Programs
YES programs are developed with the understanding that every child is different, and we encourage children to explore their varied interests. Our After-school and Summer programs give children a safe place to play, hang out, study, play sports, develop social skills and learn moral values. Our Tutoring Program is staffed with volunteers who work with each child individually. We also offer classes in computer, math and English skills.
Chapel & Bible Classes
Each day our children participate in a chapel service where they have the opportunity to hear a positive message. This is a fun time for the kids to learn new songs, hear Bible stories, and learn memory verses. As a part of the Character Counts Initiative, we are trying to instill good moral values in the YES children. The most important thing that we do at YES is to plant a seed in a child’s heart.
Volunteer Opportunity: speak in chapel, teach a Bible class, lead singing
After-School & Summer Programs
Offered at all three locations weekday afternoons during the school year and all day during the summer months, Youth Encouragement Services’ organized programs provide a safe place to play, relax, do schoolwork, participate in sports, develop relational skills and learn moral values.
Volunteer Opportunity: spend time with kids, organize activities
Tutoring & Homework Assistance
Utilizing hundreds of volunteers from the business community and area colleges, children receive one-on-one homework assistance and tutoring in basic literacy, math and English. Sessions are held on Tuesday evenings. After each session, children enjoy a nutritious meal and are provided transportation home.
Summer Camp
Many children who grow up in public housing have never had the opportunity to explore outside their own neighborhood. Each year over 300 children are taken to one of our week-long sessions to experience the wonders of nature at a 17-acre camp in Joelton, TN.
Basketball League
YES fall and winter basketball program engages more than 350 children of all ages, with both boys and girls teams. Through the organized league play, children from public housing are given a positive outlet for their energy and a safe place to play basketball.
Volunteer Opportunity: volunteer coaches, work the concession stand, help with keeping score
Back to School Store
When the Metro schools discontinued providing basic school materials to disadvantaged children due to budget constraints, YES began its “Back to School” program to provide pencils, notebooks, paper, workbooks, etc. to children. Hundreds of children receive the school supplies and clothing that the desperately need to begin each new school year.
Volunteer Opportunity: organize school supply or clothing drives
Step Team
As part of the National Step Show Alliance, our children are taught step routines with a positive message from local college students and alumni. They participate in performances and traveling competitions throughout the year. To be a member of the YES Step Team, our children must exhibit excellence in behavior, academics, and attitude.
Arts/Cultural Programs
Because many low-income children don’t have access or exposure to the arts, YES has recently added an “Arts and Cultural Enrichment” program to bring the arts to them. YES has always incorporated art projects and music into our programs, but this new program will take us to a new level by bringing in several talented professionals to nurture the children’s interests and talents in three areas: art, music and drama.
Volunteer Opportunity: organize plays, build props, teach music or art
Christmas Store
Every year, YES parents are invited to attend our annual Christmas Store. Each family has the opportunity to select a complete outfit of new clothing and new toys for each child, regardless of how many children are in the home. Each family is also given a large box of groceries, including a ham or turkey for a Christmas dinner, as well as a gift card. Each year over 1,000 underprivileged children are served.
Volunteer Opportunity: organize toy, clothing, or food drives, sponsor an angel, help set-up the store, help work the day of the store, clean-up
Honor Roll Trip
Because only 14% of children in inner-city Nashville will graduate from high school, we offer academic incentives to our children to encourage them to stay in school and keep good grades.
Each year we take the kids that make their school’s honor roll (all As and Bs) twice during the school year on a 5-day trip. Honor Roll Trips in the past have been taken to Washington D.C., Atlanta, New York City, Chicago, and Minnesota. You should see how encouraged the kids are by our pride in their scholastic accomplishments and how hard they work during the year to make sure they are on the list to go!
Service Projects
By exposing our kids to service opportunities, we pray that the kids will grow in compassion and understanding of those areas where they can make the world better. Our children have participated in organized service projects such as yard work, painting houses and visiting the elderly. We have taken our teens on trips to do disaster relief. By fostering within them the desire to serve, we are encouraging them to embody the essence of Christ.
Volunteer Opportunity: help organize a service project for the YES children, chaperone
Wilderness Trek in Colorado
Because of the generosity of Wilderness Trek Christian Camp, our teens have an amazing opportunity to experience God’s creation in an unforgettable way. They spend a week in Colorado backpacking, camping, rappelling, and hiking to the summit of a 13,000 ft. mountain.
Computer Classes
Each of our three centers has a state-of-the-art computer lab. During the week our children participate in some type of computer training. The younger children love playing educational computer games. Our teens have learned important skills like designing their own newspaper, creating PowerPoint presentations, learning how to use Excel and more!
Field Trips
In order to expose the children that we serve to the world outside of inner city communities, we take them on field trips throughout the year. These field trips include sporting events, plays, museums, ballets, theme parks…we even take them to the opera!
Job Skills Training
Our goal at YES is be holistic – to give kids who don’t have opportunities and resources the same exposure and encouragement that other kids have, to put them on a level playing field so they can achieve successful lives. For this reason, throughout the year we inform our children of various trades through our job skills training program.
Volunteer Opportunity: teach a skill or trade to the YES children
Drug Prevention, Anger Management and Abstinence Classes
Throughout the year we will organize specific classes for our teens such as drug prevention, anger management and abstinence classes.
Various Activities
YES strives to utilize the talents and skills of our volunteers. Because of this, we have been able to organize various activities such as cooking classes, arts and crafts, rock-climbing lessons, gardening, photography, wood carving and more!
College Scholarships
Opportunities to attend college are unheard of for children from Nashville’s inner city. However, because of the generosity of YES supporters, our YES children are able to pursue their dreams because of YES college scholarships. For any of our children that want to further their education, we will find a way to get them to college. There are YES children that have applied for our college scholarships hoping their dreams will become a reality. Will you help us give a life-changing, odds-defying opportunity to these children?