ATI Kent County Youth Coalition

The Above the Influence [ATI]-Kent County Youth Coalition is a Generation Y and Z-driven committee powered by the Kent County Prevention Coalition. Birthed out of a vision to empower community youth, ATI-Kent County Youth Coalition ™  is designed to equip teens to think critically about personal choices and future ambitions, emerging community health and wellness trends related to underage substance use/misuse, and the power community teens have individually and collectively to impact peers, family and community norms and the world by making a personal commitment to live Above the Influence.   It is a wonderful leadership opportunity for middle – high school-aged youth who live in Kent County.

Baxter Community Center

Believe 2 Become

Believe 2 Become is an organization that values in bringing the community together in order to help children succeed. This organization works towards equal education and investing in youth of all ages. Believe 2 Become has various different programs to benefit your child(ren).

Summer Learning Academy: Offered for a fun time learning during the summer pre k – college prep. 

Baby Scholars: 10-week classes for children ages 5 months to 5 years and their parents. It is designed to help parents teach their children and help them reach their full potential.  

Parent Leaders: Classes are offered from Parent University to help their children become the best they can be.

Gatherings of Hope: Church leaders coming together to help support the community.

Bethany Building Bridges

This program serves youth with low incomes giving them training and experience. It provides them with opportunities to learn and advance through internships, job shadows, job searching, and interview training.

Boys and Girls Club

The Boys and Girls Club is a national organization that serves youth in a variety of areas such as education and career programs, character and leadership, health and life skills, the arts, sports, fitness and recreation and many other specialized programs.

Camp Blodgett

Camp Blodgett provides year-round programs for youth.

Summer Camp: Youth ages 8-13 are welcome.

Summer Academy: A fun learning experience for 5th-8th-grade youth to combat summer learning loss.

Young Leaders: Youth ages 14 -18 learn the skills it takes to become leaders as well as attend monthly meetings and an annual retreat.

Camp Blodgett Clubs: An after school club for children 2^nd grade through middle school.

Camp Fire USA

A place where youth can figure out who they are and become leaders through programs such as before and after school clubs, leadership experiences for teens, summer camps, and outdoor education.

D.A. Blodgett St. John’s

Filled with a variety of services and programs, D.A. Blodgett serves: Foster Care youth, counseling for unplanned pregnancy, parenting education for young parents mentoring for pregnant and parenting teens, treatment for youth with delinquent behaviors, counseling for young offenders, in school services for families and children, mentoring services for youth with incarcerated parents, mentoring for school children, homes for youth that have been abused ages 13-17, and therapy for youth that have faced abuse ages 6-12. Emergency shelter(s) available for the abused and neglected.

Gerald R. Ford Job Corps

Job corps gives low-income/ homeless youth ages 16-24 the opportunity to earn their GED and or job skills (CNA, Med office, carpentry, facility maintenance, office administration, culinary, or secretary) training for free. Youth who enter Job corps live on campus where they have access to a nurse, doctor, and dentist. At age 18 youth are eligible for drivers training courses. The average stay is 9 months, though some stay for a year. Upon graduation for GED Youth receive $200, while for job training they receive $500. If a youth decides to participate in both the youth will be granted $1,000 upon graduation from the program.

Girl Scouts of Michigan Shore-to-Shore

Girl Scouts of Michigan Shore to Shore (GSMISTS) provides a girl-centered, fun-filled, quality leadership experience in partnership with mentoring adults that meets the needs of girls in a fast-changing world and ensures a lifelong connection with Girl Scouting. Partnered with community and infused with the principles of inclusion and diversity, GSMISTS is vital and strong, and is the premier organization for girls.

Good Will Hartley Center

The Good Will Hartley Center is a place where Grand Rapids area residents can go for free career planning and services. The Hartley center helps with creating resumes, job leads, phone and internet access, computer education classes, bilingual classes, and more.

Grand Rapids Civic Theater

Theater provides highly involved learning opportunities for youth.

Grand Rapids Parks & Recreation

To get involved with a wide variety of sports and activities, visit our website.

GR Public Library Teen Services

GR Public Library Teen Services provides numerous resources and book reading/ learning opportunities for youth in the Grand Rapids areas.

GR Urban League

Assisting people with housing, employment, education, and health education.

Hispanic Center

The Hispanic center of Grand Rapids is filled with a variety of services including but not limited to GED classes in Spanish, basic needs, immigration services, and language services.

LEAD Program

Michigan Works

Michigan Works is a network designed to help people with employment resources such as finding jobs, building resumes, education, and training experience.

Michigan Youth Opportunity Initiative (MYOI)

MYOI’S goal is to ensure that young people in foster care have successful outcomes in housing, education, employment, community engagement, and health. Each site provides:

Training: Training opportunities are provided to educate a person’s purchases, life skills, and preparation for adult hood including housing, employment, education, health, and community engagement.

Matches: Each youth has an individual development account, IDA. Youth are required to save money in their IDA each month. MYOI matches the IDA funds dollar-to-dollar up to $1000 per year for a used to purchase an asset.

Stipends: Use stipend payments for participation in events and meetings. The stipends assist youth to save money in their IDA’s. Earning stipends is a tangible way to recognize the time and effort that they have contributed to the program.

Youth Boards: The Youth board serve as the leadership and advocacy arm of MYOI. Youth are trained in leadership, media, and communication skills, including how to strategically share their story and present on panels.

Community Partners Boards: A community partner board is a group of business, public and private agencies, and community representatives that have an interest in assisting youth who are transitioning out of foster care. Community partner board members provide support, discounts to services, and advocacy as a form of care for youth.

Mizizi Maji Mentoring Program

Mizizi Maji is a mentoring program for youth ages 8-18. Youth have both individual and group mentoring times and learn about topics such as teamwork, volunteering, social, cultural, and academic success.

Network180

The community mental health authority for Kent county including but not limited to services in case management, assessments, crisis intervention, residential services, and housing assistance.

Steepletown

Steepletown is an organization that provides community empowerment, educational services for GED and literacy programs, and workforce development. Young adults between the ages of 16-24 who are neither in school nor employed can receive job training in different areas through a variety of programs.

WIA-Arbor Circle

The workforce investment act provides youth ( with low incomes) the opportunity to attain their GED and obtain employment.

Youth Build

Youth Build is a program for low-income young people learning construction skills to help build affordable housing and other community assets such as community centers and schools.