WE PROMOTE VITALITY IN OUR COMMUNITY THROUGH YOUTH ENGAGEMENT
Our programs support the social emotional health and mental well-being of children, teens and young adults in our community.
Youth transition programs
Transitions can be stressful at any age. Helping our children, teens and young adults become aware of triggers that cause them stress, and sharing skills to cope with those triggers, provides timeless skills. Created for students, parents, and caregivers, the following programs offer a platform for open discussion, bringing insights and pertinent information to the forefront of these exciting and crucial periods of transition.
College Transition: You Got In . . . Now What?
Getting ready for college is more than finding a roommate and deciding on a meal plan, or shopping for sheets. Research shows that many students struggle to adjust to campus life. This program is offered each year for high school seniors and their parents/caregivers. Our team of experts and panelists provide insights, highlight solutions, and empower students and parents to successfully navigate the transition to college.
Middle School Transition: I Wish I Knew Then What I Know Now
The Inside Scoop from People Who Have Been There! This panel discussion and Q&A with local middle school students and their parents provides an opportunity to hear firsthand the insights and experiences of kids in 6th, 7th and 8th grade , and their parents, who talk about their transition to middle school.
We engage, educate & empower OUR YOUTH
YOUTH PROGRAMMING
Youth Employment & Independent Life Skills
As early adulthood approaches, an increase in separation between parent and child naturally begins. The following programs provide teens with control over decisions in their lives, while knowing they are supported and guided to make good choices.
- Rye Youth Council Employment Services (RYCES) support teens in finding full and part-time jobs year round
- Life/Work Skills Workshops provide teens with crucial skills, such as interviewing for a job and creating a resume.
- Career GPS broadens teens perspectives on career choices based on their personal strengths, interests and passions.
After School Community Service and Leadership
Pre-Adolescence (Gr. 6-8) - Adolescence (Gr. 9-12) is the perfect age to encourage and guide children to make a commitment to genuine human interaction and to be in community with others. Socially and emotionally, our programming increases self-esteem by providing an opportunity to empower this age group to make a difference and be heard.
Social and Emotional Development Programs
Transitions: Helping our children become aware of triggers that cause them stress, and brainstorming skills to cope with those triggers provides timeless skills. Programs held for middle school, high school and college.
Healthy Relationships: Socially and emotionally, children begin to separate more from their parents as they are either getting ready to, or are transitioning into the “larger world.” During this stage it is important to encourage children to feel confident in themselves and their values, trusting their decisions to avoid risky behaviors and relationships.
PARENT & CAREGIVER PROGRAMMING
From childhood through young adulthood we want to help children feel good in their own skin and to be able to appreciate and value their own differences. We nurture them through various anxieties and help them manage and alleviate the stresses that come with them. Early on we educate youth by establishing expectations and setting boundaries and, when necessary, implementing the appropriate consequences. Balancing children’s need for autonomy with the need for parental supervision can start as early as the toddler years and truly never ends, because parenting never really ends, it simply shifts. RYC programs provide parents and caregivers with great exposure and resources to help children through some of the more prominent transitions in their development.
SCHOOL PROGRAMMING
Social and Emotional Learning Curriculum
Our community wants the best educational experiences for our kids, who face increasing pressure to perform in an increasingly complex world. The Rye Youth Council supports children, teachers and parents in teaching social and emotional life skills to children in the classroom.
Board of Directors and Staff
Staff
Lisa Dominici, Executive Director, execdirector@ryeyouthcouncil.org
Jessica Lodato, Youth Educator, jlodato@ryeyouthcouncil.org
Board of Directors
Sharon Cammisa, Co-president
Lisa Ruderman Chen
Maureen Angelastro, Treasurer
Allison Chader
Stephen Fairchild
Beth Gallos, MA, CAS, Co-president
Laura Kovacs, M.Ed.
Jackie Mazzili, Secretary
Jennifer Reisner, LCSW
Stephanie Spierings, Co-president
Jonita Geelen Westheim
Marnie White, LCSW
Daryl Woolsey
RYC Employment Services Team (RYCES)
Allison Chader
Kristina Dorfman
Laura Kovacs, M.Ed.
Kassandra Souply
Elisabeth Thorington
Ex Officio Advisors
David Bluvol
Kristin Jautz
M. Kim O’Connor, LCSW
Kassandra Souply
Ward Urban