Avery YO!: Youth Development in Rural NC
W.A.M.Y. Community Action, Inc. in Boone, NC by Sarah Tencer
Avery Youth Opportunities (Avery YO!) is an after school program in Avery County, North Carolina that offers additional educational opportunities to at-risk youth. The program focuses on cultivating healthy lifestyles through arts and culture exposure, physical fitness planning, energy conservation awareness, and community involvement. Additionally, the program provides afternoon supervision for children who might otherwise be left unattended at home after school.
WAMY serves the low-income population in its four-county region of western NC by identifying and eliminating the causes and effects of poverty.
Since its founding in 1964, WAMY has offered a variety of community development programs, such as an after school youth program. All of WAMY’s programs focus on cultivating self-sufficiency and stability among the low-income populations of Watauga, Avery, Mitchell, and Yancey counties of western North Carolina.
The mission of Avery YO! is to positively impact students' lives and their potential for success through a variety of activities and experiences.
If awarded the first place prize, $50,000 would be spent as follows: -Scholarships for 30 students to attend the Avery YO! After School Program: $11 per day X 5 days per week X 30 weeks X 30 students = $49,500 -Supplies: $500 Total Monies Spent: $50,000