After School

Safe, Supportive Learning Beyond the School Day

About After School

The YWCA NYC’s After-School programs provide a safe and nurturing environment to support academic achievement, enhance social skills, and foster success in school and life.

We operate elementary and middle school programs for K through 8th-grade children across Central Harlem, Carroll Gardens, Coney Island, and Brownsville, Brooklyn. Our diverse team of community-based educators and licensed teachers form strong partnerships with schools, families, and community leaders, ensuring students have access to various enriching activities.

Curriculum Highlights

Literacy & STEM

We use Literacy and STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, Math) programs to ignite curiosity and build essential skills. Through engaging activities like interactive reading, hands-on experiments, and collaborative projects, students explore diverse topics while enhancing their critical thinking and problem-solving abilities. Our goal is to prepare students for future success by fostering a love for learning and empowering them with the tools they need to thrive academically

Leadership

We are dedicated to nurturing the next generation of leaders. We provide students with opportunities to develop leadership skills through initiatives like community projects, public speaking, and team-building activities. By fostering a sense of responsibility, empathy, and confidence, we empower students to take on leadership roles in their schools and communities, preparing them to be positive change-makers in the world.

Arts

The arts are a vital part of our after-school programs at YWCA NYC, offering students a creative outlet to express themselves and explore their talents. From visual arts and music to theater and dance, our programs encourage artistic expression and build confidence. We provide a supportive environment where students can discover their passion, develop their creativity, and showcase their work, culminating in events like end-of-semester showcases that celebrate their achievements.

Physical Activity

Promoting a healthy and active lifestyle is a core focus of our After-School programs at YWCA NYC. Through structured physical activities like sports, dance, and fitness routines, we encourage students to stay active, build teamwork skills, and develop resilience. Our programs are designed to be inclusive and fun, ensuring that every student has the opportunity to participate, stay healthy, and build lifelong habits of physical well-being. 

Programs

Character Strong is a comprehensive curriculum that promotes social-emotional learning (SEL), character development, and positive behavior in middle school students. The program equips students with the skills and mindset needed to succeed academically, socially, and emotionally. Through interactive lessons and discussions, Character Strong fosters core values like kindness, respect, empathy, and responsibility. The curriculum is designed to cultivate a supportive and inclusive school culture where every student feels valued and empowered to make positive choices.

Funny Girls is an innovative social-emotional learning (SEL) leadership program that empowers middle school girls through comedy, helping them build confidence, creativity, and communication skills. Using improv, stand-up, and sketch writing, the program creates a fun, supportive environment where girls in 3rd to 8th grades can express themselves and develop essential life skills. By nurturing humor and resilience, Funny Girls helps participants navigate adolescence with confidence and positivity.

The curriculum includes two units, each taking a semester to complete with eleven 90-minute lessons per unit. Lessons can be taught weekly for 90 minutes or twice a week for 45 minutes, leading to a showcase at the end of each unit. Instructors are required to attend a mandatory three-day training in late summer/early fall. Funny Girls provides the curriculum, training, ongoing support, and a modest operational grant.

FitMoney is a dynamic financial literacy program for elementary and middle school students. It teaches essential skills like budgeting, saving, investing, and responsible spending through interactive lessons and practical activities. By building a strong financial foundation, FitMoney helps students make informed decisions and prepares them for long-term success.

Financially Fit Junior Certificate (Grades 3-5)
  • This certificate program is completely virtual. This brief “course” is a series of 6 videos where students will learn about earning, growing, spending, and borrowing money as well as taxes and the economy. Each video is followed by a few check for understanding questions. Once students are finished they can download their certificate directly from the site!
$uperSquad (Ages 5-12)
  • This game-based learning platform inspires students to practice smart financial decision-making through a series of real-world activities. It makes a good solo extension activity in the classroom or as a financial literacy “center.” It is also a good resource to pass along to families to continue the learning and engagement at home.

The Young Innovators program introduces middle school students to entrepreneurship basics. This hands-on program encourages creativity, problem-solving, and understanding how to start and run a business. Through interactive workshops, mentorship, and real-world projects, students gain valuable insights into entrepreneurship.

The Young Innovators program introduces middle school students to entrepreneurship basics. This hands-on program encourages creativity, problem-solving, and understanding how to start and run a business. Through interactive workshops, mentorship, and real-world projects, students gain valuable insights into entrepreneurship.

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