Archived Program: Pittsfield Youth Workshop

The Pittsfield Youth Workshop is a nonprofit youth organization committed to providing programs and services which empower youth by helping them to develop useful skills, self esteem, and meaningful friendships, and by involving them in activities which are interesting, challenging, and healthy avenues to self discovery.

History

     The community has come to rely on the Pittsfield Youth Workshop to provide a variety of programs and trips to meet the needs of the growing youth population. The youth in our community deserve every opportunity to enrich their lives and PYW has been there to provide this much needed service for over sixteen years. The Pittsfield Youth Workshop was founded in 1986 by a group of local citizens concerned about the youth in this community. In 1990, PYW hired its first part-time director and opened a drop-in center in the town’s newly renovated Community Center. In 1998, PYW moved into a downtown storefront at 2 Depot Street, where it is currently located. Since hiring its first full-time director in 1999, PYW continues to operate a drop-in center, involve youth in the community, and offer adventure based learning experiences

Program Description

     The Pittsfield Youth Workshop is a private, non-profit youth organization. A board of directors, run by highly dedicated volunteers from the community, oversees the organization. The Pittsfield Youth Workshop currently employees one full time Executive Director and one part-time Teen Mentor Program Coordinator/Program Assistant. At the end of March 2004, PYW also acquired a PlusTime NH AmeriCorps VISTA member who will be volunteering with PYW until December 2004. Volunteers from the schools and community are relied on for additional staffing during drop-in hours and as chaperones for trips and activities. The Pittsfield Youth Workshop serves youth in the Pittsfield area, which includes primarily Pittsfield and Barnstead, NH.

     PYW provides music lessons and cultural experiences, leadership training and self-esteem building activities. The programs offered present a variety of outlets through which youth can become involved during out-of-school time including activities and excursions both in Pittsfield and traveling out-of-town. Activities are open to all youth in the sixth through twelfth grade (typically 11-19 years old) including home-schooled children and youth not currently attending school. The Pittsfield Youth Workshop currently operates ten distinct prevention activities:

1. Youth Drop-in Center;
PYW’s drop-in center is located in a storefront in downtown Pittsfield within short walking distance from both the Elementary and Middle High Schools. During the school year, the drop-in center is currently open every Tuesday and Thursday from 3:00–7:00 PM and during the summer on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays from 3-6 PM.
During this time students are free to do a number of activities including board games, pool, video and computer games, access the internet, cook and bake in the kitchen, play the piano, violins, and guitars, sew, work on arts and crafts projects, and do their homework. Drop-in time is also when students of all ages work together to help plan upcoming events. Groups meet to brainstorm ideas and to organize their participation in community events. Drop-in also provides the opportunity for mentoring. Older students team up with younger kids and work together towards a common goal – whether it is baking a cake, learning to play the piano, or tutoring, the students are constantly learning from each other.

2. Trips and Excursions: Some of the trips offered in the past year include: kayaking, hiking, camping, indoor and outdoor rock climbing, bowling, roller skating, ice skating, sporting events, music and drama performances, trips to Boston, amusement park, museums, and tide pooling. Our excursions have offered many new and challenging experiences outside of the community. Many of the youth that are served by this aspect of our prevention programming rarely have the opportunity to participate in such unique, self-esteem building adventures. Our trips not only offer the chance to learn new skills, but also encourage teamwork and respect for others.]

3. Pittsfield Teen Mentor Project; The Pittsfield Teen Mentor Project involves 18 Pittsfield youth - nine high-school students as mentors and nine 5th-8th –grade students as their “apprentices.” The overarching goal of the program is to strengthen resiliency in youth whose life circumstances place them at risk for negative life outcomes. This is achieved by promoting healthy peer relationships, positive community involvement, and building strong mentor relationships.

4. Music Enhancement and Appreciation: Our director currently offers free private lessons on the violin once a week for ten students. The interest continues to grow daily. PYW’s violin students continue to participate in and perform at a variety of community events including Pittsfield’s 2nd Annual Fiddle Contest, the Canterbury Fiddler’s Picnic, Maine Fiddle Camp, community contra dances, talent/variety shows, and the Pittsfield Players community theater. In the past year we have added regular group violin lessons and additional fiddle workshops.

5. Youth Board: During the Summer 2003, PYW began a Youth Board. After an informational meeting in June, in July 2003 two adults and three youth attended a three day “Youth-Adult Partnerships” Conference held by UNH Cooperative Extension Youth Development and the National 4-H Council. These youth returned to PYW and helped train a group of eight youth, forming the PYW Youth Board. Youth officers have been elected and two youth have sat on the PYW Board of Directors since September. The Youth Board has a three part mission: 1) To give the youth a voice in the programs offered by PYW; 2) To improve the image of PYW and youth in general to the community; and 3) Fundraising.

6. Student Leaders in Prevention; (SLIP), a student run prevention group. . The prevention group will meet once a week during the school year for one hour of leadership training and education related to substance abuse prevention. The students will bring in speakers and hold workshops dealing with prevention issues, as well as sponsor drug-free activities. Their goal is to plan and implement two activities each school year addressing issues of respect, peer acceptance, drug-awareness, and creating a supportive environment for the school and community.

7. Community Involvement; In collaboration with the town’s Parks and Recreation Commission, Rotary Club, Lion’s Club, and other local organizations, PYW assists in the planning of many community events and community service projects including: Halloween activities (October), the town Tree Lighting Celebration (December), Winterfest (February), Old Home Day (July), the Balloon Rally (August), and Relay for Life, cancer walk (May/June).

8. Destination Imagination/New Hampshire Operation Mind Magic (DI/NHOM)

9. Homework Club: PYW runs a Homework Club that currently meets at the youth drop-in center on Mondays and Wednesdays from 3-6 PM.

10. Activities with Adults; Dialogue Nights, Family Dinner Nights and Adult Volunteers.
PYW is funded by grants from Merrimack County Incentive Funds, and the Division of Alcohol and Drug Abuse Prevention & Recovery, the Sanderson Trust, the New Hampshire Charitable Foundation, Merrimack County Savings Bank Foundation, and from fundraisers and donations.

Pittsfield Youth Workshop
P.O. Box 206, 2 Depot St. Pittsfield, NH 03263
Phone (603) 435-8272 Fax (603) 435-8272 Cell (603) 234-9788

Please contact Heather Mike, Director or Michael Cox, Americorps/Vista should you have any questions or require more information at (603) 435-8272 or via e-mail at pyw@metrocast.net . Check out PYW’s website at http://www.metrocast.net/~pyw/

  Pittsfield Youth Workshop
  Archived Programs
  Youth Organizations/p>

University of New Hampshire - Pettee Hall - 55 College Road - Durham, NH 03824 2/4/05