Youth Development

NCJC offers youth programming that promotes good health, school preparedness and school success, and the development of life skills. Our success is due in large part to the consistent and long-term nature of our programming; we have teens in programs today that started in our preschool a dozen years ago. Our programming includes:

•  In-school mentoring which provides side by side support to children from the neighborhood, helps connect parents to school staff, and encourages youth to participate in extracurricular activities;
•  After school and evening programs for youth which includes skill building, recreation, tutoring, fitness and nutrition programs, and pre-employment programs;
•  Enrichment groups which address specific areas such as music, sports, or the arts and some are also structured to meet the needs of a particular segment, i.e. young women, young black men, etc.
• Summer day camp for school age youth which includes recreation, fitness and nutrition programming, and enrichment opportunities.

Before and After School Programming
NCJC offers before and after school programming at a variety of elementary schools. Our programs focus on child health and nutrition, school success, and developing life skills. We offer healthy snacks at the beginning of each program and we also make healthy, child appropriate snacks with the children that teach them the basics of cooking and educates them on the different food groups. Our programs encourage creativity and diversity. Children are allowed to choose the type of play they wish to engage in, whether that be arts and crafts, playing board games, building with blocks and legos, or engaging in imaginative dramatic play. We provide many opportunities for children to learn social skills such as turn taking, good manners, problem solving, and communication with other children and adults. *attachments*

Outreach Programming
NCJC offers after school activities that are open to all school-age youth in the neighborhood. Our Open Games programming offers youth a safe space to come after school to play board games and make crafts with other youth and adult volunteers and staff. We make healthy snacks with the youth to teach them about health and nutrition and the basics of cooking and play active games to teach them the importance of exercise. We also bring in groups to teach the children about cultural diversity and expose them to people from other countries and cultures. Other groups we bring in teach kids new skills such as dance or playing chess or singing.

Youth Advisory Council
Our Youth Advisory Council program focuses on building leadership skills in our teens and young adults. We offer a space for participants to identify the pressing issues that face youth today and formulate a plan to help address those issues. We encourage group decision making and group planning and demonstrate that much can be achieved through collaboration. Youth are encouraged to be a voice for positive change in their community and to act as positive role models for others.