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What is YVC?

Four Fundamental Goals

1. To engage young people in service projects that are challenging, rewarding and educational.
2. To serve the unmet needs of the community and its residents.
3. To promote among young people a greater understanding and appreciation for the diversity of their community.
4. To promote a lifetime ethic of service among young people.

Fundamental Components
First launched in 1987, the cost-effective YVC model has since been established in communities nationwide. Programs are sponsored locally by such diverse community-based organizations as Volunteer Centers, the YMCA, United Way, school districts, RSVP offices, and municipalities. Funding is provided by foundations, corporations, individuals, United Ways, and local and federal government. While each local community's YVC program is tailored to meet unique community needs, the program consists of two fundamental components:

• Summer Component
  In the summer, young people volunteer on teams supervised by trained Team Leaders, who are generally of college age. Volunteers work on their projects full time Monday through Friday for two or four weeks at a time. The intensive design of the summer component reinforces teamwork skills, appreciation for diversity and civic responsibility.
  
  
• School-Year Component
  During the school year, YVC Program Directors and staff work closely with teachers to design and implement age-appropriate service projects that tie school curriculum to community service. In addition, young people from throughout the community work together on service projects after school, on weekends and during school breaks.

Type of Projects
Tutoring elementary students, serving meals to homeless and low-income people, assisting at child care programs and summer camps, trail construction and restoration, leading activities with seniors, removing graffiti and painting murals, researching and writing youth service guides, creating web pages on the internet for non-profit agencies, guiding children with disabilities on horseback rides, cleaning up parks and neighborhoods, and many, many more!