Community Youth Services

NEDFYS has a strong partnership with the Henry Hyde Resource Center (HHRC) in Addison and the Addison Public Library to host our Community Youth Service (CYS) programs. These programs target youth ages 11 to 14 and focus on academic achievement, higher education, community service projects, and connection to local community resources.

Healthy Habits Curriculum:

NEDFYS staff created the Healthy Habits curriculum, a program that highlights different habits once a month. This program is held at the Henry Hyde Neighborhood Resource Center in Addison. The purpose of this program is to properly educate youth on the importance of establishing healthy habits such as physical fitness, personal hygiene, stress management, financial management, and much more.

NEDFYS has facilitated a Career Chats, where a local nurse and firefighter came to speak about their career; we hosted a presentation by NAMI called Ending the Silence, discussing mental health; and we collaborated with the Camden Comfort Project to create blankets for premature infants.

Lions Quest Curriculum:

Lions Quest is a curriculum-based program of the Lions Club International for youth ages 11+. NEDFYS facilitates this programming in collaboration with the Addison Public Library.

NEDFYS has hosted Circle Up, a library program that occurs once a week, and Kickstart: Theater, a program that teaches youth social-emotional learning skills through scenarios and theater activities.

Program Goals Include:

Increasing community engagement
Increase youth involvement in decisions about community services
Increase youth connection to employment
Increase in family communication
Increase in life skills development
Increase in preparation to continue to college in high demand career fields
Improve the physical environment in local schools