A new, free afterschool program has been launched by Trinity Youth, the outreach arm of Trinity Church that focuses on middle- and high-school students. The program will offer everything from basketball and mindfulness to test prep and use of a teaching kitchen. All activities, which are free and open to students in grades six through 12, will be hosted in the teens-only space on the fifth floor of Trinity Commons (the new community building behind Trinity Church), located at 76 Trinity Place.
“The Trinity Youth Afterschool reflects Trinity Church’s dedication to the young people in our community,” explains Rev. Matt Welsch, priest and director for Youth & Community Care at Trinity. “We’re hoping to help facilitate the kind of flourishing that’s only possible in diverse communities rooted in love.”
Trinity Youth strives to practice “radical welcome” by including not only parishioners and students from Trinity’s school partnerships, but youth from throughout Lower Manhattan and across New York City, and the inclusion all people regardless of background, beliefs, or experience.
“We’re looking forward to building wrap-around support for young people and their networks of care, including schools, parents, and friends,” adds Jennifer Chinn, Trinity’s director of Youth & Community Partnerships. “The afterschool is really a third space, where young people have the freedom to explore and learn and be their wild and authentic selves. That is what we are called to be.”
Trinity Youth Afterschool is open Monday through Friday during the school year (following the City’s public school calendar). Within Trinity Commons, the Youth Lounge and the Quiet Study Space are open throughout the afternoon for homework, relaxing with friends, and connecting. In addition, the Afterschool Program offers classes in academic support, athletics, and the arts.
“The excitement is palpable, and our hopes are high,” reflects Trinity’s Vicar, Rev. Michael A. Bird. “Walking alongside the youth of our neighborhood, and helping them thrive, is central to our mission and focus. An enormous amount of planning and energy has gone into this moment.”
The Afterschool Program’s current schedule includes access to the Trinity Youth Lounge and Homework Space each weekday afternoon (from 2:30 to 6:00 pm), and a volleyball skills clinic on Mondays (from 4:30 to 6:00 pm). Tuesdays offer practice by the Step & Dance Team from 3:00 to 4:00 pm and Test Prep (from 3:00 to 5:00 pm). On Wednesdays, there is a Mindfulness session from 3:00 to 4:00 pm. Wednesdays and Thursdays also feature open basketball in the new, regulation-sized gymnasium from 3:00 to 4:30 pm. Thursdays bring Make Your Mark art classes from 3:00 to 4:30 pm, and Homework Help from 3:00 to 5:00 pm. And Fridays offer Open Gym from 3:00 to 5:00 pm.
Matthew Fenton
