About Us - YES Center, Inc

About Us

ABOUT THE YES CENTER

The Youth Enrichment Services (YES) Center was acquired to provide a home for a collaborative community effort to provide opportunities for the children of Grand Ledge to grow into responsible and caring adults by using four basic principles:

Sense of belonging. Youth feel welcome and that they fit in and are accepted by their peers.

Competence. Youth acquire new skills by participating in leadership and social recreational opportunities.

Usefulness. Youth gain the satisfaction of doing something of value for others by being actively involved in their community.

Sense of power & influence. Youth are empowered by being part of an environment where their opinions are heard and valued.

MISSION

The mission of the YES Center is to facilitate the development of collaborative, locally based initiatives which serve to improve the safety, health and quality of life for all Grand Ledge area youth. The activities of the YES Center are intended to promote the following goals:

To implement action strategies which will decrease the incidence of problems related to alcohol, tobacco and other drug use by Grand Ledge area youth, and the incidents of problems associated with inadequate processes of conflict resolution.
To promote the development of assets among Grand Ledge area youth so that they become contributing adult citizens in the communities where they live.
To empower youth to make decisions to participate in the community as equal partners with adults.
To create an environment that provides enrichment, security, and learning during selected hours when school is not in session.
To identify potential funding sources and to pursue opportunities to obtain additional funding to support the mission of the YES Center.

HISTORY

In late 2001 the Grand Ledge Alliance for Quality Education sought to open a youth center in order to provide a safe place for youth to go during after-school hours. Through a collaborative effort between businesses, schools and students, they succeeded in establishing the Youth Enrichment Services (YES) Center.

In 2002, the YES Center partnered with the Grand Ledge Alliance for Quality Education and the City of Grand Ledge to obtain funding from the Department of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention's (OJJDP) Title V program in an effort to reduce underage use of alcohol, tobacco and other drugs.