Youth Services Programs

Model Cities’ Youth Service Programs offer a structured multi-disciplinary academic enrichment and leadership development for serving youth between the ages of 13 and 19 years old. The majority of participants are youth of color and come from low to moderate-income families and otherwise many may not have the opportunity to engage in positive development activities. Model Cities’ Youth Services responds to three specific issues facing high risk youth; recidivism rate in the young people, increased dropout rates, and achievement gaps based on race/ethnicity.

The Service Programs geared towards facing these specific three issues are as followed:

• Juvenile Detention Alternative Initiative/Alternative To Detention (JDAI/ATD)
• Youth Enrichment Service (YES)

JDAI program is a collaboration of Ramsey County Youth Services, Ramsey County Community Corrections Juvenile Division and Model Cities Inc of St. Paul. The goal of the program is to improve public safety and long-term outcomes for juveniles in Ramsey County by; 1) Reducing the number of juveniles in secure detention, 2) Eliminating the disproportionate representation of juveniles of color in secure detention, 3) Achieving systemic reform of juvenile detention practices and, 4) Developing appropriate and effective detention alternatives for juveniles who should not be held in secure detention.

YES program provides structured evidence-based programming for up to 50 youth. Youth engage in learning experiences that are both educational and fun. YES offers a continuum of academic and enrichment services out of school times both on and off-site. The YES program coordinates programming with other youth serving organizations throughout the community. This contributes to increasing youth’s access to a wider range of services. Improving graduation rates; and post secondary education enrollment of underrepresented youth. Model Cities Youth Service Programs are more than an extension to the usual school day.

Services offered by the Youth Programs:

• Community Coaches
  Community leaders whom are specialized in providing short-term individualized supervision to youth whom has had previous offenses. Community Coaches ultimate goal is to minimize the risk of youth re-offending by ensuring that they complete their court ordered obligations, connecting them to educational opportunities and making the necessary referrals for further assistance.
• Contractual Consultants
• Life Skills Development
  Helps young people learn important decision-making skills, build self-esteem and adopt a positive self-image.
• Economic Literacy
  Introduces youth to basic financial concepts including money
• Work Readiness
  Personal appearance and personal presentation, establishing rapport, social basics and help with preparation of resumes.
• College Preparation and Career Exploration
  Offers opportunities for teens to learn about the college entrance process, tuition and scholarship opportunities, selecting college majors, college tours and exploring career options.
• Community Service and Socialization
  Promote civic responsibility, leadership development, enhance cultural awareness, and increase job development skills while also teaching youth to find meaningful ways to “give back” and fill idle time.
• Tutoring and Homework Assistance
  Staff with the assistance of contract educators and interns providing one hour of homework assistance and/or individualized tutoring in the areas of math, science and English/language arts each day.
• Summer Programming
  Operates during the summer months and offers youth the opportunity to engage in a variety of educational opportunities, socialization and recreational activities.