The Carmel Youth Center‘s (CYC) mission is to provide a positive environment for the youth of Carmel and surrounding communities and to help the youth develop strong values in citizenship through encouraging volunteerism and peer mentoring in the arts, athletics, and academics.
The CYC is a youth-development organization that works to foster individual growth and the development of leadership, confidence, and decision-making skills among young people in the Monterey Peninsula, Salinas, and Carmel Valley areas. While its longstanding programs—its afterschool program and summer camp—achieve continued success through their focus on mindful movement, art, STEM, and leadership development, they are constantly revitalized and adapted to meet the evolving needs and desires of participants, the local community, and society at large. The CYC consistently incorporates new activities to stimulate its participants and potentially awaken new passions. For example, it plans to remodel its kitchen into one that simultaneously functions as a learning space. The CYC is also developing a new early learning program structured around play-based learning that is designed to ignite the curiosity and vitality of the organization’s youngest members while preparing them for kindergarten.
My 11 year old son is currently participating in the newly re-activated CYC Summer Day Camp. As residents of Carmel and past participants in CYC summer camps and after-school activities, we have been interested in the developments at CYC and have been curious to see how CYC would emerge, newly bolstered with proper certifications and new leadership. We couldn't be more pleased and excited. Our son, Beck, has had a wonderfully supportive and confidence-building experience this summer. As a kid who has struggled with self-confidence and bullying at school this past year, Beck started out quiet. In his several weeks at CYC, Beck has shown new-found self-assurance and has, with the active and ongoing support of Executive Director Sherilyn Napoli and her staff, stepped up as a mentor and leader. The nurturing and supportive environment Ms. Napoli has created, imbued with kindness, clear expectations, and accountability, is remarkable and appreciated.
- Jason Lande
