Studies show the value of extracurricular activities on self-esteem and building skills for children. Participation in activities also result in better classroom performance, reduced rates of absenteeism, higher graduation, and college attendance rates – all which lead to better paying jobs as adults.

City Youth Matrix breaks down barriers and costs to help low income or ALICE (Asset Limited Income and Employed) families with children attend extracurricular activities and provide their families with support. Children that live in ALICE households often do not have the ability to get to or pay for extracurricular activities including sports, music, and arts. With a small contribution from each family of approximately $10-15 a month, youth access a wide variety of activities, monthly hikes, and quarterly Empowerment Dinners.

Another benefit of the CYM program is that all its resources are translated into Spanish. In the program, 25% of the families are Spanish speaking families. This is 25% of the 32 families and 72 children that the organization currently serves.

With additional support from the Ausherman Family Foundation, CYM hopes to bring their 18 youth off the waiting list and get them into programming. At the moment, these 18 youth participants are involved in CYM monthly hikes and the Empowerment Dinners, but still are not yet connected to an extracurricular. Expanding the programming will allow more students to access resources and develop their skills in a variety of ways.

“It really is that simple – if you give a child the opportunity for self-discovery through experience, you can change the trajectory of their lives.” – City Youth Matrix​