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Youth Services Image

Youth Services

Giving kids a safe and nurturing environment

After-School Programs

 Kids benefit so much from the structure and education throughout the school day, but what happens when school gets out? More than 28 million kids have parents who work outside the home, and as many as 15 million kids have no place to go after school. For thousands of boys and girls in the Greater New York area, opportunities for extracurricular activities are not always readily available. The Salvation Army recognizes the importance of after-school programs. These programs provide kids with a safe place to play and learn in a supervised and constructive environment.

In many cases The Salvation Army will provide sports, arts and music programs, which may not be available in the local school systems. School districts have struggled to fund these extracurricular programs, and many programs have disappeared completely. The Salvation Army goes to great lengths to provide such integral opportunities for today’s young people.

Character Building Programs

In today’s youth environment, it’s become increasingly harder to establish central principles by which kids and teens should live. If parents work, or are not present at home, the likelihood of a young person adopting positive character traits is greatly decreased. We want to send today’s kids off into the world with strong values, skills and confidence as they grow into adulthood.

Our youth character-building programs range between all different kinds of activities, from sports teams and outdoor exploration, to art and music classes.

 

Day Care Programs

Day care programs are vital to parents who work, or aren’t able to care for their young children in the daytime. The Salvation Army Greater New York Division takes pride in offering well-rounded educational, social, nutritional and multicultural programs for eligible families.

We have five day care programs, each of which are licensed by the City of New York, and serve children between the ages of 2 and 5. Open from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., Monday through Friday, our programs offer flexible opportunities for parents with varying schedules

Children are given two nutritional meals and a snack daily, and take part in educational activities which may include anything from arts and crafts, to music and outdoor games.

 

Defending Our Youth

Children born into poverty are more likely to drop out of school than kids from families with higher incomes. In New York City, 19.4% of children under the age of 18 live below the poverty line.

Summer Camp

Every summer we host over 1,000 kids, ages 7-14, at our 400-acre camp in New Jersey, which has operated since 1923. We offer an invaluable experience that kids will carry with them forever. Campers enjoy many activities like hiking, swimming, arts and crafts, archery, and much more. Woven into their daily activities are life-skills practices and team building programs to prepare them for the challenges they may face.

Music and Arts

The Salvation Army believes that music and arts appreciation and instruction instills valuable life-long lessons. Exposure to music and the arts is known to increase self-esteem, build language and social skills, and strengthen academics. The Salvation Army has maintained its passion and commitment to these numerous enriching and free education programs.