Kansas City Urban Youth Center

2740 Troost
Kansas City, MO 64109
phone: 816-221-1002
website: www.kcurbanyouthcenter.org

KCUYC Summer Camp participants will be:
1. Equipped to make healthy choices (in their eating, exercise, activities, and relationships).
2. Educated through math and literacy program.
3. Participating in the maintenance of KCUYC’s Community Garden.
4. Widely exposed to cultural, artistic, and environmental experiences enriching their understanding and experience in the urban context.

A typical day at the KCUYC Summer Camp will include:
1. A healthy snack or meal
2. Physical activity opportunities
3. Math, reading, and language arts classes
4. Relationship building with caring adult mentors
5. Swimming and field trips
In the summer of 2010, KCUYC will begin programming at a third site – most likely Friendship Village, in the 64130 zip code of Kansas City, Missouri – this includes the KCUYC Summer Camp. The camp will be offered to the children and youth that reside within this Section 8 community. It is anticipated that approximately 20 new youth will participate in the summer camp through this new partnership.

In the summer of 2010, KCUYC will begin programming at a third site in the Rosedale Ridge Apartments. Rosedale Ridge is the first KCUYC site in Kansas City, KS. In this first year of programming at Rosedale Ridge, KCUYC will offer a shortened version of the summer camp experience. The camp will be offered to the children and youth that reside within this Section 8 community. It is anticipated that approximately 20 new youth will participate in the summer camp through this new partnership.

Kansas City Urban Youth Center works in partnership with Nazarene Compassionate Ministries, APEX program who provides organizational and program oversight and review.

Results:
In the summer of 2009, over one hundred and fifty youth participated in our summer programs at our Troost and East Hills locations. A strong partnership with Children’s Mercy Hospital allowed us to implement the Healthy Habits curriculum at both of our sites. This curriculum explores topics such as the importance of eating breakfast and decreasing TV time in a series of six lessons. Students at the Troost site also engaged in physical activity twice a week at Calvary Community Wellness Center. Students at East Hills Village participated in the Hip Hop academy which included training in Hip Hop dance. Students at both sites were given daily opportunities to engage in physical activity through basketball, active video games, swimming, and recreational games.

In addition, to a nutrition and physical activity focus, our community garden became a source of learning and much needed produce throughout the spring and summer. Our students planted a garden and fall garden and harvested lettuce, spinach, potatoes, carrots, peas, and basil, tomatoes, peppers, green beans, and cucumbers. In June, we were honored to participate in the Kansas City Center for Urban Agriculture’s Urban Farm and Garden Tour. Our students were involved not only educating tour participants about our garden but were guest speakers at the Central Library for the youth led seminar “Youth Growing Greens”.

The students involved in the Accelerated Reader program increased on average one grade level in their reading ability during the 8 week camp.