Breakpoint STL Youth Programs VISTA - FT

The Youth Programs VISTA will build the capacity of Breakpoint Tennis & Life Skills Academy by building the evaluation and development of Breakpoint’s school and community programs in schools in the St. Louis region including St. Louis Public Schools, City Academy, Boys’ & Girls’ Club of Greater St. Louis, and Gene Slay Girls’ & Boy’s Club, develop new volunteer initiatives and strategic partnerships. As a result of the Youth Programs VISTA’s service, at least 250 children and 15 volunteers will be engaged in youth programs during 2024-2025 school year programming. This project will alleviate poverty by providing physical activity, social-emotional learning, and literacy education, keeping minds and bodies active, and establishing mentoring relationships with at-risk youth and caring adults in their community.

Apply on my.americorps.gov.

Breakpoint recognizes the critical importance of community engagement. Toward these ends, we are developing community programs that directly engage community-based partners with rich histories and preexisting community relationships. We provide tennis and reading camps and tennis and life skills clinics to under-resourced youth in the St. Louis region, year-round. With locations at city parks, an indoor facility, and school gyms, we are supporting over 300 children annually. We have partnerships with St. Louis Public Schools’ Sigel Elementary, Mathews Dickey Club (Boys’ & Girls’ Club of Greater St. Louis), Gene Slay Girls’ & Boys’ Club, Thomas Dunn Learning Center, and other community organizations, as well as local universities and St. Louis City Parks & Recreation, to address the unmet need of access to tennis education to underserved youth in our region. We are piloting in-school programs and discussing embedded school opportunities to show how tennis can strengthen and develop life skills that will positively enhance children’s future success.