Youth Programs
helping youth find their path to success
The core of Peace Neighborhood Center’s programming in Ann Arbor is the year-round After-School and Summer Programming Peace provides k-12 youth.
After-School Programs
Peace’s After-School Programs for elementary, middle, and high school youth provide individualized academic support, age-appropriate social-emotional learning, enrichment & recreational activities, field trips, and STEAM-themed creative experiential learning opportunities.
Peace maintains a trusted partnership with the Ann Arbor Public Schools, which enable Peace Youth Program Staff to be embedded in schools. Weekly lunch-time drop-ins, and classroom visits when needed, provide additional support for Peace kids and enable Staff to glean a more accurate picture of how a student is engaged at school. And at the beginning of each semester/trimester, Peace Staff meet with School Counselors and teachers to discuss students’ specific needs.
REACH Program for Elementary Youth
Peace has always had a focus on elementary youth and its REACH After-School Program is the cornerstone of all the Youth Services the organization provides. REACH (Responsibility, Education, Achievement, Community, Hope) offers an enriching and educational after-school environment to nearly 100 children every school year. While it is one of our oldest programs, REACH continues to evolve to meet the needs of our community.
When: Tuesdays & Thursdays during the school year
Alternatives for Youth Program for Middle School Youth
The Alternatives for Youth (AY) After-School Program mentors our middle school students in grades 6th-8th while offering them support through academic tutoring. In addition to academics, AY cultivates the development of leadership skills while helping to build self-esteem and self-sufficiency through Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) discussion groups. STARS, for 6th-8th grade girls, and Rising Suns, for 6th-8th grade boys, are spaces for middle school youth to engage in activities to help them establish positive relationships with their peers and families, set goals, understand their emotions, and make healthy decisions.
When: Mondays & Wednesdays during the school year
College & Career Prep Program for High School Youth
College & Career Prep helps high school students stay on track academically to graduate high school within 4 years. They receive help navigating course selection, individualized academic support, and specific skills training (resumes, interviews, etc.)— and have the opportunity to visit area colleges. CCP Program Staff provide assistance with the Common Application, FAFSA and financial aid forms, finding scholarships, etc.
Peace also provides continued mentorship and support through college. Transportation between college and home; financial assistance for food & rent, school supplies, books, and cell phone bills help ensure students can stay focused on academics and graduate with their degree.
When: Monday through Thursday during the school year
Interested in volunteering as a tutor? Check out opportunities here!
Summer Camps
Peace’s Summer Youth Services (SYS) provide eight weeks of quality activities for over 100 young people throughout Washtenaw County each summer. Summer consists of six weeks of Summer Camp for elementary, middle, and high school youth and two additional weeks of Academic Bridge Camp at the end of the summer. Peace’s 2025 Summer Camps will run Monday-Thursday from June 23rd to July 21st.
Summer Camps for all age groups include weekly field trips, outdoor recreation, special interest clubs, a STEAM-themed curriculum, and even Transformational Road Trips across the country.
Summer Day Camp (SDC) for Elementary Youth
Summer Day Camp is the elementary-age component of Peace’s Summer Youth Services. Each year SDC has a different STEAM-related theme that influences the curriculum for the summer. For Summer 2025, SDC will be focused on aerospace—where they’ll travel to the EMU Planetarium, construct bottle rockets in the park, and learn about the solar system.
Summer Day Camp also includes Special interest clubs which give kids the opportunity to explore different sports, hobbies, activities, subjects, and more. Examples of past clubs have included: tennis, bike repair, STEM, skateboarding, among many others. SDC is centered around fun, but there is academic work time built into the days in order to ensure kids are prepared for school in the fall.
High school students work with Peace Staff and interns to act as counselors for Summer Day Camp.
Leadership Development Camp (LDC) for Middle School Youth
Leadership Development Camp (LDC) is the middle school component of Peace’s Summer Youth Services. Each summer, LDC provides youth with a well rounded, structured experience including organized educational and recreational activities designed to teach them the tools necessary to be positive role models to their younger peers and siblings. Like the After-School Alternatives for Youth Program, LDC embeds social-emotional learning (SEL) into the camp curriculum. Campers participate in activities geared towards expressing and understanding their emotions and creating positive relationships with those around them.
Similar to SDC, Leadership Development Camp revolves around a STEAM-related theme each summer. For Summer 2025, LDC will be focused on renewable energy—where they’ll visit local sites that use different types of renewable energy. At the end of each summer, middle school campers create a final project based off of the summer’s theme and present their projects to staff. LDC also has Special Interest Clubs like SDC with topics like health and medicine, science, podcasting, and more.
Counselors in Training (CITs) for Rising 9th Graders
CITs are embedded in Summer Day Camp to help out with the younger kids. They also go on their own weekly field trips to many local sites, included some colleges like Eastern Michigan University, University of Michigan, and Washtenaw Community College to get them thinking about preparing for college.
Academic Bridge Camp