Youth Development
The Youth Development Program supports the healthy development and education of underserved children in our community. We believe that all the youth in our area of service should have their basic needs met, feel safe, cared for, valued, and have opportunities to develop in ways that will allow them to become confident, productive members of our society.
El Sol’s average client left the education system early and comes from agricultural communities in rural villages where there is extreme poverty. In many cases, parents with low to moderate literacy skills struggle to assist their children with schoolwork.
“My son had to go to school this summer. He is in third grade and he doesn’t know how to read well. They told me that he may need to be kept in third grade another year depending on how summer school goes. They ask me to read with him, but I don’t know how to read.”
– Mom from Guatemala
El Sol aims to support these parents and children by providing targeted activities to support the academic, social and emotional development of our youth. We want our client’s children to have the chance to participate in activities their families can not provide. In collaboration with our local schools we offer the following small-group activities:
- El Sol Sunshine Summer Camp
- School for Parents
- Read-A-Recipe for Literacy
- Unique and Powerful Girls Club at Jupiter Middle School
- Li-Bros Book Club at Jupiter Elementary School
- After-school private tutoring for students in need of extra support
- Mary’s Table: Poised for Success
Maria's Story
Maria found it quite challenging to make ends meet when the father of her children died tragically.
Maria registered with El Sol and participated in the Labor Program. She waited for work in the labor hall for house cleaning jobs. Maria also took vocational training classes at El Sol through the Adult Education Program to increase her job skills. She even learned to make jewelry and sold her inventory at El Sol’s annual festival, El Sol Fest.
Last year, El Sol Virtual Sunshine Summer camp was especially welcoming to her and her children. It came at a time when the pandemic was in full swing and, although the technology was challenging, El Sol managed to inform, assist and get Maria and three of her children on-track for the first virtual summer camp.
“The camp was a Godsend,” Maria said. “It allowed my children to engage, have fun and learn so much while they were home and, because it was for the whole family, all of the kids had a great time.”
Maria is now remarried and in a better place with her family. Maria and her husband have participated in El Sol’s School for Parents (SFP) Program. Both have found the program to be a great source of information and support in raising their family. Maria’s oldest daughter also participated in El Sol’s Girls Who Code Club.
“I am a better parent now due to what I have learned in School for Parents,” Maria said. “I can also say I’m more knowledgeable on technology due to what I learned during virtual summer camp.”