Youth Programs and Activities

 

CHAMPIONS  (Children Have A Major Place In Our Neighborhood Services) is a series of programs for the children of Mercy Center’s families, presenting them with alternatives to the violence and negativity to which they are often subjected. These activities address the needs of children for a safe environment and provide an opportunity to advance their creative and educational potential through individual assistance and group activities.

      Current Programs include:

After-School – Homework assistance, computer tutorials, enrichment activities (e.g., trips to museums/libraries), tutoring, and mentoring (targeted to most at-risk children). 

 

Saturday Reading Enrichment – a reading and arts program for children in grades 1 through 6 who score in the lower percentile in reading. SRE incorporates one-on-one tutoring with the help of high school, college and adult volunteer mentors. Children also participate in group reading, educational games, and special art and dance sessions specifically designed to aid in the development of reading skills. 

 

Dance, Drumming and Song Activities – are available through volunteer, professional organizations and individuals, such as House of the Roses, R.Evolucion Latina, and Sarah Pillow.

 

Girl Talk – weekly support groups for girls where they discuss issues relevant to them such as relationships, self-esteem building, communication, and other concerns.  Includes Teen Choice, a validated, comprehensive curriculum about healthy relationships, peer pressure, decision making and more, delivered by specially trained Inwood House staff.

 

Fiver Foundation Program – In collaboration with local organizations, the Fiver Foundation offers inner-city boys and girls the opportunity to attend a tuition-free camp each summer (two-week minimum) starting at 8/9 years of age and continuing for a period of ten years.  Designated as a local partner in 2003, Mercy Center now has over 75 children participating in the program. 

 

Winter/Spring After-School Camps – Two one-week programs for Mercy Center children in grades 2 through 8, directed by visiting college students from Canisius College in Buffalo, NY, Assumption College in Worcester, MA, and Gwynedd-Mercy College in Gwynedd Valley, PA.