Empowering youth to choose wisely, to build healthy relationships, and to find their voices creates a foundation for youth to succeed in school, in their future careers, and in relationships, and to thrive into adulthood.
YW3CA’s Youth Empowerment Program works with youth—and their families—to help them make the healthy choices that will follow them throughout their lives. What began as simple nutrition and fitness education for girls, Youth Empowerment Program has grown to include enrichment, leadership, and empowerment for girls, interactive cooking classes for families, and fitness for preschool children.
Connect with us today at: YEP@ywcatricountyarea.org
Virtual & In-Person Programs Available!
YEP Programs
The Game Changers Program focuses on career exploration, mentorship, and a social emotional dive into masculinity program through sports. (Basketball, Floor Hockey, Soccer, Dodgeball)
WHAT
Game Changers will learn:
- the tools to become more peaceful & balanced.
- to see themselves as powerful & capable of actualizing their full potential.
- improved self-awareness, self-respect & self-regulation.
- to process emotions & thoughts with peers & staff in healthy, supportive, & realistic ways.
- combined with a number of different and fun sports activities
WHERE
YWCA Tri-County Area
315 King St Pottstown, PA
WHEN
Saturdays, February 5th, 12th, 19th, and 26th- 11 AM – 1 PM
Students may attend an individual sessions or all four
WHAT
Boys to Men’tors learn:
- tools to become more peaceful and balanced
- to see themselves as powerful and capable of actualizing their full potential
- improved self-awareness, self-respect and self-regulation
- to process emotions and thoughts with peers and staff in healthy, supportive, and realistic ways
WHERE
Owen J. Roberts High School
WHEN
Program Starting Soon!!
OJR High School after school from 2:15 – 4:00pm
Programs are FREE to Park Springs Students
Email Ken Trusty for questions: ktrusty@ywcatricountyarea.org
WHAT
- a trauma-informed, self-development focus engaging girls in leadership, career exploration, civic engagement, advocacy development and self-care
- strong focus on academic self-efficacy and networking
- educating young women to become informed advocates in their communities working together to create change
financial empowerment with an emphasis on college exploration
WHERE
Pottstown High School, Owen J. Roberts High School & Pottsgrove High School
(As young women show an interest we will help them form a new Chapter at their high school)
WHEN
Starting in November: One Sunday each month to gather with other 9th -12th grade young women for mentorship, service & learning opportunities.
WHAT
A program for 4th-6th grade girls packed full of all things GIRL.
Fitting in, Managing Stress and Frustration, Relationships, Body Image, Staying Healthy, Getting and Staying fit, Working out with friends, Planning for the future today, Prizes, Crafts, and MORE! Dress comfortably & wear sneakers! Sessions include FUN fitness!
WHERE
Virtual & In-Person Programming Available! Register with the general registration link for Zoom.
WHEN
Pottstown, Pottsgrove, Owen J. Roberts School Districts:
1st Wednesdays: Virtual – 6:00 – 7:30pm
3rd Wednesdays: In-Person – 6:00 – 8:00pm
WHAT
Program for 7th and 8th grade filled with all things healthy GIRL! If relationships, body image, making healthy choices, cooking, getting fit, fitting in, managing stress and frustration, and planning for your future interest you, we want to hear what you have to say!
WHERE
Virtual & In-Person Programming Available! Students MUST attend the school listed to participate in the in-person program.
Register with the general registration link for Zoom.
WHEN
Pottstown School District:
Thursdays: Virtual – 2:30 – 3:30p
Pottsgrove School District:
Mondays: 6th Graders during 9th Period
Tuesdays: 7th & 8th Graders during 9th Period
Owen J. Roberts School District:
Thursdays: Virtual – 3:45 – 4:45p
WHAT
Embrace your true self and find your VOICE. Girls Take the Lead nurtures both your physical and mental health to help you understand your connection to the world around you. Discussions from politics, to social justice, to authenticity and communication help girls become the leaders of tomorrow. What’s not to love?
WHERE
Virtual & In-Person Programming Available! Students MUST attend the school listed to participate in the in-person program.
Register with the general registration link for Zoom.
