Youth Center offers homework assistance, individualized mentoring and tutoring, educational support, and recreational opportunities for school-aged youth. Activities include fitness classes, youth internships, and career and college workshops.
Program Description
The Hope Street Youth Center provides a safe and positive environment where students (8-17 years of age) receive homework assistance, academic support in the areas of math, reading and writing, one on one tutoring and mentoring, as well as various recreational activities (such as foosball, pool, yoga, and circus arts) that promote a positive self esteem as well as a healthy lifestyle. Volunteers and staff assist students with their reading, writing and math homework. Some students may need one on one specialized tutoring in order to obtain appropriate academic levels. Volunteers interact with students through tutoring as well as through recreational/social activities.
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Youth Center Activities include:
- Homework Lab – The Youth Center classroom provides a supervised and safe environment where students may complete homework, read, study, and get help with their homework assignments when needed.
- The HOSTS (Helping One Student To Succeed) program is a continuous literacy program that connects volunteer mentors/tutors with students who need assistance in the language arts. The volunteers—including California Hospital staff, members of the downtown business community, and students from UCLA’s BruinCorps community service program—work with individual students in the Youth Center classroom one-on-one, once a week, for one hour. Lesson plans are developed each week by the Educational Coordinator, with a focus on student-mentor activities that include structured reading, writing skills building, homework assistance, and plenty of positive encouragement.
- Recreation, Arts, and Cultural Enrichment –After completion of homework, youth have access to the Teen Room with foosball, pool, and couches for social interaction. Enrichment classes include yoga, focusing on healthy, body, and mind and the Circus Arts class, offering fun coordination activities like juggling and creative movement, as well as visits to the circus. Young people participate in field trips to local cultural venues, including museums and colleges. In the near future, we anticipate expanding recreational activities by acquiring the Venice Hope Pocket Park and building a new recreation and wellness center.
- College and Career Development Activities—Youth will participate in college and career development workshops. Workshops will enable students to apply for financial aid, apply for college, understand the college entrance exam process, conduct a job search, perform/practice an employment interview, conduct career and college research, and receive specific training and information about careers. Field trips to local colleges and universities will expose students to a variety of campus environments.
- Mentoring Relationships—Students will develop mentoring relationships with staff and volunteer through their involvement in Youth Center activities. Group workshops will develop team-building skills and work-study case management will develop problem-solving skills, as well as build upon on existing positive mentor relationships.
- Work Study Opportunity—Youth will serve as mentors for children enrolled at the Early Childhood Education Centers. They will be given responsibilities, such as reading and working with children on school readiness under the supervision of trained child development professionals. Students will gain leadership development skills and learn the importance of community service, while receiving a minimal stipend for their service.
- Teen Support Group--Weekly support group for youth
For more information, please contact our Education Coordinator at (213) 765-4083.
