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PROGRAMS
Better Horizons
Better Horizons is Y-US’ longstanding program, which has been in existence since 1989. Better Horizons provides a long-term peer support program serving approximately 30 children, ages 8-16, from the southern half of Hartford. Participants attend the program two days per week from 4:30pm-7pm and two Saturdays per month from 10am-4pm. Activities include therapeutic play, peer support meetings, arts & crafts, educational activities, meals and outings. The program operates year round and features outdoor recreation and camping trips during the summer months.
Children's Goal Statement |
At Y-US, my goals are:
- To be safe
- To develop my natural abilities and social skills
- To take charge of my life and be responsible
- To have healthy relationships, and
- To find my place in the world
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Weekly Curriculum Themes
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Health
- Nutrition
- Substance Abuse Awareness
- Sexuality
- Hygiene
- Physical Exercise
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Community
- Civic Awareness
- Careers
- Tour Week
- Green Living
- Animals
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Managing Feelings
- Anger Management
- Identification of Feelings (Self and Other)
- Five Stages of Grief
- Coping Skills (week 1)
- Coping Skills (week 2)
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Responsibility
- Home
- Neighborhood
- School
- Life Skills (week 1)
- Life Skills (week 2)
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Personal Growth
- Try New Things
- Family Dynamics
- Goals
- All About Me
- Self-Esteem
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Problem Solving
- Conflict Resolutions
- Decision Making
- Finding Solutions
- Peer Pressure
- Bullying
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Safety
- School
- Home
- Program
- Halloween and Holidays
- Camping and Outdoor Activities
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Social Skills
- Friendship
- Relationships
- Etiquette
- Communication (week 1)
- Communication (week 2)
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The summer segment is set-up with weekly themes such as Water Week, Tour Week, etc. |
 Click here to read an outiside evaluation for this program (451K PDF)
Fee-For-Service
Fee-for-Service is Y-US’ custom program, which began in the summer of 2004. It provides individualized services as requested by DCF social workers in the Greater Hartford area. Services may be short or long term and may be various ages. The afterschool Fee-For-Service programming utilizes the same weekly curriculum themes as above. Click here for our Referral Forms.
Project FLY (Forward Looking Youth)
Project FLY is Y-US' newest program, which began in the summer of 2008. It is a life-skills program that serves Hartford youth from ages 12 through early adulthood. Participants learn employment skills, receive career guidance, practice personal responsibility, and experience entrepreneurship.
Visit the Project FLY Online Store for items made or developed by our youth in this program.
Project FLY is a “work and learn” model designed to promote life skills. There are two primary components, a “learning” domain and a “working” domain. They are described in the following section.
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Hard Skills to Learn:
- Financial Literacy / Money Management
- Health Issues
- Hygiene and Personal Appearance
- Job Seeking
- Educational Planning
- Food Management
- Housing / Housekeeping
- Transportation / Mobility
- Management of Personal Legal Matters
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Soft Skills to Learn:
- Decision-Making
- Self-Esteem
- Self-Concept
- Positive Relationships
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Some of the employability skills that our work program teaches includes:
- Social Skills - learn how to interact with others and lessen fear of speaking to peers.
- Customer Service - learn how to greet customers and interact positively with others.
- Managing Money - learn how to count and be responsible for accuracy; build trustworthiness to not take what is not mine.
- Value of Money - learn that money is not just handed over; you have to work hard for it and provide something of value to customers; money does not grow on trees so spend it wisely.
- Inventory Control - learn how to maintain things in stock; communicating with other companies; keep things organized.
- Team Work - learn how to work with others; learn how to trust; and learn to ask for help when needed.
- Problem Solving - learn how to approach conflicts with peers and coworkers; learn how to deal with difficult customers.
- Independence - learn how to take care of oneself by getting a job and making money to buy whatever one needs without relying on someone else.
- Entrepreneurship - learn how to start your own business.
Junior Youth Workers
The Junior Youth Worker is a small employment training and mentoring program for several teenagers (former Y-US program participants) who provide general assistance with the agency’s programs and light housekeeping duties, two afternoons a week each. The youth are paid for their work, provide positive teenage role models for the younger children, and receive staff mentoring in career and financial matters.
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