Our Programs
• After School Tutoring
Malcolm X once said “Education is the passport to the future, for tomorrow belongs to those who prepare for it today”. Having an education is one of the key elements youth need to advance in life successfully. SJYC offers after school tutoring services. Every day during the school year, youth have productive hands on sessions with peers and specialized tutors to tackle the challenges in the classroom. The program will be equipped with supplies, books, a computer and other utensils needed to help them with their school work. GED tutoring services are also provided. SJYC is committed to support advancement in the students’ academic learning.
• Youth Parenting Classes
There is an increase of youth having children at a young age. What will happen to the ones who do not know how to be a parent? SJYC encourages youth as they transition into their roles as parents. The classes provide useful information, connections to available resources, demonstrate realistic skills and more tools they need to be suitable parents.
• Drug Enlightenment
Every day there are new drugs that are used in urban communities and easily exposed to youth. We all have a role in supporting the well-being of youth in our communities. SJYC welcomes neighbors, family members, teachers to join us as we work towards an approach to prevent youth substance use in our community. Participants receive accurate information about drugs but more importantly how chemicals have an effect on youth personal developments and future choices.
• L.I.G.H.T (Learn, Innovation, Guide, Help, Teach) Mentor Match
There is a low percentage of mentors in urban communities who are a positive image to youth of what they could become. SJYC believes it will take a passionate community engagement from parents, peers, coaches and anyone who is willing to serve as an influential change, role model. The L.I.G.H.T program is dedicated in matching youth with mentors, who can teach, close the gap and youth learn to become not just successful but potential role models for future generations. The two will participate in monthly planned activities to strengthen the relationship. Mentors will receive continuous training throughout the year and will participate in monthly meeting to report the youth progress.
• The Movement: L.O.V.E (Love, Overcome, Victory, Empower)
Youth have a lasting stigma in society once they enter the doors of the criminal justice system. The rate of youth incarceration has increased over the years. Research has shown that there are more youth that fill the cells of prisons than the classrooms at colleges. Wendy Sawyer stated, on any given day, nearly 53,000 youth are held in facilities away from home as a result of juvenile or criminal justice involvement. These challenging stages in young people’s lives determine how they make future decisions. What happens to youth when they have a criminal record from past mistakes? What are their options when they return into communities that have labeled them as a risk to society? Are there places that implements intervention strategies that impact the advancement of youth that have had minor setbacks?
SJYC collaborates with other organizations that also open their doors and accepts youth who want to be provided with another chance. SJYC provides advancement programs to youth with criminal background. We have established a solid foundation in which youth that have experienced a dramatic shift in their life such as prison, can find a peace of mind to move forward with our L.OV.E program. The youth learn how to love how they overcame their obstacles and become victorious while using their strengths to grow within social movements to empower the community.
Time to Stop Surviving. Time To Start Living. T.S.S.L
Transitioning into the next chapter of life can be challenging. At times, youth follow society's trend by "trying to survive", but when is it time to start living? Youth residing in urban communities lack resources in advancement opportunities. There is a critical need to provide extensive provision in career education that supports both economic self-sufficiency and personal fulfillment. Our T.S.S.L program allows youth to assess their interests and abilities, explore career options, gain entrepreneur skills, and tackle barriers to an alternative route.