Youth Development
Hope’s Youth Development Programming
Hope Communities provides youth development programming that aims to benefit children cognitively, socially, physically, and emotionally. It is imperative that youth feel safe and bond with our staff, build healthy relationships and establish trusted community connections. Our youngest residents (along with their parents) are invited to take advantage of a program aimed to prepare families for kindergarten. To support school-aged academic achievement, after-school homework help is offered for children to focus on their daily homework assignments. Group activities, field trips and presentations are provided to strengthen personal and social relationships, teach critical thinking skills and provide opportunity for youth to develop healthy food and lifestyle choices. Several clubs also serve to mentor youth. Additional enrichment opportunities are offered while students are out of school, such as camps, Scouts, volleyball club, Girls On The Run, and Tae Kwon Do in summer and winter.


After-school Educational Enrichment Programs (EEP)
Occurring after school and during school breaks, this program helps children gain essential skills leading to academic success, greater self-confidence, healthy bodies, and strong relationships. Programs focus on supporting youth with academic achievement and remediating gaps through homework assistance and ongoing tutoring. Our out-of-school break programs include structured on-site activities, field trips and community engagement opportunities designed to broaden horizons, promote healthy peer relationships, and expose our youth to community organizations.
Youth Empowerment Group
This weekly youth engagement and leadership program was specifically requested by and is for refugee youth at our East Colfax property, Hidden Brook. These young individuals often face extraordinary challenges related to American social nuances, bridging practices and norms that honor their parents’ cultural expectations while pursuing their own needs, and attempting to integrate fully into the community. Additional factors such as prejudice and poverty aid in diminishing feelings of self-identity and self-worth and can inhibit their pathway to success. This program focuses on leadership development, career/education planning, social/emotional learning and stress management with the goal of building confident young community members who understand their value both to society and themselves.
