Welch Center Inc

We believe there is still a need for dollars to provide recreational activities to all kids, even when no one else seems to.

If you were lucky enough to have been a child before 1990, you may remember a time when you could walk 4 blocks in any direction and end up at a skate rink, playground, park, or after school programming facility that had caring adults that genuinely cared for kids....All Kids. These places were free and had activities, bustle, and the sounds of kids playing, having fun, and building social skills. If you were not one of us lucky ones from that era here is your chance to join us in bringing back what was once common sense.

Most adults now a days state our kids are failing as a generation. Most of our public schools showcase high dropout rates as a result of lack of school engagement and a whole host of other environmental factors organizations have spent loads of money trying to figure out. Maybe its us failing them.

 Here at the Valley Youth Centers, we take pride in sticking to the free access to positive recreational opportunities for all kids. We believe caring adults slaying the pretend dragon in the court yard with 1st graders is vital to that child(ren)'s positive development. We believe a rock climbing experience can boost the self confidence level of kid struggling in school and use that newly built self confidence energy and apply it to being successful in life. That can be academic success, it can be social success or any other success that child may have thought they were deficient in.

We are a place that lets kids play, have fun, and smile. Once they are smiling, having fun, and playing we become positive caring adults in their lives. When they know they have an adult they can trust will not fail them, our real work begins.

Just like the paternal instinct is to protect the young, the young will work hard not to let their paternal role model down. At this stage we can provide all the tools necessary for that child to succeed. That could be academic assistance, a better self image, or someone letting them know that they are cared for and are happy for their success.

Unfortunately, the dollars to provide recreational opportunities where the outcome is fun, smiles, and adding caring adults to ones lives has been taken away and replaced with funding that MUST showcase some sort of QUANTIFIABLE product or rather kids are broken and come here to get fixed because your not performing to our standards.

We are making a stand to say we still want kids to PLAY, HAVE FUN, AND SMILE and that those indicators are invaluable to the lives of youth.

If these values and beliefs ring true to you, become an ally to the Copeland Valley Youth centers and bring the fun back to a kids life.