Agency Details:

Court Youth Center

The Court Youth Center nurtures an artful environment and creates opportunities and programs where creativity and success flourish daily

Description:
The Court Youth Center (CYC) offers a wide range of after-school, weekends, and summer programs in the following:

• Arts production
• Arts integration
• Arts as business
• Public art
• Arts education
  
  

Youth increase their creative learning process, academic performance, problem solving, and group interaction skills in order to internalize responsible decision making. As well as gaining a sense of community by incorporating the creative learning process in all aspects of their lives.

History:
The concept of a youth center in Las Cruces originated in 1988 when a group of community leaders, under the direction of former State Representative and mayor, Ruben Smith, felt that the abandoned and historic Court Junior High School building could become a facility for youth programs. It took more than a decade of planning to create the current programs and facility. Since 1995, under the artistic direction of Irene Oliver-Lewis, a total of $6,000,000 has been invested in capital outlay from federal, state and city partners to complete the 49,000 square-foot facility. Since it opened in 1996, CYC has become the hub for youth activities and community programs in Southern New Mexico.

CYC has received national, regional and local recognition awards. Some examples of these include:

• 1 of 6 exemplary after-school programs in the arts from the Nation Endowment for the Arts and the Humanities
• 1 of 5 outstanding programs from the NM Community Foundation and Outstanding Recreation Program from the NM Association Health, Physical Education and Recreation.
  
  

CYC received an AmeriCorp Grant in 1999. CYC has recruited visual, performing, literary and culinary artists to be AmeriCorps Member Artists. Members are assigned to the CYC extended learning programs at Gadsden, at Alma d'arte Charter High School and CYC programs. Over the seven year period, members have worked with about 3,000 students during the school year and in the summer programs.

Contact people:

Armena R. Taylor, After School Coordinator, (phone), (email) Irene Oliver-Lewis, Artistic Executive Producer, (phone), (email)

Office fax number: (575) 527-5329

Languages Spoken: English

Address:

402 W Court Ave Las Cruces, NM 88005 (See a map)

Web Site: None specified

Last updated on November 10, 2009