Shaker Heights Youth Center

I) Innovative Center for Personalized Learning (IC)- The IC offers a variety of non-traditional learning experiences for students, staff, and community members, and seeks to meet their varied needs by providing educational experiences and wrap around community resources that support growth, development,and success. The Youth Center supports some of the many unique and individualized services that are available through this Shaker Schools program including: connection to a support team of teachers and advisors a drop-in center,social emotional learning,the Life Skills curriculum, online courses and workshops that count toward high school and college credits, career preparation support and connection to internships, and credit recovery options. II)P.E.E.R.S (Positive Engagement Encouraging Resiliency in Shaker Students) In this summer program a group of 10-12 Shaker students, comprised primarily of high school juniors and seniors, were paired with 8th graders and used a "think tank" approach to apply the Social Norms model to examine and discuss social justice issues as they affect teens. These carefully selected youth leaders were charged with identifying several major impending social issues and they impact youth. They explored the response of youth and the "resiliency" factors required to approach these social complexities. Using the Life Skills curriculum, they used role modeling, surveying, debates, social media, and other tools to broadly explore the impact of social justice, a health "pandemicX and other critical issues on the lives of our youth population. III)MyCom Shaker The Shaker Heights Youth Center has been the local lead agency for the Shaker MyCom Youth Development Initiative since 2008. The Youth Center coordinates and staffs this project by working with its partners to strengthen youth programming. My Com neighborhoods assess youth needs, build capacity, plan, implement, and evaluate programming to best meet those needs. Shaker MyCom provides out-of-school time opportunities to guide youth in leadership skill-building, engagement in community service projects and structured summer employment opportunities. Youth development of a voice in their community by active engagement in youth councils is another vital component of Shaker MyCom. Shaker Youth Council trains and mentors high school students in leaderrship techniques and engages in service-learning opportunities. MyCom works with Y.O.U. (Youth Opportunities Unlimited) to expand the summer jobs program, allowing youth to gain real world job skills. IV)Making Our Own Space (MOOS) Shaker students work with the Cleveland Urban Design Collaborative, an outreach program from Kent State University's College of Architecture + Environmental Design that engages low-income, minority youth in how to design and construct outdoor furniture and playscapes for their neighborhoods. In this hands-on program, youth learn safety requirements, design techniques, and construction details to produce one-of-a-kind furniture to transform public spaces. Through this program the youth are introduced to the design professions of architecture and urban design. Many of the works done by Shaker Youth have been permanently installed in the Moreland community and temporarily at the Cleveland lakeshore as part of a lakefront project. The Shaker Heights Youth Center administers the MyCom grant that makes the MOOS program possible. V) IMPACT Youth Enrichment Program The IMPACT Youth Enrichment Program is designed to help students navigate through their middle school years. The Shaker Heights Youth Center, in collaboration with the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Cleveland, administers this program that provides after-school activities in a safe and nurturing environment. It focuses on life skills, social and communication skills, academics, leadership, drug prevention, and service-learning projects in the commuuunity, all which have proven to be significant protectivie factors in the lives of youth. Community guest speakers talk with the youth throughout the year and two to three parent engagement events are held as well. The Impact Youth Enrichment Program runs under the guidance of staff members and volunteers. VI) Summer Leadership Program The Summer leadership program for students in grades 6 through 12 focuses on building self-esteem, resiliency, and leadership skills incorporating the Life Skills curriculum and related activities to enhance these qualities in youth. VII) Student Assistance Program - Elementary School Shaker Heigths Youth Center staff works to support students K-4 in all five elementary schools in the district. They work closely with school teams to provide supportive services to students who are experiencing difficulties in their lives that are affecting their success in school. Supports include: small groups of individual support, collaborating with school teachers and administrators, and connecting families to community resources to ensure more equitable education access and success. This is our newest Student Assistance Program, starting in March of 2020. VIII) Student Assistance Program - Woodbury Elementary School Shaker Youth Center staff works with students in grades 5 and 6. The staff member evaluates and supports students who are experiencing challenges in their lives that are affecting their academic success and behavior in the school setting and/or community. Supports include: small groups of individual support and collaborating with school teachers and administrators. IX) Student Assistance Program - Middle School Shaker Heights Youth Center interacts closely with guidance counselors, assistant principals, and teachers to identify youth in need of prevention services. The Youth Center staff member evaluates and supports students who are experiencing challenges that are affecting their lives. Supports include: small groups of individual support, collaborating with school teachers and administrators, and connecting families to community resources. X) Student Assistance program - High School Shaker Heights Youth Center staff members provide services at the Shaker Heights High School and interact closely with school personnel to identify youth in need of assistance in fulfilling their educational requirements. The Youth Center staff evaluates and supports students who are experiencing challenges that affect their ability to succeed academically. Students in need are identified by the High School, generally beginning in 9th grade. Once students are referred to the program, our staff continues to work with them through graduation, utilizing all the resources available to assist them with the academic success.