Expanding Summer Opportunities for Lowell Youth

CITY OF LOWELL

REQUEST FOR INFORMATION (RFI)

Expanding Summer Opportunities for Lowell Youth

Community Partnership & Capacity-Building Initiative

RFI Release Date: October 7, 2026 Response Deadline: October 21, 2026 Issuing Department: City of Lowell- Office of the City Manager Contact: Shawn Machado, Assistant City Manager

I. PURPOSE OF THIS REQUEST FOR INFORMATION

The City of Lowell is seeking information from qualified nonprofit, community-based, educational, recreational, cultural, and other organizations interested in partnering with the City to expand summer opportunities for children and young people throughout Lowell.

This Request for Information (RFI) is intended to help the City better understand the existing capacity, unmet demand, programmatic strengths, and potential for expansion among Lowell's community partners.

Information gathered through this RFI may be used to inform the development of a future competitive Request for Proposals (RFP). The City is seeking input from organizations regarding what they currently provide, what additional opportunities they could create, and what resources would be necessary to expand their summer programming.

This RFI is for information-gathering and planning purposes only. Submission of a response does not constitute a commitment by the City to issue an RFP, award funding, or enter into a contract with any responding organization.

II. BACKGROUND

The City of Lowell recognizes the importance of accessible, high-quality summer opportunities for children, youth, and young adults.

Summer programming provides opportunities for young people to remain engaged in safe and supportive environments, develop skills and relationships, explore interests, participate in enrichment and recreation, and prepare for future educational and career opportunities.

At the same time, the City recognizes that no single organization can meet the full range of summer needs within the community. Lowell has a strong network of nonprofit and community-based organizations that provide valuable programming and have the potential to collectively expand summer opportunities.

During the most recent summer, approximately 448 children registered for Lowell Recreation programming.

In addition, approximately 120 young people were employed through the City's summer programming model to help operate and support programs. As the City explores new approaches to expanding summer opportunities, it is important to consider how meaningful summer employment opportunities can continue to be provided for Lowell's young people.

The City is therefore exploring a community partnership model in which multiple organizations could contribute to a broader network of summer opportunities throughout Lowell.

III. GOALS OF THE INITIATIVE

Through this planning process, the City seeks to explore opportunities to:

1. Expand Summer Program Capacity

Increase the number of children and youth who can participate in meaningful summer programming and reduce unmet demand for summer opportunities.

2. Create Meaningful Youth Employment Opportunities

Provide summer employment opportunities for Lowell young people ages 14-24, including opportunities to work directly in support of summer programming.

3. Increase Equitable Access

Expand access to summer opportunities for young people who may experience barriers to participation, including youth from low-income households, youth with disabilities, and other populations that may be underserved by existing programming.

4. Expand the Range of Opportunities Available

Support a diverse range of programming, potentially including recreation, sports, arts, STEM, technology, environmental programming, cultural activities, leadership development, career exploration, enrichment, and other youth-centered opportunities.

5. Strengthen Community Partnerships

Create opportunities for Lowell organizations to work collaboratively and build a coordinated network of summer programming.

6. Increase Geographic Access

Explore opportunities to provide programming in multiple neighborhoods and locations throughout Lowell, particularly in areas where there is demonstrated need or limited access to existing summer opportunities.

IV. INFORMATION REQUESTED

The City is interested in learning about both current organizational capacity and the additional capacity that could be created with appropriate resources and support.

Responding organizations are encouraged to provide information in the following areas.

A. Organization Information

Please provide:

Organization name

Primary contact

Address

Website

Mission/purpose

Current programs and services

Experience providing summer programming

Experience serving Lowell children, youth, and/or young adults

B. Current Summer Programming

Please describe your organization's current or most recent summer programming, including:

Program name(s)

Ages served

Number of participants served

Program dates and length

Hours of operation

Location(s)

Type of programming provided

Whether programming is full-day or part-day

Current enrollment/capacity

Whether the program maintains a waitlist

Current sources of funding

V. POTENTIAL FOR EXPANSION

The City is particularly interested in understanding how much additional capacity organizations could realistically create.

Please identify:

Additional Participants

If funding or other appropriate resources were available, approximately how many additional children/youth could your organization serve during the summer?

Please provide estimates by age group where possible.

Additional Programming

Please describe any new or expanded programming your organization could offer.

Examples may include:

Recreation and sports

Arts and creative programming

STEM and technology

Environmental programming

Academic enrichment

Career exploration

Leadership development

Cultural programming

Entrepreneurship

Health and wellness

Community service

Other specialized programming

Additional Locations

Please identify any locations where your organization could provide expanded programming.

Organizations are encouraged to identify opportunities to serve different neighborhoods or areas of Lowell where additional programming may be beneficial.

VI. YOUTH EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES

A key component of this initiative is ensuring that Lowell's young people continue to have meaningful summer employment opportunities.

Approximately 120 young people were employed through the City's previous summer programming model.

