Youth Programming

Community Youth Concepts offers a diverse range of programs tailored for students across the Des Moines Area. Our initiatives are designed to empower youth with essential life skills that foster success in academics, careers, and personal growth. Through engaging programming, we are committed to equipping young individuals with the tools they need to thrive in school, excel in the workplace, and lead fulfilling lives.

Teen Outreach Program (TOP)

The Teen Outreach Program (TOP) is a school program based on the Wyman Center’s dynamic and engaging curriculum for middle and high school students. TOP empowers youth by providing the necessary opportunities to become leaders with a powerful vision for their community’s future. By cultivating healthy behaviors and life skills through curriculum lessons and service projects, TOP equips youth with vital tools to avoid risky behaviors and succeed in their academic, personal, and professional lives.

CYC currently facilitates TOP programs at: Harding Middle School, Hoover High School, Meredith Middle School, North High School, Roosevelt High School, and Urbandale Middle School.

For more information about TOP programming, contact Mollie at mollie@cyconcepts.org

To learn more about Wyman Center, please visit their website.

Chrysalis Girls Group

Sponsored by the Chrysalis Foundation, Girls Group is an after-school group for middle school girls that meets once a week at King Elementary School, Urbandale Middle School, and Woodside Middle School. The purpose of the group is to create a fun and safe space for girls to build confidence, develop leadership and teamwork skills, and engage with their community through field trips and volunteer service projects.

Girls Group strives to ensure that every girl is empowered to find their voice by planning and leading activities and projects so they are invested in the program.

For more information about Girls Group, contact Mollie at mollie@cyconcepts.org

To learn more about the Chrysalis Foundation, please visit their website.

Callanan Improving Tomorrow

Previously known as the Mentor Advantage Program, Community Youth Concepts has partnered with Iowa State University's ISU 4 U program to develop a 6th grade group that focuses on career exploration and soft skill development! We will be focusing on skills like goal setting, communication, confidence, responsibility, and managing stress, while having informative discussions about various career paths and hosting multiple professionals as speakers throughout the year. We hope to give students the skills needed to begin their journey towards college, adulthood, and ultimately, a career that utilizes their unique and impactful skills!

For more information about our Callanan Group, contact Stella at stella@cyconcepts.org

Garden Club

Community Youth Concepts offers a unique youth program that integrates STEM-based learning with community service through our Community Garden Club. This year-long program meets monthly during winter and spring, and more frequently in the summer. During the colder months, participants engage in planning the garden, learning about plant needs, designing garden layouts, and managing the Garden Club budget. In the warmer months, the focus shifts to hands-on activities such as planting, weeding, watering, and harvesting produce. Participants also explore environmental topics like sustainability, water quality, and climate change through lessons, activities, and field trips.

For more information about our Garden Club, contact Cierra at cierra@cyconcepts.org