Unleashing Youth Potential
Live Y’ers is an after-school and mentoring program that was established in 1991.
Serving an average of 164 at-risk youth each year, Live Y’ers is offered in grades 3 – 8 at two Evansville elementary schools (Glenwood Leadership Academy and Lodge Community School), both Title 1 schools. Roughly 77% of our participants represent racial minorities, and only 39% live in a two-parent household.
The girls in grades 3 through 5 are bussed after school to our YWCA facility for the after-school programing, which is both a supplement to the curriculum the girls get at school, as well as a chance to give the girls cultural opportunities they may not otherwise experience. We’re also able to explore STEM topics with the students through relationships with Toyota and the University of Southern Indiana. Beginning in 6th grade, students are paired with an adult mentor, who meets with them at least once a month to act as a role model, sounding board, and coach. They continue their relationship through grade 12.
For the Live Y’ers participants who move on to Bosse High School, they continue to meet with their mentor and explore their futures. The students learn more about a variety of careers, and participate in tours of colleges, universities and technical programs. The program is unique in that we develop a 10-year relationship with our participants.
Live Y’ers After-School and Mentoring Program
This long-term relationship allows us to reach our overall goals for these girls of high school graduation, delay of pregnancy, embracing a drug-free lifestyle, and achieving post-secondary success. After grade 12, the YWCA offers a scholarship program that helps participants reach their educational goals.
In 2023, Live Y’ers served 220 children. 100% of our girls graduated high school, compared to Bosse’s overall graduation rate of 90%. Live Y’ers had a 0% pregnancy rate, compared to the national average of approximately 16% for at-risk minority teenage girls.
In 2023, thanks to community support and volunteers, we were able to add mentoring for boys attending Glenwood Leadership Academy to our Live Y'ers program and look forward to watching these relationships deepen and grow.
For more information on becoming a mentor or volunteering in our after-school programs, please contact Courtney Edwards at 812-422-1191 or cedwards@ywcaevansville.org.
Funding for this program is provided by CDBG funds through the City of Evansville and the Department of Metropolitan Development as well as The United Way of Southwest Indiana and generous donors.