04/22/09: What’s inside the Teen Center – Part 2

For those of you that do not know yet, the Berkeley-Albany YMCA has created a program known as Y-Scholars. This program is designed to help first-generation college-bound high school students learn how they can receive a college education.
Y-Scholars provides students with after-school tutoring, weekly support group meetings and one-on-one counseling. It all sounds great right? I know it does, I’m in the program. Y-Scholars has not only helped me to stay on top of my academics, but it has helped me find ways to give back to my community.
Y-Scholars is limited in the number of students it can serve. The YMCA only has so much space to provide to the program. The YMCA is building the Teen Center in downtown Berkeley so Y-Scholars can open its doors to more students. Y-Scholars is one of the programs focused on ‘academic achievement’ that will be housed in the new Teen Center. Teen need programs that will help them navigate high school and get in to college and these kinds of programs will be key at the new Teen Center.
As a high school Senior ready to embark on the road of a College education I can say that because of Y-Scholars this transition could not have gone any smoother.

Want more information on Y-Scholars? Click Here to learn more.

04/20/09: What’s inside the Teen Center – Part 1

Up to this point, we’ve spent a lot of time updating you on the project and other Task Force happenings. However, it dawned on me a few days ago that we haven’t written any posts on what types of programs will actually be IN the Teen Center once it finally opens.

Essentially, the primary programs offered at the Teen Center will fit into one of three categories: Service Learning and Leadership, Youth Employment, or Academic Achievement. I’m here to tell you about the first one.

We are working on developing a collaborative partnership with Rotary and other local agencies and organizations to offer service learning opportunities through the Teen Center. One possible example of this would be taking a group of teens to the local shoreline to do an environmental cleanup.

The YMCA’s Youth and Government Program is an example of a teen leadership program.that will be offered at the Teen Center. In terms of other teen leadership offerings, we are looking into creating a task force-like advisory council once the Teen Center opens to continue the work that we’ve already started.

Just what is ‘service learnng’ anyway? Check this out for more information.

What is the Youth and Government Program all about? Check out this link for more information.