NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — Several neighborhood community centers operated by Metro Parks will now open on Saturdays to provide homework assistance, free lunches and fitness classes.
Community centers that will offer learning lab programs for children aged 6 through 14 are the Easley Center at Rose Park, Antioch, Napier, McFerrin, Parkwood, Watkins and Looby. The program will be open from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturdays.
Metro Park's free weekday lunch program for children called "grab and go" will expand to Saturdays at the Kirkpatrick, East, Shelby, South Inglewood, Napier and McFerrin centers.
Adult fitness classes will be offered for free at the Shelby, South Inglewood and Morgan centers.
"We are thrilled to expand our services to residents in neighborhoods throughout Nashville and Davidson County," said Metro Parks Director Monique Horton Odom. "The introduction of the 'Learning Labs' - a comprehensive support program for public school children at our centers, will narrow the gap between the educational opportunities for children of less affluent backgrounds. The additional services will be especially important for low-income families, who have been disproportionately affected by the COVID-19 pandemic."
The programs begin on October 3.
Metro Parks also announced a change in weekday hours for all regional and neighborhood community centers. Beginning October 5, regional community centers will open weekdays from 6 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. and Saturdays 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. Neighborhood community centers will open weekdays from 11 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. and Saturdays 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
