 recreation centers located throughout the city offer youth diverse recreational and leisure activities ranging from camps to sports leagues. Click here to find a recreation center in your community.
Teen All Access Pass
Dallas Park and Recreation offers the Teen All-Access Pass that gives Dallas youth free admission to popular cultural and recreational venues including the Bahama Beach Waterpark, Dallas Zoo, Dallas Arboretum, Trinity River Audubon Center, Southern Skates Roller Rink, Perot Museum and other attractions. Passes are available July 1, 2025 at 10 a.m. at a City of Dallas recreation center. Find recreation center locations here!
Teen Night and Teen Camp
Teen Night is the first Friday each month from 6 to 9 p.m. at 15 recreation centers. Free recreational, cultural, and educational activities designed for ages 13-17 are an alternative to staying home or “hanging out” unsupervised. Teen Summer Camp at Exall, Nash-Davis, Thurgood Marshall and Timberglen recreation centers promotes leadership development by giving teens the chance to assist with decision-making, planning, and activity coordination. Teens also improve their problem-solving, communication, and interpersonal skills. Teen Camp registration is available here!
Youth Sports
Low-cost coed leagues for ages 4 to 14 introduce youth to the fundamental skills for soccer, baseball, basketball, flag football and other sports encourage healthy competition.
Dallas Police Department
The Dallas Police Activities League (PAL) is more than just a youth program — it’s a community initiative that builds trust and fosters positive relationships between law enforcement and Dallas youth. By engaging kids ages 8–18 in athletic, educational, and recreational activities, PAL promotes personal growth, respect for authority, and a lifelong sense of citizenship. Officers and mentors create an environment where youth can learn life skills, build character, and stay on a positive path — all while having fun.
Whether it’s through martial arts, basketball, or summer camp, PAL believes that early, positive interactions with police officers can set young people on a course for success, both in their communities and in life.
June PAL Activities
PAL-June-2025
July PAL Activities
PAL-July-2025Mayor’s Youth Sports Ticket Program
Mayor’s Youth Sports Ticket Program: Free Access to Dallas Sports
The Mayor’s Youth Sports Ticket Program, launched by Dallas Mayor Eric L. Johnson in partnership with the Dallas Sports Commission, offers Dallas youth aged 12–17 the opportunity to attend professional, collegiate, and amateur sporting events at no cost. Since its inception in 2022, the program has distributed over 15,000 tickets, with 3,900 tickets already allocated in 2025.
Eligible participants, who must be Dallas residents, can register through the Dallas Sports Commission. Each youth ticket holder receives an accompanying ticket for a chaperone. Tickets are distributed on a first-come, first-served basis and are valid for a single event. Once registered and verified, participants will be notified of available sports opportunities.
The program offers access to over 20 sporting events, including matches from Dallas Trinity FC, NASCAR races at Texas Motor Speedway, and the Concacaf Gold Cup.
Mayor Johnson emphasized the program’s impact, stating, “Professional sports bind us together as a city… These athletes inspire civic pride and teach our youth the value of discipline, resilience, and teamwork. That’s why I am proud to partner with the Dallas Sports Commission to offer more of our city’s youth the chance to witness the excitement of Dallas sports firsthand.”
To learn more and apply, visit the Mayor’s Youth Sports Ticket Program.
