Your Place: Youth Center

The mission of Your Place: Youth Center is to end violence by creating an alternative to gangs.

Description:
Over the course of one year we serve over 100 youth, who have experienced street violence and are looking to improve themselves and their community. We teach principles of non-violence, leadership, academics, entrepreneurship, community organizing, drama, dance, writing, singing, sports, and take youth on field trips to local businesses, wilderness trips and the like.

The Youth Center has two programs, the year round after-school teen program and the summer kid’s day and extended day program.

The teen program provides teens with a variety of groups after-school free of charge. Over the summer teens must commit to attend four nights a week and must meet with a mentor or tutor at the center once a week. Every night the center provides a family style dinner. In addition to groups and individual meetings at the center, Your Place teens go on a field trip to cultural events, conferences, community meetings, plays/movies, or recreational activities. The summer kid’s program provides children ages 6-12 activities, breakfast and lunch from 8:30-3pm. The kid’s program also provides kids with activities and dinner at the extended day program from 3-5:30pm. The Summer Kids Program includes a structured day and evening of sports, arts, summer reading, and field trips.

History:
In September 2006, ENUF violence, a group of concerned New Haven citizens gathered together to respond to the increased violence impacting New Haven. Through an initial needs assessment, it quickly became clear that our youth were not only the most affected by the violence in New Haven, they were also the most under resourced.

ENUF researched best-practices youth programs and soon resolved to develop what eventually became the Your Place: Youth Center.

Your Place was launched on July 7, 2008. In the summer 2008, Your Place had over forty registered and actively attending youth, eighteen volunteers, and ten paid staff.

Nearly every day we have a new teen show up at our door asking to join the Center. Recently one of our teens said, “if I was not in this program I would be out on the streets and in trouble. This is the only good thing going on for me.”

Contact people:

Jane Jeuland, Director Of Program Development, (phone), (email) Tracy Johnson Russell, Executive Director, (phone), (email)

Address:

155 Ivy Street New Haven, CT 06511 (See a map)

Web Site: None specified

Directions:

Take I-95 N to Exit 47. The exit is on the left. Take the last exit off of CT 34. Drive straight on North Frontage Road. Turn right onto Orchard. Go straight until orchard ends. Make an immediate right. . . (more)   Nearest Bus Stop: D5 Dixwell and Ivy; G Shelton and Ivy , 2 minutes minute walk

Last updated on May 29, 2009