WHEN
Pottstown School District:
Thursdays: 9th-12th Graders from 7 pm – 8 pm
Pottsgrove School District:
Wednesdays: 9th-12th Graders from 1 pm – 2 pm
Owen J. Roberts School District:
Mondays: 9th-12th Graders from 3:30 – 4:30pm
Summer Camps
Summer of Justice Camp for 2022 is now closed- Thank you for a great summer!
Open to rising 6th – 8th grade students:
M-Th, July 11 – 14 | 9AM – 3PM at OJR District Campus
Open to rising 9th – 12th grade students:
M – Th, July 18 – 21 | 9AM – 3PM at Albright College/SRI
All Camps Include:
Field Trips, Lunch, & T-shirt / $200 per student
Limited Spots Available
- To register and pay for camp, please follow the steps below:
- Please visit: www.tinyurl.com/ywyouthempowerment to register your student for the week of Summer of Justice desired. Follow the prompts and provide all information. You will receive an email confirming registration of your student.
- For Payment: Select the button “Summer of Justice Payment” below. Please note that we are aware language on the following page refers to payment for our Early Education Center. Due to system constraints, we are unable to change the verbiage at this time. Payment will be noted for Summer of Justice camp through this portal. Please be sure to enter your student’s name in the “Youngest Child’s Name” field.
Questions or issues? Please reach out to yep@ywcatricountyarea.org.
Please note that registration is complete once you have both provided payment and visited the link to register your student. You will receive a confirmation email with further details after both steps have been taken.
C2 Camp is comprised of multiple local youth service providers and is lead by Tri-County Community Network. The camp is designed in cooperation with Pottstown School District to serve students in 5th-8th grade.
For six weeks, students get learn, have fun, and grow through activities such as tennis, gardening, health and wellness, cooking, financial management, achievement and leadership, art and reading!
YWCA Tri-County Area’s (YW3CA) Youth Empowerment Program uses Cooking Matter’s curricula to provide in-person nutrition education that equips participants with the skills to shop strategically and choose healthier foods in order to prepare balanced meals.
The aim of the program is to empower individuals and families to stretch their food budget so everyone gets healthy meals at home. This program has taken place on-site at a grocery store, as a pop-up shop at the mall, conference, expo or school. It can also be run as a one-time 1 – 1.5 hr program.
During the session, participants are empowered with four key food skills:
– Reading food labels
– Comparing unit prices
– Understand how grocery stores are organized
– Finding whole grain foods and hidden sugars
– Identifying where and how to purchase healthy foods
Family Cooking Matters is a program focused on physical education, stress reduction techniques, and nutrition education. Through direct instruction about nutrition, cooking techniques, and meal preparation, the goal is for families and children to learn about eating a variety of healthy foods, how to listen to their body’s nutrition needs, and to start to recognize foods that are better choices for a healthy body.
Family Cooking Matters will be offered to parents and children in six-week sessions. Each session will encourage parents and children to plan and prepare healthy meals and snacks together. The sessions help families plan their meals on a budget while also teaching families:
– How to read labels for micro and macro nutrients,
– How to look for hidden sugars,
– What healthy vs. unhealthy fats are,
– How to understand and compare unit prices,
– Find where healthy foods are located in their local stores.
Stay Connected!
Middle school years are a time of big change for all kids and their families. It’s easy for families to get disconnected as kids grow and other demands pull families apart. Healthy, strong family relationships are foundational to young people’s growth, learning, and well-being. These relationships build strong social and emotional strengths that kids use throughout their lives.
YWCA Tri-County Area (YW3CA)’s Youth Empowerment Program offers an interactive workshop series called Keep Connected, a program through the Search Institute, for middle school parents and youth to help them prepare for the changes they will be facing as they enter into the teen years. Keep Connected helps all kinds of families build healthy, strong relationships through ideas, activities, and experiences.
This program is designed for middle schoolers and their guardians – students who are in 5th – 7th grades. Typically sessions include 6-classes, Keep Connected focuses on bolstering communication and connectedness between the parent/guardian and their student/child. Often offered with a meal, the session aims to:
– Discover five keys to powerful parent-teen relationships.
– Learn practical ways to show care, support, and challenge as they — grow.
– Try ways to share power with your child, even when it’s not -comfortable.
– Explore new possibilities for children and their futures.
– Celebrate your family’s journey together into the teen years.