YMCA is launching a new program Feb. 3 for at-risk youth

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 The Youth Community Action Program, sponsored by Sparta-White County YMCA, hopes to provide support for underserved students and allow them to claim a brighter future by offering safe spaces with caring adults to provide academic, social, emotional, and spiritual support.

YCAP is an evidence-based program that works intensively with at-risk youth ages 13-17 by helping them reach their fullest potential through Christ.

“This work is critically important because of the challenges that these students face,” Kyle Goff, YMCA CEO, said. “One in five youth in Tennessee don’t have someone to care for them after school.”

To truly promote the growth of youth into well rounded young men and women, Y-CAP will specifically focus on the goals of improving academic performance, delinquent behavior reduction, substance abuse prevention, and improvement of attitudes and goal setting. To achieve these goals, the curriculum includes topics that enhance character development, conflict resolution skills, decision making skills, leadership development, family relationship building and substance abuse prevention among others.

“We will engage youth in conversation, allow them to explore themselves in a safe, supportive environment,” Gin Skinner, YMCA program director, said. “The challenge will be to make healthy, positive changes in their lives.”

Goff continued, “This demographic is so disengaged and reticent. We hope to break through with them, remove barriers and establish relationships with them that are personal and transformative. I feel strongly about the social piece. Teaching them how to properly shake hands, make eye contact, posture, sit around the dinner table and have conversation, how to fill out a job application. But, also, the spiritual piece. Many of the kids we will serve have always been in survival mode, living reactively. They need to learn how to set goals and have a vision for the kind of life they want to live and developing the habits that will achieve that vision.”

YCAP is provided free of charge and will meet 3-6 p.m., Mondays-Fridays. The program will be held at East Sparta Church of God. Students are added to the program on a referral basis.

“There are three primary sources of referrals,” Skinner said. “The juvenile court system, the school system, and families. The White County Juvenile court system has worked closely with us in forming the program, offering advice and guidance as well as sending us our first referrals. A referral form can be found online.”

The Y encourages the community to get involved.

“We need volunteers, mentors, and counselors,” Skinner said. “You can sign up to volunteer or provide a meal on our website. We have staff that will always be on-site and we will keep ratios very close just because of the nature of the participants. But our staff will not be able to cater to each kid personally and learn their stories. The idea would be to have a mentor that is consistently with the same kid. A reliable, familiar face is something they may not have in their lives. If you cannot give your time, consider donating. Donations are critical in keeping this program free for all participants.”

The program will launch Feb. 3, 2025. Learn more by emailing gin@spartaymca.org or visiting spartawhitecountyymca.org/ycap.    

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