Teen Mental Health Program Coming As YMCA, Alive Center Team Up

GLEN ELLYN, IL — A new after-school program for teens is coming to Glen Ellyn thanks to a recent partnership between The Alive Center and B.R. Ryall YMCA. The initiative was made possible via a $253,000 grant from the DuPage Community Transformation Partnership.

The free program will tap into Alive Center's mental health resources and offer tutoring and mentoring programs, drop-in hours, special events and clubs. Program offerings will be open to students in 6th through 12th grades.

"We are really excited to bring our proven model of engaging with teens to the B.R. Ryall YMCA. We find ourselves in the middle of a youth mental health crisis. Brick-and-mortar preventive spaces such as the Alive Center are crucial parts of the solution," Alive Center Founder and CEO Kandice Henning said in a statement.

Henning added, "The partnership with the YMCA aligns with the Alive Center’s desire to leverage its model to benefit more youth in areas beyond its current coverage of Naperville, Aurora and Hanover Park."

Rob Wilkinson, CEO of B.R. Ryall YMCA, said, "After searching far and wide to find a program model that would support the needs of youth in our community, we were excited to find the perfect program model and partner,” said “This partnership with the Alive Center will provide our Y with the tools, training and resources to bring a proven model to support teens and families in our community."

This new program is set to kick off in 2023. In the meantime, The Alive Center is putting together a teen advisory board to help facilitate the initiative. For more information, email Rob Wilkinson at rwilkinson@ryallymca.org or Kandice Henning at kandice@alivecenter.org.