Our goal for every young person who walks through our doors is that they develop the skills and self-confidence to make a successful transition to adulthood.
What We Do
Our bilingual programs and services are designed to address the multiple needs of the young people and families in the communities we serve. Through opportunities in academics, arts and recreation, job readiness, safe places to live, and health and wellness, LAYC strives to address many of the barriers to success low-income youth face.
With over 50 programs and services across our sites in the District of Columbia, Prince George’s County and Montgomery County in Maryland, we are pleased to offer our region’s youth opportunities to pursue success in the following areas:
Academics
Year-round tutoring and homework assistance, after-school programs, GED exam preparation and education, and college preparation and retention.
Arts & Recreation
Art and media programs, out of school time recreation, and mentoring.
Job Readiness
Job readiness and life skills training, job placement services, internships, and career exploration.
Safe Housing
Short- and long-term family-based and transitional living programs for homeless and runaway youth with special programs for young families and LGBTQ-identifying youth.
Health & Wellness
Welcoming, non-clinical settings for sexual health education and HIV/STI/pregnancy testing and counseling, mental health and substance use disorders treatment, and parenting skills for young parents.
Advocacy
LAYC’s advocacy efforts aim to influence public policy and protect programs and practices that positively and directly impact the lives of the youth we serve.
Promotor Pathway: Our Signature Youth Development Model
A strong relationship with a caring adult is critical to a young person’s ability to achieve success. Our Promotor Pathway® is an innovative model to meet the multiple needs of our most vulnerable youth, which combines individualized support with mentoring and high-quality services to transform lives.
The Pathway’s goal is to eliminate as many barriers as possible in these young people’s lives, including homelessness, substance abuse, mental health issues, involvement with the criminal justice system, being out of school, being unemployed, or gang activity.
The Promotor Pathway® has been rigorously evaluated by the Urban Institute. The results showed youth enrolled in the Promotor Pathway® were more likely to stay in school, avoid unplanned parenthood, and have stable places to live.
