YSS prepares youth to make healthy choices through prevention and education programs relating to substance use, adolescent pregnancy, and suicide prevention. These services provide early awareness, intervention, and out-of-classroom support to give youth the tools they need to stay on the right path.

Programs include:
Substance Use Prevention
Adolescent Pregnancy Prevention
Suicide Prevention

YSS prepares youth to make healthy choices through prevention and education programs relating to substance use, adolescent pregnancy, and suicide prevention. These services provide early awareness, intervention, and out-of-classroom support to give youth the tools they need to stay on the right path.

Programs include:
Substance Use Prevention
Adolescent Pregnancy Prevention
Suicide Prevention

Linn County Peer Group Program is free for Linn County children enrolled in the Cedar Rapids School System. This program provides quality programming to youth with low self-esteem and inadequate social interaction skills through the use of social/recreational activities and positive peer group identification. Attendance has shown to improve communication skills, social skills, life skills and build solid friendships.

An organization dedicated solely to girls in an accepting and nurturing environment, where girls can build character and skills for success in the real world. In partnership with committed adults, girls can develop qualities that will serve them all their lives--strong values, social conscience, and conviction about their own potential and self-worth.

Offers the Young Emerging Scientists program which provides STEM workshops where girls can learn using hands on experience. Each session is designed to challenge the participant to complete a project and links the work back to a STEM career. There are 8-10 STEM workshops within a year (2-3 in the Spring, 4 in the Summer and 2 in the Fall).

Offers recreation programs and services to the residents of Des Moines. Parks, trails and public recreation facilities are available throughout the city.

The Recreation Division offers instruction in various sports as well as youth sports camps, outdoor aquatic centers and spray grounds. Red Cross swimming instruction is also available at some facilities. GRASP card offers discounts to low income families (up to 50% off).

Community Centers offer a variety of activities, open recreation, meeting space and are barrier free to allow for participation by persons with a disability. See individual listing for Community Centers.

Parks Division includes cemeteries, floral gardens and displays, golf courses, tennis courts, bike trails, picnic parks and shelters, swimming pools, and public boat ramps.

Provides before and after school programs, family support programs, early childhood education, and youth programs.

Enrichment programs provide the foundation of self-sufficiency and self-awareness to become leaders in the community. These workshops enrich youth with leadership, life and social skills enabling them to becoming valuable assets and effective leaders in society. BLA Leadership in Action 101 curriculum also enriches the lives of their families with community connections, resources and additional services. BLA's Leadership in Action 101 aims to extend academic successes through character learning that ensures the participants successfully plan, manage and implement leadership skills in a community, as well as in an academic setting.

The Teen Empowerment initiatives take youth off the streets after school and on the weekends when acts of mischief, crime, or violence can occur. Younger youth, who are eager to grow up, are especially vulnerable. Banister's Teen Empowerment projects, the Youth Advocacy Leadership Boards, The Night L.I.F.E.(Leadership in Fun Environment) and the Levels of Leadership Support provide strong role models and guidance as youth develop. Staff foster individual leadership styles to help youth understand human relations issues and to discover their role and responsibilities in the classroom, community and workplace.

Throughout their journey, youth will examine and share their personal values, traditions and beliefs while working together to create a healthy community. Youth will learn about themselves and each other to create a deeper understanding, awareness, and knowledge of how to articulate issues of difference such as, race, culture, faith, gender, age, ability, sexual orientation and class. In addition to these valuable life skills, youth also earn a renewed sense of confidence, and will be able to identify and confront the biases, prejudices, and deep-rooted issues that may emerge in their student, personal and professional lives.

Acting classes for adults and children of all ages, plus dance and voice classes. Summer camps and academies for youth; call for information on dates and age eligibility.

The Heart- Housing Education and Rehabilitation Training Program is a broad-based community partnership providing at-risk school students with opportunities to complete their high school diploma through a non-traditional classroom and service learning experience

City Life is a faith based, after school youth program offering tutoring and recreational activities for middle and high school students. Open to 11-19 year olds. Provides a relational, holistic, community-based ministry in which City Life teams raise up indigenous leaders from the young people living in the community.

Students meet weekly after school on Tuesday and Thursday afternoons for a family-style meal, games, activities, and discussion at The Underground City Life Teen Center.

Offers a variety of sports and physical education, summer program and other activities for youth. Rents a room for parties and events and offers volunteer opportunities.

Provides leadership education and development opportunities using the 7 Habits of Highly Effective People to help PreK-12th grade students develop the leadership and employability skills they need to succeed in school and after graduation.

Promotes the spiritual, mental, physical, and social development of American Indian and Alaska Native youth and to help build a strong, unified, and self-reliant Native America through greater youth involvement. The heart of UNITY is its affiliated youth councils which are sponsored by tribes, Alaska Native villages, high schools, colleges, and urban organizations. The UNITY Network consists of more than 320 diverse youth councils in 35 states. Year round Youth leadership programs offer training, opportunities and experience to include National UNITY Council, Executive Committee, Earth Ambassadors, 25 Under 25 Leaders, Healing Indigenous Lives Initiative Peer Guides, Wellness Warriors and UNITY News.

An organization dedicated solely to girls in an accepting and nurturing environment, where girls can build character and skills for success in the real world. In partnership with committed adults, girls can develop qualities that will serve them all their lives--strong values, social conscience, and conviction about their own potential and self-worth.

Offers a variety of sports and physical education, summer program and other activities for youth. Rents a room for parties and events and offers volunteer opportunities.

Character building classes help develop strong communication and leadership skills, grow their minds and explore God's Word, while having fun and connecting with their peers. Dinner is served during this event.

Offers programs to youth that help them stay in school, learn life skills, prepare for the workplace, and develop healthy relationships. K-12th after school and summer programs include tutoring, after-school activities, meals, job training, and Bible studies. Young adult programs for ages 18-25 include job training, life skill classes, discipleship, educational assistance, and goal setting.

Before and after school programs provide students a range of services including academic assistance from classroom teachers and a wide array of enrichment and recreation programs from a series of community partners in science, the arts, career awareness, character education, and more.

Youth services provides courses on topics including first aid for children, disaster preparedness, water safety, and babysitting for children. Also offers youth volunteer opportunities and service learning projects for middle and high school students.

City Life is a faith based, after school youth program offering tutoring and recreational activities for middle and high school students. Open to 11-19 year olds. Provides a relational, holistic, community-based ministry in which City Life teams raise up indigenous leaders from the young people living in the community.

Students meet weekly after school on Tuesday and Thursday afternoons for a family-style meal, games, activities, and discussion at The Underground City Life Teen Center.

Provides Latinx students with programs and support services to achieve higher education and career goals, develop leadership and civic engagement skills, and to nurture well-being through cultural identity development.

Provides opportunities for children to learn, practice, and perform drumming, dance, drill and tumbling skills, while supporting their educational and character development.