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Cortland Youth Bureau

The Youth Center facility offers a safe and comfortable environment for teens to interact with one another and qualified staff members. The Youth Center is open to all youth ages 11-18 or in 5th-12th grades. Those in 5th and 6th grades are welcome to attend weeknights from 3:00-6:00pm. Teens in 7th through 12th grades are welcome to attend the Center during all open hours. Parents are always welcome to visit the Center or spend time volunteering with us.

YWCA Cortland: Bridges for Kids

Bridges for Kids promotes the acceptance of children for who they are. There are no distinctions made for race, color, creed or family background. One definition of a “bridge” is: a means of connecting two different parts. Bridges for Kids connects adults who want to provide positive experiences to children from stressful home environments. Trained volunteers become mentors to children. The resulting relationships give children opportunities for activities that will result in increased self-esteem and a greater feeling of worth. The Bridges for Kids program began in January of 1980 as the Coalition for Children. It now provides children, ages 5 to 12, with positive adult role models. Each child is paired with a trained adult volunteer with whom they spend a few hours a week doing one-on-one activities. By establishing a trusting relationship, the child is provided with the opportunity to develop a positive self-image. Monthly group activities are also sponsored by the program.

Children and their families are also referred to agencies to help connect them with services that can help strengthen the family unit.

Access to Independence: Youth Transition Services

ATI provides youth and young adults a variety of opportunities to overcome barriers and to make a successful transition to independent living, education and / or employment. ATI offers a variety of community- and school-based transition planning and support services to youth and their families. One-on-one peer counseling, independent living skills training and educational support services combined with ATI's work readiness services aim to help youth become more engaged in their own planning and help to bridge school-based transition plans with opportunities in the community. ATI also offers specialized Educational Advocacy Services to youth and parents for Committee on Special Needs (CSE) and Individualized Education Program (IEP) meetings and navigating school and community services.

Cortland Prevention Resources

Cortland Prevention Resources, a division of Family Counseling Services, is a 501(c)3 not-for-profit agency that provides alcohol, tobacco and other drug related education, information, referrals and community-based prevention services throughout the Cortland County area.

Mission
To provide prevention and intervention programs that promote positive change and build healthy communities

Vision
Cortland County is a vibrant, healthy and responsible community that is free of substance abuse and misuse.