Youth Programs

YWCA Helps Children Grow

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YWCA Central Carolinas has a long history of providing free, high-quality out-of-school programs to students K-5 throughout Mecklenburg and Union Counties. Our goal is to provide each student with an exemplary academic experience filled with fun, personal growth and parent participation by utilizing the following core competencies:

  1. Literacy Focus
  2. Parent Engagement
  3. Cultural Identity and Enrichment

We support children in their schoolwork while offering instruction and engagement grounded in historically responsive literacy (HRL). HRL cultivates the genius within students and creates spaces of empowerment and confidence. This closely aligns our youth programs students to YWCA’s larger mission: to eliminate racism, empower women and promote peace, justice, freedom and dignity for all.

Click here to enroll

You can learn more about how we are serving students and their families by contacting our Youth Learning Center Coordinators; their contact information is listed below.

Literacy Focus

YWCA’s literacy-based program is designed to improve students’ reading skills, with programming provided after school each day and all day during breaks and teacher workdays. Our staff utilizes a literacy-based platform which strengthens children’s literacy skills and enables them to be better readers. The highly engaging lessons provide a thoroughly immersive experience, guiding students on their path to becoming thorough and analytical readers. Detailed, easy-to-read reports help our Coordinators understand what each student’s individual needs are to strengthen their reading and vocabulary comprehension. Our Centers measure students’ progress in 5 different skill sets: phonological awareness, phonics, high frequency words, vocabulary and comprehension; each of these skills are components of mastering literacy.

Parent Engagement

Family support is an important component in our Youth Programs. With 50 years of experience in high-quality youth programming, we know there is a direct correlation between parental support and the academic success of children. With that in mind, we teach the Love and Logic Method of parenting. The Love and Logic approach is built around the science of crafting caring and respectful relationships between the parent and child. An authentic, loving connection between parents and their children is the root of a healthy, thriving relationship. It sounds easy enough but never in history have parents been faced with so many challenges. Our approach provides our youth’s parents with a variety of simple and effective strategies for parenting their children and creating calm and loving solutions.

Cultural Identity and Enrichment

Our after-school and summer programs provide a safe learning environment for academic growth through a culturally responsive lens. If students know themselves, they are engaged with the confidence to learn new skills. When they have the skills, they can learn new knowledge and critique that knowledge.

Real Results

From July 2023 – June 2024, 56% of students increased their reading level or maintained grade level proficiency while enrolled in our program.

Hours of Operation

YWCA’s Youth Learning Centers operate during the academic year, as well as the summer. 

During the school year, Centers are open Monday – Friday: 3pm – 6pm (after school).

For our summer sessions and teacher workdays, YWCA offers support from 9:00am – 5:00pm.

Locations

There is a need throughout Charlotte and the surrounding communities for accessible education. YWCA is here to provide to the community’s need, wherever it may be. 

Albemarle Road
5027 North Idlewild Rd, Charlotte, NC 28227
Kay Shackelford at 980.585.2732
kshackelford@ywcacentralcarolinas.org

Billingsville Elementary
124 Skyland Avenue, Charlotte, NC 28205
Gwendolyn Forney at 704.430.2036 or
gforney@ywcacentralcarolinas.org

Old Armory
500 S. Johnson Street, Monroe, NC 28112
Kelsey Livingston at 704.282.5765 or
klivingston@ywcacentralcarolinas.org

Park Road
3420 Park Road, Charlotte, NC 28209
Shelia Rodman at 980.585.0513 or
srodman@ywcacentralcarolinas.org

Southside
435 Fairwood Avenue, Charlotte, NC 28203
Amanda Canteen at 704.332.1622 or acanteen@ywcacentralcarolinas.org

Sugaw Creek
943 W. Sugar Creek Road
Clarissa McMurray 704.508.8365 or cmcmurray@ywcacentralcarolinas.org

Sunridge
4005 Sunridge Lane, Charlotte, NC 28215
Valerie Kirkland (temporary) at 980.999.2771 or
ctucker@ywcacentralcarolinas.org


Mecklenburg County Feeder Schools
2024/2025 School Year

Albemarle Road Elementary
Billingsville/Cotswold Elementary
Charles H. Parker Academic Center
Devonshire Elementary
Grove Park Elementary
Hidden Valley Elementary
Highland Renaissance Academy
Huntingtowne Farms Elementary
Idlewild Rd. Elementary
KIPP Change Academy
Marie G. Davis IB World School
Movement Charter School Eastland Campus
Movement Charter School Freedom Campus
Myers Park Traditional Elementary
Pinewood Elementary
Piney Grove Elementary
Selwyn Elementary

Union County Feeder Schools
2024/2025 School Year

Benton Heights Elementary
Briarwood Elementary
Monroe Charter
Rock Rest Elementary
Union Academy
Walter Bicket Elementary

Alternative Bus Stop Request

CMS Parents & Families – To request bus service, please click here to access the Alternative Bus Stop Request link for CMS Schools.

Union Co. Public Schools Transportation – UCPS requires parents to visit their student’s school(s) to request transportation. The Data Manager at each school location will enter the request into PowerSchool. The transportation department will be notified automatically of the request.