Open Rec. ( Youth Impacts version of the After-school Program)
Our Open-Recreation program runs year-round with our School Season hours being offered Monday - Thursday, 2:30pm - 7:00pm. However, on Wednesdays we have youth in the facility by 1:30 because of Ogden City School's early out days. We offer Summer Season programs as well, those hours are TBA during the last month of school, and are generally run during the later part of the mornings and into the later part of the day.
Our Open-Rec. hours offer a variety of activities for the participants. Youth Impact's goal is to find a "niche" for each and every young person who enters the program. We encourage our youth to actively participate in the many resources, games and activities we provide our youth. Listed below are some of the program areas and activities we offer.
Game Room
Our game room is equipped with Air-Hockey, Ping-Pong, Foosball, and Pool tables. We have an area sectioned off that we call our Science Learning Area where participants are allowed to simple arts & crafts, building items and play learning games on our computers.
Outdoor Activities & Playground
The playground is always active when the weather allows for outside play. We have daily scheduled activities that include, dodge ball, capture the flag, and kick ball. These games encompass all ages, staff, volunteers and an occasional parent. While the activities can be somewhat competitive at times, order is kept and a good time is had by all. If individuals aren't into the group activities, we have basketball standards, tether ball and a variety of recreation items for use.
Daily Transportation
Youth Impact provides daily transportation from any school in the Ogden City School District to our center, and to each participants home in the evening.
Outdoor Recreation
Outdoor Recreation Programs have and continue to be a staple amongst our participants. We hike, bike, fish, snowboard, ski, snowshoe, skateboard, and camp. There is truly something for everybody. As the years have gone by we have constantly strived to encourage our participants to get out and see what the great outdoors has to offer, and what better place than our own backyard.
Study Hall
Study Hall offers daily tutoring, computers with internet access, and an appropriate environment to get your school work taken care of. Basic resources are offered to all of our participants in regard to their school curriculum needs.
Daily Meals & Snacks
Daily meals and snacks are provided by our program's Meal Coordinator. Each and everyday our participants are given a snack after school and a nice meal in the evening. We gather at 5:00 p.m. daily during the school year and at noon during the summer.
Art's & Crafts
The Mediums for creativity are endless in this area of our program. Participants can work with stained glass, ceramics or wood working projects. Weekly guest artists will introduce our young people to a variety of art mediums such as cartoon illustrations, water colors, etc.
Weekend & Small Group Activities
In addition to the Open-Recreation program, we spend time on the weekends participating in small group activities. These activities are spent participating in service projects, field trips, and special events throughout the community. Small groups allow for our staff and mentors to build stronger relationships with our participants and ultimately provide more communication and understanding of each other. It is these relationships that enable us to better assist our youth in their daily lives.
Individual & Team Sports
Youth Impact will support and assist any of our participants who desire to participate in individual sports or extra curricular activities. In addition to supporting our youth in interests outside the umbrella of our program, Youth Impact participants in team sports according to participant interest and available funding. For the past few years we have participated in boys baseball and girls softball on an annual basis.
Gear Up
Gear-Up is a federally funded program for 8th graders designed to promote preparation for college and scholastic success. This is our second year of a six year grant that follows our students through their junior high and high school years. Weekly sessions are held on wednesday nights from 5:30 p.m.-6:30 p.m.. The sessions include community projects, presentations from various community agencies on topics such as stress management and coping skills. Grade checks , tracking , and homework recovery are also offered.
Youth Impact Student Council
Youth Impact Student Council is made up of our students grades 8th-12th. These participants are appointed by staff members to serve on this council that oversees service projects, high yield learning activities, fundraiser's, and in-house activities at our facility. To qualify participants must have a strong academic showing, as well as excellent school attendance and citizenship. Our council meets thursday nights from 5:30 p.m.-6:30 p.m.
Transition Program
Our Youth in Transition program is designed to provide our participants with an acclamation to various trades, social skills and job opportunities; more importantly it will offer our youth daily needed resources, mentoring, and individual care that every individual needs to succeed. Just as important, we have been awarded needed resources to continue working with the young adults who have come through our program and are now facing the world at large.
This organization believes that we should not re-invent the wheel just to spend money. The ADF/Bank of Utah Youth in Transition is a introductory to the many trades available to the youth, while emphasizing the importance of personal skills and traits. We pay special attention to preparing our youth for future employment opportunities and the personal traits that coincide with the work place. We also provide our participants with introductory classes facilitated by local businesses and knowledgeable individuals in their Field of employment. If one of our youth takes interest and truly wants to explore a trade in depth, our relationship with the Weber Basin Job Corps, the ATC and partnering agencies would allow for that. We have already established funding for scholarships and can provide the assistance and support as they move towards obtaining their goals.
In addition to broadening our participant's sights as to the many options out there, we place a major focus on resumes, interviews, basic appearance, social and communication skills. The reality is that most youth in their teens and early 20s have no real work experience to speak of. Employers are going to hire an individual with attention given to an interview, personal referrals, and their own perception of the young person sitting in front of them. We place the same emphasis on presentation skills and personal communication as we do the actual job specific skills.
