Our Mission, Vision, and Values
Mission
Our mission is to positively empower and impact the lives of youth in the Greater Pittsburgh Area, thus increasing their chances of living productive, successful, and happy lives.
Vision
The Youth Enrichment Association, Inc. works with several partners to provide affordable and high-quality resources and programs for youth and their families.
Values
Our core values or guiding principles are as followed:
- Self
- Respect
- Attitude
- Love
- Community
- Integrity
Our History
Founded on December 19, 2019
The Youth Enrichment Association, Inc. (YEA) was officially founded in December 2019 by Claude Flowers and Brandon Rodgers, two dedicated youth advocates with a shared vision for change. The idea for the organization took root in the living room of Claude’s apartment, where the two founders spent over a year thoughtfully developing the mission, programs, and goals of YEA. Drawing from their years of experience working with young people in various roles, Claude and Brandon recognized a persistent gap in services and support for youth in the Pittsburgh area—needs that were not being fully met by existing programs.
Motivated by their passion and sense of responsibility, they committed their time, energy, resources, and efforts to building something impactful from the ground up. When the Covid-19 pandemic hit, instead of slowing down, the co-founders used that downtime as an opportunity to dig deeper into research, design intentional and responsive programming, initiate grassroots fundraising efforts, and cultivate strong partnerships within the community. Their work during this time laid the foundation for what would become a growing movement focused on empowering and enriching the lives of young people across Pittsburgh.
YEA stands today as a testament to their dedication and to the belief that all youth deserve access to meaningful opportunities, supportive environments, and a community that believes in their potential.
Our Programs
Arts Program
Arts Program
Arts Program
The AIM Conservatory of Arts Program (ACAP) is a vibrant initiative of the Youth Enrichment Association, dedicated to fostering creativity and artistic expression among children from diverse backgrounds.
Summer Camp
Arts Program
Arts Program
During the summer, we host Camp AIM , an extension of our after school program! Our summer camp is jam packed with unique experiences, fun field-trips, caring and enthusiastic counselors, and thrilling adventures. In addition to the fun, we work diligently to discover the meaning and instill our core values and attributes to all of our ca
During the summer, we host Camp AIM , an extension of our after school program! Our summer camp is jam packed with unique experiences, fun field-trips, caring and enthusiastic counselors, and thrilling adventures. In addition to the fun, we work diligently to discover the meaning and instill our core values and attributes to all of our campers:
Respect
Self
Attitude
Love
Integrity
Community
Reserve a spot below:
PaCT
Arts Program
PaCT
PaCT stands for Parent and Community Team! It is the branch of our organization that hosts our family nights, community events, volunteer opportunities, and our community focused initiatives. Our goal through PACT is to build and foster positive relationships between the schools, community, and our organization.
Who We Serve:
Information derived from the 2021-22 Fiscal Year:
Our organization, since the beginning, has served primarily African American children between the ages of 5 and 11, who come from either low-income neighborhoods, under performing schools, and at-risk communities with little access to quality out of school time programming, or a combination of the three.
Beginning in June 2021 we will expand our programs and double our footprint to meet the demand. With the expansion we will serve a higher number of youth and cap at age 14 instead of 11.
A look at the data:
This past summer (2021), our Camp AIM Program served 30 students, 100% of which were Black and or African American, ranging from ages five to eleven. Fifteen of those students were male and fifteen of those students were female. These students came from a range of communities such as Lincoln-Lemington, Homewood, East Liberty, Monroeville, Penn Hills, McKeesport, and New Kensington.
Our free AIM After-School Program currently serves 34 students, 94.2 % of which are Black of African American, with the remaining 5.8 % selecting "Prefer Not to Answer." Their ages range from five to eleven. 85.7 % of those students come from low-income household, meaning $0-$20,000 annually. 11.7% of those students come from households bringing in $20,000-$40,000 annually and 2.9 % of those students brining in $40,000-$80,000 annually. 97.1% of our students' families receive some form of government assistance and 100% of them receive free or reduced price lunch at school. All of our after school participants reside and or attend school in East End of Pittsburgh.