AMYLA aims to build youth achievement and leadership in the classroom, in the community, and in the workforce. AMYLA facilitates and nurtures partnerships with families, caring adults and volunteers, the District of Columbia’s Public School System (DCPS), the Washington Metropolitan area business community, corporations, government agencies and other youth to support the following programs:
Leadership in the Classroom – Academic mentors provide tutoring help and encouragement to youth after school hours. Mentoring pairs typically work on homework assignments, upcoming projects, college preparation or spend time navigating through personal challenges that could be adversely effecting their ability to focus at school or during mentoring. Participating youth also also have access to AMYLA’s activity room and computer lab when they simply need a place to do homework.
Leadership in the Community – AMYLA encourages each of our youth to be community leaders in their own right. Through their participation in our community service projects and programs, AMYLA youth are equipped with the necessary education, resources and experiences to transition into a productive, character and service-laden adulthood.
Leadership in the Workforce - Each year AMYLA places our in-school youth in summer internships through the Pioneers Summer Internship Program. AMYLA provides youth with job readiness trainings and “real life” summer internship experiences. AMYLA youth are asked to review classified ads and identify the jobs that interest them most, conduct research on the business and position, schedule an interview and participate in a performance evaluation upon completion of the internship. Youth with above average scores on their performance evaluation receive a bonus.
AMYLA also works with out-of-school youth to assist with GED placement, job training and job placement.
AMYLA Expeditionary Program - Through AMYLA’s partnerships with our local, national and international expedition programs network, AMYLA provides our youth with overnight outdoor exploration opportunities and experiences. Many board airplanes for the 1st time.
Outreach and Recreational Programs - AMYLA’s Boys basketball engages both our In-School and “hard-to-reach” population of young men who may be underperforming or not attending school. Boys are eligible to play based on consistent records of attendance in school/GED programs and other mental health, job readiness and developmental criteria. In addition AMYLA staff conduct “random” school visits of AMYLA youth to verify attendance and check in with teachers and counselors.
