Our Mission

Our mission is to empower children, youth, and families to be active, responsible members of society while strengthening their connection to the communities in which they live.

Our Services

We offer a variety of bilingual (English/Spanish) services to help the City of Longmont’s children, youth, and families reach their greatest potential, including youth development and family engagement programs, professional counseling, early childhood education, and community problem solving.

Youth Development Programs

The Zone
Drop into The Zone after school, on days off, or throughout the summer to grab a meal, hang out with friends, get homework help, prep for college, or record in our music studio! Learn more about The Zone.

The High School Zone
Hang out with friends, explore your creative side in our recording studio, or get help with college and job applications at the High School Zone. And if you join us regularly, you can attend our Friday night field trips – we go swimming and hiking, to Nuggets games, the movies, haunted houses, concerts, and more! Learn more about The High School Zone.

All Out Youth
If you enjoy sports and the outdoors, check out All Out Youth for the chance to engage in physical activities such as mountain biking, rock climbing, hip hop dance, karate, swimming, and more. Learn more about All Out Youth.

Youth Original Recording Studio
Explore your musical side in our professional recording studio. Anything goes – speak it, play it, sing it, rap it; if you like it, we’ll record it! Learn more about the Youth Original Recording Studio.

Youth Council
Interested in getting involved with youth issues impacting your community? Join the Longmont Youth Council to help advise City Council on issues that matter to you. Past projects include Halloween for the Hungry, Tobacco Prevention, Diversity Day, and Anti-Vandalism, mental health awareness, anti-vaping efforts, and more! Learn more about Youth Council.

Abriendo Puertas Leadership Group
Celebrate your Latino heritage and culture, practice teamwork, and enhance your communication skills with other teens your age. Joining the Abriendo Puertas Leadership Group also looks great on college applications! Learn more about Abriendo Puertas Leadership Group.

ASPIRE Post-Secondary Planning
If you are a first-generation college student or are interested in learning more about life after high school, our ASPIRE Post Secondary Planning sessions can help. Connect with us to learn how to apply to college, identify financial aid opportunities, chat about your career interests, and discover which post-secondary path might be right for you. Learn more about ASPIRE.

Family Engagement

Our Nurturing Parenting programs are designed for both parents and children to foster positive parenting skills and healthy parent/child relationships. Learn more about our nurturing parenting classes.

Parents Involved in Education (PIE) is a multi-agency collaborative effort aimed at engaging monolingual Spanish-speaking parents in their child’s education. Learn more about PIE.

No-cost meals are offered to youth and their families after school at the Youth Center and several other locations throughout the summer.

Counseling

Professional Counseling
Short-term counseling services are available to help youth and families address issues, improve communication, mediate conflicts, and set goals for the future. We offer individual, group, and family counseling; we provide mental health assessments to determine a youth’s individual needs; and we take referrals from schools and community agencies to connect youth and their families with the resources they need to thrive. Learn more about our counseling services.

Early Childhood Education

Bright EYES
Bright EYES (Early Years Education Stewards) is a community-based early childhood coalition focused on ensuring that all children are ready for kindergarten and that each student is reading on grade-level by the end of third grade. Bright EYES brings together a variety of initiatives to help kids make a smooth transition into school, including the Mayor’s Book Club and Reading League. Learn more about Bright EYES.

Mayor's Book Club
The Mayor’s Book Club is designed to foster a love of reading among the City’s 3- and 4-year-olds. This bilingual (English/Spanish) program helps increase literacy in the home so that all of our children are prepared to enter kindergarten at similar reading levels. Kids receive a free book in the mail each month until they turn 5. The Mayor and a Spanish speaking community leader read each month’s book aloud on Longmont’s local access channel, so be sure to tune in to read along with them! Learn more about the Mayor's Book Club.

Reading League
Reading League is a volunteer program focused on increasing literacy among K-3 students so that these children remain at or above similar reading levels as their peers. Volunteers are provided with materials and typically read to a child once a week for 45 minutes before or after school. Learn more about Reading League.

Community Problem Solving

Gang Response and Intervention Program
Our Gang Response and Intervention Program, better known as GRIP, provides gang intervention and education courses, one-on-one youth intervention, and school assembly presentations. Contact us if you think your child or teen is involved in a gang; GRIP helps youth get out of gangs and back into a more positive lifestyle. Learn more about GRIP.

REWiND
REWiND is a youth diversion program that redirects youth of the municipal court system. Youth between the ages of 10-17 who have been charged with a misdemeanor have two options: they can take their case to municipal court or they can participate in REWiND. Completing REWiND dismisses the youth’s case from municipal court and seals their permanent record. It also gives youth the opportunity to learn from their actions and demonstrate readiness to make better choices for themselves and their futures. Learn more about REWiND.