Be Honest: Sincere and free of deceit
Be Open-Minded: Willing to consider new ideas; unprejudiced
All Three, All the Time.
That refreshing and challenging list should apply in so many places.
Currently, it is the centerpiece guiding the behavior of those who come to UYC.
More than 600 young people ages 13-18 have agreed to embrace those expectations in order to benefit from the offerings at UYC, which some members credit with keeping them safe, enabling them to pass the high school equivalency exam, find jobs and become economically independent. Beyond that there are the friendships, social skills and new experiences that have broadened their perspectives and understanding.
UYC addresses a wide array of needs and with the goal of fostering success for people who are much too young to give up hope.
UYC Founder Justin Weller was shocked to discover during a mayoral run for the city in 2019 that 1 in 3 kids in Urbana is living in poverty and half of all Urbana youth are classified as disadvantaged by the state of Ohio. While he lost the mayor’s race by a slim 200 vote count, he came away with even more commitment to addressing community needs.
Working with teachers he trusted from Urbana schools, he launched a plan to develop a youth center. Established in 2020, UYC is a subsidiary of the GrandWorks Foundation, the 501(c) (3) non-profit charity that spearheaded the reopening of the Gloria Theater and additional downtown revitalization.
That’s when an operational plan was developed and efforts began to find a location to house programs.
Since most of the clientele would have to bike or walk to access services, UYC was fortunate to find and secure the historic former Urbana Library to house operations, opening in 2021 after significant rehabilitation of the building.
“A lot of after school programs focus primarily on providing hang out space, almost like a latch key program, or they offer academic and life-based skills. Rarely do they provide both. Our goal from the onset was to provide both,” Weller says.
Entering the roomy UYC reception area is a reminder that the building was once a library. Now the shelves hold popular board games, age appropriate books, video games and consoles, and comfortable seating areas. The only prerequisite to enjoy the amenities is to be able to recite and behave in accordance with the rules cited in the opening of this article.
UYC is unique in that 99% of those taking part in programs are there voluntarily.
“Nobody makes them come here. They do it of their own volition,” Weller explains. By creating a safe and comfortable space for them, UYC staff members get to know the members, build trust and can identify and address any needs they might have.”
UYC offers more than 20 regular programs in response to those various needs.
Some come from home, neighborhood or school environments that make them fearful. For them, UYC offers a place to feel safe.
For some, help can mean access to health and hygiene products, clothing and access to healthy food. For others, it may entail assistance with homework so they can complete high school. If that goal has become unattainable in a traditional high school environment, UYC offers help with passing the high school equivalency exam.
The students benefit, and Weller points out that the entire community benefits in the long run.
“Those with a high school diploma or equivalency earn $9,000 more per year for the rest of their lifetime. That equates to about half a million dollars additional income in earning potential,” Weller said. “One of the most humbling things about my experience at UYC is learning that so many of the things I had access to and took for granted were always there for me.”
Not so for many of the youth visiting UYC.
“A lot of people have the idea that when someone is abusing drugs or alcohol, it’s for fun or enjoyment or recreational in use. There’s certainly some of that, but more often when you drill down and ask students why are you using these things, usually you discover they are treating a mental health issue.”
“Like all people, if you’re hurting, in pain or stressed, we all seek ways to alleviate that. Many them don’t have access to a doctor, a mental health professional, some of those support networks that the rest of us have and take for granted. They look for the only option they are aware of to relieve their suffering. That doesn’t make it okay, but it if we understand that it significantly changes the way we address it.”
By helping them find access to mental and physical health resources, UYC can help them avoid addictive behaviors and envision alternative direction for their lives.
Some UYC youth are anxious to become more independent and want to find work to help them do so. The difficult realities they may face as they embark upon adulthood is one incentive UYC also uses to help them deal with addictive behavior.
“We make it clear, for example, that if someone says they want to work in construction, they will have to be able to pass a drug test. Construction is a workplace that’s very dangerous if someone is not fully “there,” and that’s why. We tell them there are options. We can help them see a doctor if they are depressed or need help with stress or anxiety. We will help them find those options.”
While the program is going phenomenally well, with growing attendance, UYC is in a financially precarious position.
“Unlike many other non-profits who benefit from government grants and tax dollars.” Weller explains, “80% of our funding is non-public dollars. We are so reliant on the goodwill of businesses in the community to help us do the work we do,” he said.
He continues to appeal to local government and school officials seeking financial support, which would also help the organization access funding available from the state.
Weller’s goal for sustainability of UYC is a budget of $300,000 a year, a figure that is achievable if local, state and donor support dollars can be raised.
He praises the dedication and drive of the six member team providing UYC services, but worries that without additional funding, the program may falter.
Noting that the community recently lost its Goodwill Store, UYC has hatched plans to generate some funds through a thrift sale at the youth center, with the students responsible for planning, marketing and running the sale of donated items. If those sales go well, they may serve as a pilot for a possible permanent location that would be staffed by students, giving them job experience, and also helping to helps sustain the valuable work of UYC.
If all things were possible, and enough dollars were available, Weller imagines expanding the UYC model beyond the Urbana city limits to youth throughout Champaign County.
There’s no doubt other school districts could benefit from similar services, and the long-term impact on the community is well-worth considering.
“We only serve students in the Urbana City School district, grades six through twelve,” Weller says. “The four year graduation rate at Urbana is 84.7% according to the Ohio Department of Education. That means 15 to 20 kids every year do not graduate on a four year plan. We’re probably catching 2 to 4 or those kids. If we had more funding we could could maybe impact up to 80% of them. Keep in mind that represents half a million dollars of extra earning potential for each of them, every year. We’re talking about tens of millions of dollars every year that is being lost just by not helping those students who are not graduating.”
Additional information about UYC offerings and ways to support through donation or as a volunteer is available at UrbanaYouthCenter.org.
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