Youth Programs
Encourage young people to engage in self-discovery
YWCA of Southwestern Illinois youth programs are designed to encourage young people to engage in self-discovery and build meaningful relationships with peers while empowering them to be the change agent for their futures.
YWCA of Southwestern Illinois provides access to youth programs and services at little or no cost to families.
Whether it is Community Tutoring, Boys Council, Girls Circle, or other activities, YWCA of Southwestern Illinois programming supports the healthy development of our youth while providing opportunities to connect with others and increase awareness of social justice issues connected to YWCA of Southwestern Illinois mission.
Riverbend Reading
-
Riverbend Reading
Riverbend Reading Club is designed bring struggling readers and writers to grade level in a small, relaxed environment. YWCA utilizes the renowned Fontas & Pinnel Leveled Literacy Curriculum which supplements local school district’s curriculum. Students are grouped with other students at similar reading levels into small groups. Sessions run Monday through Thursday, 3 pm – 5pm and each session lasts approximately 45 minutes. YWCA is offering Riverbend Reading Club at two locations --- our 3rd St location in Alton and at the Alton Housing Oakwood Resource Center.
Community Tutoring
-
What is Community Tutoring?
Research shows students lose approximately two months’ worth of reading and math skills over the summer according to Oxford Learning. To combat this issue, YWCA of Southwestern Illinois hosts an annual Community Tutoring Program during the summer.
The Community Tutoring program is aimed at preventing summer learning loss in reading and math offered in the summer for children grades K-6. Coordinated by Candice Wallace, the Community Tutoring program is staffed with certified local teachers and local volunteers, including area high school students.
The program includes once a week instruction for a total of six weeks. Instruction is divided by each grade level and is limited to 10 children in each class to keep students engaged and focused on learning. Children receive reading and math instruction, lunch, and an enrichment activity each instructional session.
The Community Tutoring program yields positive results for students’ learning attitudes and confidence levels, while also being very popular with area youth.
Please check back closer to summer for sign up information!
Boys Council
-
Boys Council
The Council is a free strength based group approach to promote boys' safe and healthy passage through pre-teen and adolescent years boys ages 10 -16. The Council meets a core developmental need in boys for strong, positive relationships. In this structured environment, boys gain the vital opportunity to address masculine definitions and behaviors and build their capacities to find their innate value and create good lives--both individually and collectively.
In weekly sessions, a group of no more than 12 boys meet with a facilitator for two hours. The group format includes warm up activities, a "Council" format check in, experiential activities that address relevant topics, and a reflection and group dialogue component. The focused activities include group challenges, games, skits, role playing, journaling . . . Topics address healthy competition, playing fair, dealing with bullies, accepting differences, valuing diversity, safe expressions of emotions, gaining and using power constructively, influences of mentors and role models, rejecting violence, becoming allies with girls and women, mentoring others, and making safe and healthy decisions in their relationships and for themselves.
-
When boys have an opportunity to develop a team spirit, participate in group activities, express ideas and examine feelings, and make decisions in a safe, non-judgmental community, their resiliency is strengthened. The Council encourages understanding, critical thinking skills, price and unity as boys grow towards young manhood.
The Council meets on Thursdays, from 4:30 pm to 6:30 pm, at YWCA of Southwestern Illinois. Alton Housing Authority will provide transportation for kids from Oakwood and Alton Acres to YWCA of Southwestern Illinois and drop them back off. Kids will be picked up from each center at both housing sites.
You can email programs@ywcaswil.org or call 618-465-7774 with any questions.
Girls Circle
-
What is Girls Circle?
The Girls Circle model, a structured support group for girls and youth who identify with female development from 9-18 years, integrates relational theory, resiliency practices, and skills training in a specific format designed to increase positive connection, personal and collective strengths, and competence in girls.
YWCA of Southwestern Illinois, using the Girls Circle Curriculum, aims to counteract social and interpersonal forces that impede girls’ growth and development by promoting an emotionally safe setting and structure within which girls can develop caring relationships and use authentic voices.
-
Learn More About Girls Circles in the Riverbend
YWCA of Southwestern Illinois has utilized several local women as Facilitators: Felicia Alexander, Alton Middle School staff person, Jessica Everage, Masters in Social Work, and Sherry McGrady, Masters in Psychological Counseling. The Friendship and Being a Girl Guides have been successfully used by the various Circles. New Guides will be used in the future although all Girls Circles starting up will begin with the Friendship and Being a Girl units.
Community Boxing Club
Alton Community Boxing Club recently announced its partnership with - and relocation to - YWCA of Southwestern Illinois. The boxing club’s Co-founder and Vice President Kaletha Anderson described the nonprofit organization as a “family,” mentorship program, positive outlet for aggression, and much more.
Anderson said the Alton Community Boxing Club is much more than just a new sport or club - she described it as a “family.” They welcome members of all ages above 6, and Anderson said the older members often act as mentors for the younger ones.
“We wanted to bring something different to the kids and give them a second home, a place to feel safe, a place to let their aggression out, and also to discipline the aggression,” Anderson said. “I would describe it as a family. We teach - we don’t want it to just be considered a club. A lot of our older boxers, we have them come down early and do Big Brother partnerships with the younger kids,” she said.
The club provides everything from boxing gloves to lunch money for those in need.
People Boxing, Racial Justice, YWCA Southwestern Illinois