The David N. Dinkins Center

ABC's youth programs fill a critical gap for high-quality out-of-school services for New York City’s school-aged children. Year-round engaging services have been specifically designed to reach children and adolescents who are overlooked by traditional youth programs and to meet the needs of boys and girls who are homeless, emotionally disturbed, have severe disabilities and are medically fragile. The primary goal of ABC's youth programs is to ensure that each and every one of our children knows the kinds of joyful experiences that most American youngsters take for granted. Children are filled to the brim with dignity and respect and discover inner strengths, innate talents and their own bright futures.

During the school year, ABC's Therapeutic After School Program provides the structure, encouragement and consistency that vulnerable children need to become adept in social settings, to be able to concentrate on the task at hand, and above all, to play creatively and fairly and learn with delight, pride and a sense of accomplishment. While the focus of the after school program is therapeutic, the program is also designed to help children reach an academic level equivalent to that of their classmates by offering individualized attention and support to each child. By advocating for children, ABC also helps to guarantee that those with special educational needs receive the school-based academic and therapeutic services to which they are entitled. Experienced youth professionals act as liaisons between the school and the home and work closely with the children’s parents to assess needs and evaluate progress. 85 children are enrolled this year.

Los Compalles (“The Buddies”), ABC’s mentoring program for disadvantaged children, introduces 20 school-aged boys and girls to devoted adults from the community, the corporate world and academia who become linchpins in their lives. The program includes tutoring and group activities which take place in the hours after school and on Saturdays. The children have adults who really care about them, about the details of their lives, their struggles, their small victories, their sometimes devastating defeats and the choices they make.

Rosie and Harry’s Camp, ABC’s therapeutic Summer Day Camp, provides two months of fun-filled activities and ensures 100 at-risk children the opportunity to have a safe outlet for their youthful energies. Children are encouraged to learn new games, discover new sights and sounds, practice their favorite sports, create beautiful works of art, make music, tell funny jokes, run as fast as they can, dance, enjoy nature hikes, swim, jump rope, shoot a basketball – in short, have a great time. Activities and daily outings include: trips to the NY Aquarium, The Harlem YMCA Pool, Bronx Zoo, Harlem Meer, Museum of Natural History, Central Park Zoo, Liberty Science Center, Green Meadow Farms, Children’s Museum, Coney Island, Chelsea Piers, Rye Play Land, The Circle Line, The Planetarium, Randall’s Island and Yankee Stadium. While the camp’s main goal is to ensure our children enjoy a safe and fun-filled summer, counselors also promote the inculcation of those social and group skills that children will need to succeed.

Teen Groups and Youth Service Clubs are offered for adolescents and teens ages 13 to 21 and introduce various activities and themes throughout the year based on the interests of the children. Activities include drama, dance, soccer, poetry, basketball, football, fishing as well as computer and math clubs which meet in Echo Park’s Technology Center.

ABC’s newest program for youth, the Youth Leadership Development Group, is made up of teenagers who meet on a regular basis to facilitate and monitor community service projects. Working with a dedicated ABC staff member, participants learn the significance of personal responsibility while gaining valuable decision-making, organizational, leadership and teamwork skills. A Youth Council also serves as the youth counterpart to ABC’s Policy Council.

ABC’s full-time, on-site internship program prepares over 60 vocationally-bound, high school students with significant disabilities for the world of work by offering them hands-on experience in infant care, early childhood education, library arts and culinary arts training in Baked in the ‘Hood’s production kitchen. Students also gain administrative and clerical technical skills as well as experience in building repair and maintenance.

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