MILWAUKEE — Representatives from a handful of youth-serving Milwaukee agencies offered a preview Monday of the various summer programs they hope will attract the city’s youth and young adults.

In front of Neighborhood House of Milwaukee on the Near West Side, Mayor Cavalier Johnson and police chief Jeffrey Norman spoke in support of the many options for the city’s kids, hoping organized activities will help some steer clear of crime and violence.

“They want to engage with parents. They want to engage with young people,” Johnson said. “They want to make sure that kids have positive alternatives this summer.”

What makes Neighborhood House a positive alternative, Executive Director Martha Collins said, are the positive relationships fostered through sports, art, field trips and other summer programming.

“We have staff here that are experts and mentors in that space,” Collins said. “We use sports as the opportunity to bring them in.”

At a time when many parents are looking for positive ways for their children to spend time this summer, representatives at Monday’s event said there is no shortage of options.

“We constantly hear there’s nothing for young people to do,” said Jamaal Smith from the Milwaukee Office of Violence Prevention. “There [are] things for young people to do. We just need to be better in coordinating and collaborating to make sure people are doing it, and I think that’s the example you’re seeing right now.”