Please indicate:

How many Lowell youth ages 14-24 your organization could employ during the summer

Potential job titles/roles

Approximate hours per week

Length of employment

Types of responsibilities youth employees could perform

Training or professional development provided

Supervision available

Whether positions could provide meaningful career exploration or work-based learning

Whether successful participants could potentially transition into permanent or future employment

Organizations may propose positions directly related to program delivery, administration, recreation, youth leadership, technology, arts, communications, facilities, or other organizational needs.

VII. ACCESSIBILITY & INCLUSIVE PROGRAMMING

The City is committed to expanding equitable access to summer opportunities.

Organizations should describe their ability to provide inclusive and accessible programming for young people with disabilities, including:

Experience serving youth with disabilities

Physical accessibility of program locations

Ability to accommodate individual participant needs

Staffing or support structures

Experience working with families, schools, or disability-service providers

Strategies for reducing barriers to participation

Any additional resources that would be needed to expand accessibility

Accessibility and inclusion may be considered as a component of any future RFP evaluation process.

VIII. COST & RESOURCE REQUIREMENTS

To assist the City in understanding the resources necessary to expand summer opportunities, organizations are asked to provide estimated costs associated with expansion.

Please consider:

Estimated cost per participant

Staffing costs

Youth employment costs

Program supplies and equipment

Facility costs

Transportation

Food/snacks

Accessibility accommodations

Insurance or other operational expenses

Administrative costs

Other costs necessary to provide or expand programming

Organizations may provide a range if an exact estimate is not currently available.

The City recognizes that program costs may vary significantly based on the type, length, intensity, and population served.

IX. COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIPS & COLLECTIVE CAPACITY

The City is interested not only in what individual organizations can provide, but also in what organizations could accomplish together.

Please identify:

Organizations with which you currently partner

Partnerships that could support expanded summer programming

Opportunities for shared staffing, facilities, equipment, transportation, or other resources

Potential referral partnerships

Opportunities to coordinate programming schedules

Potential ways organizations could collectively serve more children and youth

Organizations may identify partnerships that would allow them to provide services that they could not provide independently.

The City is particularly interested in understanding:

If Lowell's nonprofit and community partners worked collectively, how much additional summer capacity could the community create?

X. PARTICIPANT ACCESS & EQUITY

Please describe how your organization currently addresses barriers that may prevent children and youth from participating in summer programming.

Examples may include:

Program cost

Transportation

Location

Hours of operation

Disability/accessibility needs

Language access

Technology access

Food insecurity

Family work schedules

Registration barriers

Other barriers to participation

Please identify any additional resources that would allow your organization to reach young people who are currently underserved or unable to access summer programming.

XI. OUTCOMES & MEASUREMENT

Please describe how your organization measures the success of its summer programming.

Potential measures may include:

Number of participants served

Attendance

Participant retention

Participant satisfaction

Skill development

Employment outcomes

Educational outcomes

Youth leadership

Community engagement

Social-emotional development

Participant/family feedback

The City welcomes suggestions for common outcomes or measures that could be used across participating organizations.

XII. INFORMATION TO HELP INFORM A FUTURE RFP

Respondents are encouraged to provide recommendations regarding how a future City-funded opportunity should be structured.

Please consider:

Appropriate funding levels

Contract length

Eligible expenses

Minimum and maximum participant requirements

Appropriate age ranges

Program duration

Full-day versus part-day programming

Youth employment expectations

Accessibility requirements

Geographic considerations

Required partnerships

Reporting requirements

Outcome measures

Other considerations the City should include in a future RFP

The City is particularly interested in learning what would make a future funding opportunity realistic, accessible, and effective for community-based organizations of varying sizes and capacities.

XIII. RESPONSE FORMAT

Organizations do not need to submit a formal proposal at this stage.

Responses should generally include:

Organization Information

Current Summer Programming

Current Capacity

Potential Additional Capacity

Youth Employment Capacity

Accessibility & Inclusion

Estimated Costs

Partnerships/Collective Capacity

Barriers & Equity Considerations

Recommendations for a Future RFP

Organizations may use the format provided by the City or submit a narrative response addressing the information requested above.

XIV. ANTICIPATED NEXT STEPS

The City will review responses to this RFI to better understand the community's capacity and needs.

Information received may be used to:

Identify gaps in current summer programming

Determine potential additional program capacity

Identify opportunities for youth employment

Understand geographic and demographic needs

Develop potential funding levels

Identify accessibility and inclusion needs

Inform the design of a future competitive RFP

Identify opportunities for collaboration among community partners

The City may also convene responding organizations for additional discussion or capacity-building conversations.

Submission of an RFI response does not guarantee that an RFP will be issued or that any organization will receive funding.

XV. RESPONSE DEADLINE & SUBMISSION

Responses are requested by: October 21, 2026 Submit responses to: Heather Donovan, Subject Line: RFI - Expanding Summer Opportunities for Lowell Youth

Questions regarding this RFI may be directed to:

Heather Donovan Manager, MassHire Lowell Young Adult Career Center 978-805-4703