FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Q: What do kids do at the club?
A: After school youth have free time, enrichment,
homework help, and snack. After snack they can choose to participate in 3 different activities. The activities change from day to day and range from physical activity in the gym or outside to cooking ,art, career readiness, professionals in training (PIT), STEM, character building, and learning healthy lifestyles.
Q: What age of kids can come?
A: Our programs are for students in 6th grade through
12th grade. Middle school students make up the majority of enrolled members.
Q: Do kids have to pay to come?
A: EYC believes all youth should be able to participate
in our programs so we do not charge to attend; however, a $50 annual school-year membership fee is suggested. In lieu of the membership fee youth are asked to provide service. Due to increased costs of summer camp, the membership is higher, but over 75% of youth receive scholarships to attend. The actual average cost per child the club pays is nearly $2,000 per year.
Q: Where are you located?
A: We are located at "The Dana" on 6th Street in the big white metal building between the skate park and tennis courts.
Q: Are you a non-profit?
A: Yes we are a 501-c-3 non-profit organization. All donations benefit our programs to support youth and are tax deductible.
Q: How are you funded?
A: We are funded by a variety of methods, including grants, sponsorships, and donations. Fundraising is also another way we raise funds.
Q: Was there a previous teen program in Evanston?
A: There used to be a program called The You! that started around 2000 and closed its doors in 2013.
Q: When did the Evanston Youth Club start?
A: The Evanston Youth Club for Boys and Girls opened in the fall of 2013, as a collaboration between interested community
partners.
Q: Are you part of the national Boys and Girls Clubs of America?
A: No, when we first started in 2013 we were becoming a chapter of the Boys and Girls Club of America;
however, the National organization felt our community was too small to be able to
support a Boys & Girls Club. We received some great foundational support from Boys &
Girls Clubs of America but we are not affiliated with them.
Q: Do you have two locations?
A: When we started in 2013 we were located in the City's building at 419 4th Street, which we quickly outgrew. In 2017 we opened our 6th street location, "The Dana" with a full size gym and additional classrooms and offices. After much deliberation, we made the sad decision to leave 4th street for the betterment of the program. In May of 2022 we opened "The David" that includes a full size kitchen, garage, classroom, a large gathering space, an art room, and a music room.
Q: Are you part of any other organizations?
A: We work hard to form partnerships and collaborations with other valuable organizations, but the Evanston Youth Club is its own organization.
Q: What is Annual Dinner?
A: Annual Dinner happens every May as our premier event to recognize our youth. It is a fundraising event and a chance for our youth to preform and show all that we have been working on throughout the school year. We also award our
Youth of the Year, that goes to someone that is working hard to reach their full potential.
Q: How many youth utilize the club each year?
A: Over 300 youth walk through the youth club doors each year.
Q: What is Casino Night?
A: Casino Night is one of our biggest fundraising events. It is held every Fall and is a great time! For adults 21 and over they get dinner, a bar, and a chance to win great prizes. A professional company from Salt Lake provides blackjack,
roulette, craps, and texas hold 'em.
Q: Are you open in the summer?
A: Yes, we run a full summer camp. Summer programs are fun, hands-on, and educational. Summer camp also includes a 3 day 2 night camping trip. Summer camp runs Monday-Friday from 12:30-5 and includes transportation to the club and home.
Q: What is the club used for in the evenings and on the weekends?
A: Our building is used almost nightly for youth basketball, soccer, volleyball, and baseball teams to practice, play games, and host tournaments. We have recently started an open gym sports program with set times and coaching available for volleyball and basketball.
Q: Is the Yellow Taco & Treats food truck part of the club?
A: Yes, our professionals in training (PIT) program worked for a year to plan and prepare to open a real business. In
May of 2021 the Taco & Treats food truck opened for business and was open Fridays throughout the summer. They also had the opportunity to be an event vendor several times. In this youth-developed, youth-operated business, they shop, prepare, cook, serve, and handle the money. We love our taco truck!
Q: Why do you have so many vehicles?
A: We have three 15 passenger vans and recently just got a new suburban, thanks to state funding, to pull the taco trailer and it has four wheel drive. We need lots of vehicles to safely transport lots of kids.
Q: What is the Back to School Community Carnival?
A: Every August we provide, along with our sponsors, an opportunity for school aged kids to get free school supplies, sports physicals, and haircuts to help them be successful in school.