After-School Programs

Science, Technology, Engineering & Math

Program Managers and Team Leaders work tirelessly to ensure children in our programs are engaged in math, science and technology in a meaningful way. Unfortunately, students across the U.S. are failing to meet the increasing demand for science, math and technology literacy. According to Jill Tucker of the San Francisco Chronicle, “Just 1 out of every 100 U.S. schoolchildren excels at science”. Right now, other major industrialized countries like Finland, Singapore and China are out educating America. Economists add that the math and science gap is costing the U.S. billions in lost revenue and innovation. So how does America get back in the game? Luckily, the Center finds that children become more proficient in science and math if they are offered opportunities to apply knowledge through inquiry-based or project-based learning. These hands-on opportunities incorporate math and science through: gardening, cooking, nutrition, architecture & construction, robotics, green technology and so much more. Each project is supported through partnerships with organizations like UC Davis, DeVry University, A.C.E. Mentoring, NASA, FIRST Robotics, SMUD and the Sierra Health Foundation. We welcome community members to visit our after-school programs and take part in the excitement of learning science, math and technology.

Literacy Development

Health & Wellness

America’s obesity problem is no secret.  The Center aims to help Sacramento's youth trim down by promoting needs comprehensive lifestyle change.  To achieve this goal and to promote healthy lifestyles, The Center reaches youth and their families through athletics, nutrition education, tobacco control and education, drug & alcohol prevention, culinary arts, gardening and agricultural entrepreneurship.  Hiram Johnson High School, for example, was recently funded through the United Way to initiate an obesity prevention program.  The program incorporates a health and wellness center staffed by doctors, nurses and nutritionists who provide affordable healthcare at the school site.  Besides participating in nutrition education workshops focused on behavioral and lifestyle change, students will also paired with a personal trainer to help them develop a weight loss plan.  The Center’s healthy lifestyle community partners include Fresh Producers, UC Davis, Sierra Health Foundation, Home Depot and the California Department of Public Health.

Career & College Preparation

The Center finds that by the time youth reach high school they are eager and ready to prepare for college and participate in the economy. To help them achieve their goals, the Center operates job training and youth employment programs, SAT & FAFSA workshops and partners with local colleges to offer free courses. Each year, nearly a hundred youth from Sacramento high schools are trained and employed in meaningful jobs. At four of our high school programs, 100’s of underserved youth take part in free SAT / ACT preparation, receive advice on the college application process and assistance with the Federal Aide application. In addition to the application process, junior and senior high school students are offered free lower-division classes at Sacramento State University, Sacramento City College and DeVry University where they earn high school and college credits.

Learning to Serve

Connecting youth to their communities through socially responsible projects is a win-win endeavor: communities are improved and students become better citizens. The Center achieves this by guiding youth through ambitious, long-term service learning projects and smaller community service activities. In the summer of 2010, for example, nearly 350 young adults participated in service learning projects across Sacramento. These projects included building community gardens, identifying contaminated watersheds, training first responders and educating the community about the benefits of green technology & renewable energy. Participants logged an astonishing 35,000 hours of service on their projects.

Visual & Performing Arts

With deep budget cuts across the state, often, the first programs to go on the chopping block are the visual and performing arts.  This is unfortunate because the arts teach children to think deeply.  In artistic expression, students consider abstract concepts and concrete subject matter.  Art becomes a vessel for youth to communicate their emotions in a positive manner through visual, musical or physical expression.  Creative thinking also encourages youth to develop unique solutions to common problems.  Because of the passionate requests of students and parents, the Center is pleased to bring visual and performing arts back to schools.  Across Sacramento, students can participate in drama productions, hip-hop dance, textile and sewing design, digital media arts as well as choir & opera programs.

Cultural Appreciation & Development

Sacramento has a complex and rich history of immigration and settlement, resulting in enclaves with unique ethnicities, languages and customs.  The Center values Sacramento’s diversity and works to include the myriad of ethnicities throughout the region.  Our mission is to work with local communities and assist them with social empowerment and cultural appreciation.  To work toward our mission, The Center’s ethnically diverse Board of Directors provides thoughtful leadership for our organization.  In addition, we actively recruit talented bilingual and bicultural employees who connect to the unique character of Sacramento.  Program Managers and Team Leaders help facilitate clubs, leadership programs, college conferences and cultural celebrations.  Student clubs include Hmong, Mien, Vietnamese, Polynesian and Chinese Culture Clubs as well as Latinos Unidos and Black Student Unions.  We encourage all community members to visit and take part in many of our community celebrations.