Open house this week at Impact Youth Center

Seneca County youths in grades 6-12 are to have an added opportunity to get involved in the community and receive more help academically and socially. Impact Youth Center – a program developed through a partnership between Seneca Mentoring Youth Links and Little Faith Ministries – combines academic assistance, social skills, character education, physical activity, the arts and community service in one after-school program. The program is housed in the basement of Little Faith Ministries, 230 S. Washington St. This week, the program is hosting its open house 3-6 p.m. daily through Friday. Parents can tour the facility, meet the staff, ask questions and get students registered for the program. The official start is set for 3 p.m. Monday and the program is to run Mondays through Fridays. The program began through receiving a Community Connectors grant, Sharon George, a member of the SMYL board of directors, said. SMYL first worked on creating more mentoring matches for students who need assistance with school work. The organization then received another Community Connectors grant. With the grant, the program is free, but it is not a drop-in program. “We wanted to continue to strengthen our programs we currently offer to help build sustainability,” George said. “And now we are working on adding on more programs.” The program was developed due to a need in the community to help middle school and high school students. “This program is great to offer to students and families in after-school tutoring, support in a supervision structure,” Matt Coleman, mentor coordinator, said. The Rev. Stephanie Little already was working with the Impact program as part of Little Faith’s after-school program each Thursday. “We partnered with SMYL to help expand and build the program,” Little said. “The Impact program helps students find their passion and help make a difference in the world.” The program uses what is called the “anti-virus” curriculum by taking what is bad in the world and combating that through becoming good community leaders. Little said they use the histories of great leaders such as Thomas Edison, Harriet Tubman, Abraham Lincoln, Mother Theresa and others as a base. “This program has become very successful and transitioned communities and the country,” Little said. George said this program is to help students transition and not add more hours to the school day. The program operates with themes each day of the week and themes each month revolving around the 40 developmental assets. For example, Monday is for character and values; Tuesday, physical and mental health; Wednesday, the arts; Thursday, career exploration; and Friday, community service. “This program is to help increase social skills and connect with the community,” Coleman said. Coleman said they are to have student volunteers from Heidelberg and Tiffin universities. “Students better relate to those who are closer to their age,” he said. George said this program’s goals include better graduation rates and school attendance, and helping students with the concept of going to college. “For some of these students, they are not even thinking of the possibility of going to college,” George said. Teachers also can benefit from the program, George said, by letting mentors know where a student is struggling. George said the program is in its infancy and they are working with the Ohio After School Network to find out what has worked and what hasn’t. George said although it is an after-school program, it is not in competition with the Tiffin Community YMCA’s program. “We want kids to have a place they want to be and where they can fit, it is really important,” she said. To enroll students into the program, parents can submit a child’s application and proper emergency medical/liability forms. Forms are available at the open house, through the schools’ guidance counselors or online at www.senecasmyle.org. For more information, call Coleman at (419) 443-0981 or email mcoleman @ncoesc.org.