HomeMy WebLinkAboutYOUTH SERVICES 2006 town report NORTH ANDOVER YOUTH SERVICES
ANNUAL TOWN REPORT
The Youth Services Department, under the direction of Rick Gorman,
continued to provide superior quality services and a full compliment of
programs despite a 25% cut in full time staffing in August 2006. The
programs consisted of support programs, court-related programming, student
leadership programs, family and individual services as well as a host of
social, recreational and adventure services. In 2006 the Youth Services
serviced 3400 youth.
The outstanding professional staff consists of Rick Gorman, Executive
Director, Ted Schruender, Program Coordinator and Jenn Conway, Support
Services Coordinator.
The Joseph N. Hermann Youth Center continues to thrive despite limited
town funding to operate the center. The center is open six days a week for
middle and high school aged youth. We have also built in time on Saturdays
for 4' and 5' graders to give them a feel for the center prior to middle
school.
Our extensive summer programming, services over 1000 youth. The eight
weeks during the summer are filled with camps, clinics, recreational
programs, playground programs, events and field trips. The Youth Services
is also responsible for Stevens Pond. The pond, which will be going through
major renovation work in 2007 is one of the hidden gems of the community.
We presently have an annual membership base of 820 youth. Our annual
membership fee is a very reasonable $75 and no child is ever turned away
due to an inability to pay.
In 2006 our staff consisted of three full-time employees, student volunteers,
adult volunteers, program leaders, interns and part-time staff. During the
summer our part-time employees swells from 20 to 100. We are very proud
of our opportunity to provide jobs for North Andover youth.
The Youth Services program has also taken over running a number of
former Recreation Dept programs. Brooks Skating, 4th grade basketball and
the summer special events for younger kids will now fall under youth
services jurisdiction.
Due to budget cuts, our very popular Challenge Course in the town forest
along with our very popular adventure programs have been suspended. We
are hoping to regain the adventure position and re-open these services in
July 2007.
The Youth Services Director also chairs the Town's Fields Committee. This
position is responsible for permitting fields, working with our youth sports
programs and developing short and long term plans for field use and
development.
A number of adult committees are actively involved in the daily work of the
Youth Center. These adult volunteer committees work on fundraising,
annual fund, marketing, public relations, finance and budgeting and
technology. The Youth Services Board of Directors and Joseph N. Hermann
Youth Center Inc. also is continuing work long range planning for the
department and center.
We thank the Joseph N Hermann Youth Center Inc for their continued
financial and emotional support of the center. We are also happy to inform
the public that the Youth Services continues to be used as a model of
excellence by many communities throughout New England. We have now
assisted 26 communities in their quest to start similar programs.
The lifeline of the Youth Services community continues to be support
services and I am pleased and proud of our constant mission of helping the
youth and families of this community. The following are the services
provided over the last year:
ADVENTURE PROGRAMS: All adventure programs were eliminated this
year due to budget cuts
SUPPORT SERVICES
• Youth Discussion Groups
• High School Girls Group
• Middle School Girls Group
• Youth Tracking and Outreach
• Holiday Giving Program
• Thanksgiving Program
• Crisis Intervention
• Information and Referral Services
• Job Bank
• Mediation
• Consultation to Schools
• Individual and Family Assessment
SOCIAL/RECREATION PROGRAM
• 7TH and 8th grade TEENCO
• 6TH grade TEENCO
• 8TH grade Dress-up Dance
• Youth Concert Series
• Basketball Tourneys
• Fall Flag Football
• Summer Hoop Leagues
• Winter Hoop Leagues
• Youth Center Classes
• 4th grade recreational basketball
• Crusaders Special Olympics
• Grandstand Snack Shack Operation
• Lip Synch Contest
• Field trips
• Weekly competitions
• Rock Climbing wall
• Skateboard park
• Summer Fun
• Scarlet Knights Academy
• Basketball Camps
STUDENT-RUN PROGRAMS
• Youth Council
• Teenco Dance Committee
• Give Back
• Diversity Committee
• Skateboard Committee
• Step Team
• Tutoring
• Mentoring
• Community Involvement projects
SPECIAL PROGRAMS
• Diversity week
• Youth Center Fundraisers
• Youth Center Annual Fund
• Youth Center Carnival
• Youth Appreciation Day
• End of school year celebration
• End of summer celebration
• NAYS/YMCA 3 ON 3 Tourney
• Holiday events
COURT-RELATED PROGRAMS:
• Juvenile Diversion
• Community Service
• Information and Referral
Respectfully submitted by the North Andover Youth Services Board of
Directors
Rick Gorman, Director
Carrie Crouch, Chair
Thomas Burkardt
Jack Shaw
Gerald Sanford
Peter Breen
Olien Lu
Bill Masterson