Free After-School and Summer Enrichment for Newtown's Youth
How the NCRA Helped the Sarasota Housing Authority’s Youth Thrive Program Keep 117 Kids Connected, Learning, and Moving Forward
For the young people served by the Sarasota Housing Authority’s Youth Thrive program, the barriers to success aren’t just academic — they’re logistical, economic, and sometimes the result of housing instability that most people never see. Thanks to the Newtown Community Redevelopment Agency Mini Grant Program, Youth Thrive has been able to maintain the staffing, partnerships, and consistent presence that makes all the difference for 117 Newtown CRA children and their families.
Youth Thrive serves young people ages 5–18 living in SHA’s Bertha Mitchell, Cypress Square, Kingstone, Janie’s Garden, and surrounding neighborhoods — as well as youth from the broader Newtown community. Programming is offered at zero cost, always, and centers on two pillars: after-school enrichment and a summer program. But what Youth Thrive actually does extends far beyond scheduled programming hours.
“Newtown CRA funding will help us to serve more Newtown youth as we expand housing in Newtown and also assume responsibility for management and youth programming at Janie's Garden. We are very grateful.”
Michelle Stears, Sarasota Housing Authority
The program’s learning center on North Orange Avenue is a hub of consistent, relationship-driven support. During the school year, staff meet monthly with teachers and administrators at Wilkinson and Alta Vista Elementary Schools to stay closely connected to how each student is doing, and work closely with home-school liaisons, district social workers, counselors, and school leadership to support students at Emma E. Booker, Fruitville Elementary, McIntosh, Brookside, and Riverview. They also provide something simple but critical: transportation. Most Youth Thrive students are districted to schools on the far side of town, and their parents often lack reliable transportation. Youth Thrive gives over 200 rides to school each year — so a missed bus doesn’t become a missed day.
In the summer, the program emphasizes summer literacy tutoring and comes alive with weekly field trips, twice-weekly swim classes, and experiences that stretch well beyond Newtown’s borders. Students have gone snorkeling at DeSoto Key with Tampa Bay Watch, explored nature through Big Waters Land Trust, boated to Spanish Point, and participated in weekly programming with Manasota ASALH, Ringling Museum, SRQ Strong, Betty J. Johnson Library, and Cocorootz. Many of these partnerships have been in place for years — a reflection of the trust and consistency Youth Thrive has built across the community.
One of the program’s most powerful qualities is its commitment to the young people it serves even when circumstances change. Of the nine homeless youth served during the grant period, some have since been rehoused — but even for those still experiencing instability, the program remains a constant. Families have traveled from as far as Bradenton just to get their children to the bus stop in Newtown so they can attend their regular school and come to Youth Thrive afterward. That kind of loyalty speaks to what the program means to the families it serves.
The results bear that out. Of students with available data, 99% achieved on-time grade level advancement — 94 out of 95 students. 89% increased their financial knowledge, and 100% of survey respondents said they were satisfied or very satisfied with the program.
Community Impact
Newtown CRA children served by Youth Thrive!
Achieved on-time grade level advancement!
Of families satisfied or very satisfied with the program!
89% of students increased their financial knowledge during the program year.
The NCRA grant specifically funds a Youth Thrive staff position — one that makes everything else possible. As a housing authority, SHA doesn’t have dedicated budget lines for resident services or youth programming. Having a funded staff member means sustained youth programming and community partnerships, consistent school communication, and the ability to grow. Youth Thrive was awarded a second grant for the upcoming year and is continuing to expand.
Perhaps most telling is who is doing the work. Two of Youth Thrive’s current staff members are young adults who grew up in the program themselves — one who has lived in public housing since childhood and another who came as a New College intern and never left. High school students who grew up attending Youth Thrive often come back to volunteer and eventually join the staff. That cycle of investment and return is exactly what the NCRA Mini Grant Program exists to sustain.
Follow Youth Thrive on Facebook to keep up with the program’s latest activities and events.
