Yerwood Center

Yerwod center is a non-profit community resource center providing educational and personal development opportunities to Stamford's diverse community.

Description:
Yerwood Scholars is our academic-based K – 5th grade extended day program. The program is open Monday through Friday with special programs on school half days and during winter and spring school vacations. A Saturday Academy component is also available. Volunteers are welcome to assist as reading buddies, tutors, program presenters and mentors.

Preparing Individuals Determined to Excel or P.R.I.D.E. is our academic based middle school extended day program. P.R.I.D.E. runs Monday – Friday and serves 30 middle school students. Students move through academic support and tutoring, civic engagement, financial education, community service work, career exploration, computer technology, creative writing, reading, public speaking and more. They have been extremely involved in writing and public speaking, often serving as tour guides at Yerwood events, showing visitors through the facility and explaining our programs. Volunteers are welcome as tutors, program presenters and mentors.

Aspiring Leadership Through Action or A.L.T.A. is a high school program in partnership with the Stamford Public Schools providing academic and career exploration programs for up to 70 students every Wednesday and Saturday. Students participate in 6 week sessions including media, leadership/public speaking, writing, the arts, college preparation, fashion design, business & finance while exploring careers and developing projects such as designing clothing and writing poetry. Students present their projects every 6 weeks at a parent dinner and celebration.

YES Summer Camp is our academic based elementary camp which serves 130 children each year. YES Camp runs for 8 weeks each summer. Camp includes academic work, recreation, field trips, community service, arts & crafts and community speakers as well as traditional camp activities such a swimming and sports. For the past 2 years camp has included a half day ELL classroom component to help kids continue to use English language skills throughout the summer months as well as a half day summer school program.

Gordon & Diane Myers Technology Center, open 6 days a week, provides free access to the latest computer technology including the Internet, Microsoft Office Suite, language programs and online programs such as customer service training and certification. Technology Center staff are on hand to assist with technical issues as well as provide nightly classes Word, Excel, PowerPoint and other software. Last year Yerwood Center provided over 1,000 hours of free technology training to adults. Approximately 40 adults per day use the technology center.

Volunteer Income Tax Assistance Program (VITA) is a free tax payer preparation assistance program. Using our state of the art technology center, Yerwood serves as a VITA site offering free tax assistance and electronic filing of returns to qualified individuals and families.  In 2008, Yerwood’s VITA volunteers assisted and e-filed more than 85 tax returns for income qualified community members.

English as a Second Language Classes are offered on a weekly basis for adults and families who have recently relocated to the US and Stamford. Staffed by volunteers, participants learn English language skills, receive help translating important letters and announcements and find other support to help the family become an integral part of our community. In 2007, more than 1500 families received support from the ELL classes.

History:
The Yerwood Center was founded in 1943 as the Stamford Negro Community Center by Dr. Joyce Yerwood, the first African American female doctor in Connecticut.

In 1950, it became the West Side Community Center, and in 1975, the name was changed to the Yerwood Center, in honor of Dr. Joyce Yerwood's many years of unwavering support and dedication to the community.

In 2008, the Yerwood Center celebrates 65 years of service to Stamford and the West Side community. The Center continues to focus primarily on the low-income population residing on Stamford's West Side where the ethnic representationis 55% Black, 36% Hispanic, 7% White, and 2% Other.

Contact person: Vynette Johnson, Human Resource Supervisor, (phone), (email)

Office fax number: 203-352-1210

Address:

90 Fairfield Ave Stamford, CT 06902 (See a map)

Web Site: http://www.yerwoodcenter.org

Directions:

Yerwood Center is located at the corner of est main Street (Route 1) and Fairfield Ave. The door is on West Main. From Stamford Take Washington Blvd (Route 137) to Government Center (888 Washington Blvd.) turn right on to Tressor Blvd (Route. . . (more)   Nearest Bus Stop: Corner of Firifeld and West Main, 1 minute walk

Miscellaneous Information

Does your agency have weekend volunteer opportunities?
	Yes
Does your agency have evening volunteer opportunities?
	Yes
Does your agecny accept court ordered communituy service volunteers?
	Yes
Does your agency accept and coordinate group projects for corporate volunteers?
	Yes
Does your agency accept and coordinate group projects for youth volunteers?
	Yes
Does your agency accept youth volunteers ages 8-13 with adult supervision?
	Yes
Does your agency accept youth volunteers ages 14-18?
	Yes

Last updated on September 17, 2009