Community Services Division

                                                                                                                                                                                                                            

Beacon Center programs function as a community center on the campus of public schools in disenfranchised neighborhoods. Beacon Centers are founded on the themes of family strengthening and community building. They are unique hubs for community development, offering assistance to families with a host of available services: A Family Resource Center, referrals to resources, family enrichment activities, parenting workshops, health and nutrition education, financial fitness workshops, adult education via computer, GED and ESOL classes, social and recreational activities, after-school enrichment, mentoring, capacity building workshops, community events, including health fairs, and child care during evening programming.    

Beacon Centers create a vital partnership between the families, the school, and the community so to develop successful young people by supporting the child in the context of the family, and the family in the context of the community.  The Beacon Center supports the Children's Services Council's three sentinel outcomes:  an increase in healthy births, a decrease in abuse/neglect of children and children being ready & eager to learn when they enter kindergarten.

The Beacon Centers and the Mentoring Programs are funded by the Children’s Services Council of Palm Beach County.

Key Partners include: The School District of Palm Beach County, The United Way of Palm Beach County & Prime Time Palm Beach County.

Housing Partnership manages five Beacon Centers:

Bridges Beacon @ Highland Elementary in Lake Worth

Forest Park Beacon Center in Boynton Beach

Pahokee Beacon Center in Pahokee 

Pioneer Park Beacon Center in Belle Glade

West Riviera Beacon Center in Riviera Beach

 

The Pahokee Mentor Center and Mentoring at the Bridges Beacon programs support our mission to build healthy communities and improve the quality of life of children and families. The mentored youth have an opportunity to form lasting relationships with significant mentors who provide guidance and support. Participation in a nurturing, stable relationship with an adult in their life increases their protective factors. Our mentoring programs are based on The Elements of Best Practices.  The mentors and mentees meet and participate in structured activities at the school-based site during the traditional after school hours.

We manage the following mentoring programs:

Pahokee Mentor Center at Pahokee Elementary

Mentoring at Bridges Beacon at Highland Elementary in Lake Worth

 

The Youth Enrichment Academies (YEA)  are licensed after school programs serving school-aged children aged 5 - 12 years old.  Children enjoy a wide variety of activities and programming that develop the assets in youth which lead to resilience and success.  Our family-centered YEA programs are open daily from 2pm to 6pm and all day for eight weeks of summer camp. Our two after school programs have been serving the Glades community now for ten years: 

Pahokee Youth Enrichment Academy in Pahokee

Pioneer Park Youth Enrichment Academy in Belle Glade

 

The mission of Safe Kids Program is to prevent accidental injury and death. The Safe Kids program, in partnership with the Palm Beach County Safe Kids Coalition, has been changing lives and providing life saving information for the past 21 years. Through outreach campaigns, promotional events and resource fairs, the staff gets the message out to parents and children on how to stay safe. Awareness campaigns on proper use of car seats and bike helmets, not leaving your child in the car and drowning prevention are key examples of their focus.  Safe Kids Program is funded by the Nicklaus Children’s Health Care Foundation.  The beacon centers and mentoring programs are excited to have such a collaborative partner program join the team.