Our youth programs are targeted for children ranging from ages 5 to 18.  They will learn new things, develop good social skills and acquire the habits of health and fitness that will serve them for a lifetime.  In addition, another goal is to build community among parents as well as children by inviting parent involvement through an array of parent/child programs, social and recreational programs for the whole family.

Our programs are aimed at enriching the lives of youth and their families by providing a variety of opportunities for learning, growth and friendship. Our programs offer opportunities in educational enrichment, creative expression, leadership, sports and social activities for building friendships and community. Our dedicated staff of volunteers guides youth through all activities and helps them grow and value themselves personally. From art, classes to teen dances and everything in between, our programs have a little something for everyone. Our teen programs provide a home away from home where youth are engaged in exploring new interests, developing new skills, making new friends and having fun in a safe and supportive environment.

Mentorship

 

We plan to create a challenging, safe and enriching environment where youth are matched with adults who offer academic support and mentoring throughout their school years.

The lack of organized youth activities in poor neighborhoods, and the rise of single-parent families and families with two working parents have all reduced the number of adult role models. Today, twenty-five percent of children live with a single parent, and over one-half of children will live with only one parent before they are eighteen years old. Youth mentoring programs exist to provide these role models and help a child develop socially and emotionally. Mentors help kids learn to understand and communicate their feelings, to relate to their peers, and to develop relationships with other adults.

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Youth mentoring program strategies

Youth mentoring works best when goals focus on developing trusting relationships with peers and adults. Programs with solely behavioral goals, such as achieving better grades or resisting drug use, are less successful. Even one of the most successful mentoring programs, Big Brothers/Big Sisters, has only a modest effect on grades and school attendance. Mentoring programs should try to help a child develop socially, because social skills benefit the child in other areas of his or her life.

 

Parental involvement is also a beneficial goal. Our program will try to get parents involved in a way that does not threaten the youth-parent relationship.

 

Our program will match mentors and youth based on shared interests. The most successful mentor-youth relationships exist for at least a year, with meetings of at least an hour a week. The mentor should always assume he or she would initiate contact, because youth are not likely to initiate contact on his or her own.  Mentoring sessions will involve structured activities, and mentors and youth should be equals in planning sessions. Those structured activities will include social and academic activities, such as going to lunch, attending sporting events, or visiting museums.

 

We are planning to include within our mentorship program a safe haven for the kids.  This safe haven will include within it a game room, computers, video games and recreational field trips. These field trips will open up their minds to other things, things they would not ordinarily have a chance to do and/or see, i.e., arts, culture and fine dining.