Inspiring Youth To EXPECT Success

“It is easier to build strong children than to repair broken men.”

― Frederick Douglass

For the past two years, New Direction Youth Academy (NDYA) has been committed to working on behalf of the under-served and underfed youth in Hamilton County and its surrounding communities, by providing our free Summer Food and Education Enrichment Program (SFEEP).  The mission of this program is to cultivate the healthy emotional, social and academic skills necessary to grow into strong, compassionate, ethical and competent adults. Intentionally inclusive and diverse, the program is highly structured, providing age appropriate classes in reading, writing and character education, math, art, nutrition, financial literacy, and physical fitness for children ages three through 18.  The program operates Monday – Friday, from 8am to 1:30pm for up to 10 weeks during summer vacation.

When the congregation of Reading Lockland Presbyterian Church answered the call to help disadvantaged youth in 2010, they never dreamed of the impact a simple nutritional, activity-oriented program could have!  Successful is a relative term because there are still so many kids in need.  In 2018, to ensure the program’s survival, after the closing of the church, the founder of New Direction Youth Academy (a 501c3 Corporation) stepped in to continue operating the program out of the Reading Lockland Presbyterian Church. 

Created in the image of God (Genesis 1:26-28), but many trapped by the limitations of their urban environment, the children in the program are challenged and encouraged to discover their unique gifts in a creative learning atmosphere and to develop a vision of a better life, a life of contribution and excellence. There is a deep hunger in urban areas—hunger for food, hunger for love and acceptance, and hunger to know our loving God. This program touches and addresses all these hungers.

For a program structure like ours to work, it requires an experienced staff dedicated to providing a safe, loving environment that meets the individual needs of the children.  Our staff is professional, our program is free to all families and the grants we receive don’t provide for staff salaries.  We need your help to ensure over 120 youth this coming summer have nutritious meals, education & social enrichment along with life experiences many of the families are unable to provide.  Can our children depend on you?    

A ONE-TIME DONATION, IN THE AMOUNT OF:

 $800       $400       $200       $100      $50        Other: $________________

OR

SPONSOR A CHILD (you may sponsor more than one child)

$167.86 / 2 weeks    $335.72 / 4 weeks    $503.58/ 6 weeks   

$671.44 / 8 weeks