STEAM initiative

Given that the majority of our members are living below the poverty line, their access to science and technology outside of school is incredibly limited. Proficiencies in math, science, engineering and technology are becoming increasingly essential for success in and after high school, so we are becoming more STEAM-focused in our programming. Our goal is to offer members daily real-world situations/problems where they have to use STEAM skills to come up with a solution. In doing so, we hope to foster a love for these subjects that are often feared and dreaded within the walls of the classroom.

Additionally, the focus on hands-on learning with real-world applications helps develop a variety of skill sets, including: problem solving, critical thinking, creativity, curiosity, decision making, leadership, entrepreneurship, acceptance of failure, media and technology literacy, productivity, social skills, communication, flexibility and initiative.

As a result, we are hoping that the kids will feel inspired to achieve, discover a new passion, and set goals for their futures knowing someone believes in them. We want to bridge the gap between ambition and opportunity to break the generational cycle of poverty so our members can learn the value of education and teach that value to their own children.

Speaker Series: Life after high school

Focusing on the Future: Mind, Body, and Spirit also aims to equip our members with the skills and knowledge necessary to succeed in life after high school graduation by exposing them to a variety of trades, careers, and areas of collegiate study.

In our monthly speaker series, guest speakers come in to share information about their experiences or careers in order to make our members aware of the many opportunities available to them. We are bring in local professionals, educators, tradesmen, and students to speak about their own successes after graduation and how they got there. We want our members to be able to connect with these individuals, increase their understanding of how to turn interests and talents into potential careers, and feel inspired to put in the work to make it happen.

Summer Reading Program

Every August we host our Summer Reading Program for rising 5th graders to help ease their transition from elementary to middle school. This gives them an opportunity to become familiar with the Youth Center and all it has to offer before the start of the school year, and it also helps to prevent critical summer learning loss by continuing to offer academic stimulation.

Each day we focus on reading, writing, and math; have the group work together on various STEAM projects; provide lunch; and finish up with some recreational fun.

We also take students on a tour of the middle school, learn how to master unlocking those dastardly lockers, and map out their school schedule routes.