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Since it was founded in
1954, PCYC has recognized and enhanced the strengths and abilities
of over 100,000 people, mostly youth, through many high quality
outcome-focused programs in education, social service, health and
wellness, youth development, family development, and community
revitalization.
Over 6,000 people, mostly
youths, participated last year.
Current programs include:
After
School and Summer Enrichment – Providing
academic, social and recreational learning experiences for
approximately 200 neighborhood children grades K-6 year-round
in non-school hours.
Alternative
High School
– Operating in North Minneapolis as a contract alternative
with
Minneapolis
Public Schools, and serving over 300 students
annually who have not been successful in the public school
setting. The PCYC Alternative School offers a basic,
state-mandated curriculum, working toward the achievement of a high
school diploma through small learning communities in cultural arts,
service learning and technology.
Community
Gatherings & Community Involvement – Opportunities for community members to come
together to celebrate, plan and learn.
The PCYC Neighbors is a semi-formal group functioning as a
neighborhood block club. Neighbors serve as program advisors,
helping to shape new initiatives for PCYC, the Capri Theater, and
the community. PCYC staff and students actively participate in
local initiatives to strengthen the community livability factors in
North Minneapolis.
Cultural
Arts – Offering various cultural activities for and by the
community and PCYC participants, centered in the historic Capri
Theater. The Capri is available to the community for
performances and other cultural events. The theater is also
home to PCYC's own cultural arts programming for children and youth
including Positive Cool, Saturday Family Movies and the summer
Theater Arts Institute for Children.
Friendship
groups- Helping nearly 600 elementary children yearly learn behavior
management and social skills and overcome isolation, offered at
Minneapolis elementary schools for over 30 years.
The
Health and Wellness Program- Providing comprehensive health care
and social work services for adolescents in the Alternative School,
including health self-assessment, vision and hearing screening,
health education classes, fitness and nutrition activities, student
and family support services, a school-based health clinic, and a
pilot project teaching mind-body skills to help reduce the stress
and trauma in students' lives.
Rocking
Readers – Linking volunteers with kindergarten children to
introduce them to reading and conversation in one-to-one reading
sessions within the public schools. Lat year, 530 children in
seven elementary school sites built early literacy skills and
positive relationships with a caring adult.
Steep
(Steps towards Enjoyable and Effective Parenting) – Working
with first-time teen moms using an Attachment model to guide and
support them as they develop healthy relationships with their
infants and toddlers.
What the Community Has to
Say:
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A neighborhood mother :
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"I could never move out of this neighborhood because my kids
would miss PCYC too much. The staff is their second
family. What would we do without this special, safe
place for them to go after school and in the summer?"
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A 5-year-old participant:
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"I come because you know my name and are glad to see me
every time."
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A STEEP Mom
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“STEEP has been the most wonderful thing in my life.
It gave me back my self-esteem.
It made me believe that I could be a good mother.”
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A teen patient at the Health and Wellness Center
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“The
PCYC
clinic has done great things for me and other students.
The staff is great.
They’ve helped me through some really hard times.
And instead of missing school to go to the doctor, you
can be seen right at our school clinic.”
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Parent of Theater Arts Student
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“My son is more confident and doing better in school, and I
attribute it to the PCYC Theater Arts program.”
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