The Cambridge Youth Programs has been in existence for over fifteen years and serves youth ages 9 - 19. As a program we aim to enrich the lives of our young people in a variety of ways including social, recreational and intellectual skill development. CYP's mission is to promote leadership skills while providing a safe, fun place to grow, academic support, recreational activities, and an opportunity for mentorship. We serve approximately 1000 young people throughout the year (including the summer). These youth attend five different youth centers located throughout the city of Cambridge.

The Youth Programs five fully equipped youth centers include classroom space, meeting rooms and easy access to parks. We have developed two distinctive program models that serve our program members. One is the Leadership Program that focuses on the needs of our pre-teen (9-13) members, and the other is our Teen Evening program which works with older youth (14-19). Programs include employment assistance, homework help, literacy program, life skill's workshops, guest speakers, community service projects, drug and alcohol prevention programs, recreational activities, sport leagues, trips and special events. We are also fully licensed by the state Office of Childcare Services, which enables us to expand our financial aid capability and increase the overall quality of our services.

Further, in order to address the needs of young men/women in the community, the youth centers have implemented Boy's and Girl's Group that allow them to express and share of themselves. These specialty programs promote social well-being and leadership development in our program members. CYP's long term plan is to develop a host of other activities that will foster more youth participation and support their personal growth and development.