Baltimore City’s 2026 summer youth engagement strategy connected thousands of young people with employment, recreation, and educational
opportunities while coordinating community-based safety efforts across multiple City agencies.
Baltimore City has released results from its BMore this Summer: In the Mix in ’26 initiative, which combined youth programming with proactive safety engagement to provide young people with activities, resources, and support outside of school hours.
The initiative brought together the Mayor’s Office, Baltimore City Recreation & Parks, Baltimore City Public Schools, and community partners. Among the reported results, 8,130 young people obtained summer employment through the City’s YouthWorks program across 671 worksites, while 2,864 attended summer camps at 82 locations. Baltimore City Public Schools also offered approximately 12,651 seats across 56 summer learning programs.
Alongside these opportunities, the Mayor’s Office of Neighborhood Safety and Engagement (MONSE), the Mayor’s Office of African American Male Engagement, and community partners conducted outreach in areas where young people frequently gather. Teams focused on relationship building, conflict de-escalation, and connecting youth with supportive services. These efforts resulted in more than 1,238 documented positive interactions with young people and 311 requests for services, including assistance with employment, housing, and reconnecting with schools. Baltimore Police also reported 708 juvenile arrests through September 30, compared with 829 during the same period in 2025, a decrease of approximately 15%.
“Every year, our Summer Youth Engagement strategy is about balancing those opportunities with proactive engagement to deter activities that jeopardize the safety of our young people and the broader community,” said Mayor Brandon Scott.
The initiative highlights Baltimore City’s coordinated approach to youth development and public safety, bringing together recreation, education, workforce development, and community-based outreach to support young residents.
The results also provide context for Baltimore City’s recent proposal to establish a Department of Neighborhood Safety, which would formalize and expand MONSE’s violence prevention and alternative response work. Read Conduit Street’s previous coverage of the proposal.