Hamdard Center’s Youth Enrichment Program has made great strides in addressing the needs of its target communities since its inception in 2007. The program serves children ages 6-12, the majority of whom are bi-lingual in Spanish. The program includes a recreational day camp in the summer and an after-school enrichment program during the school year. The summer program focuses on arts exploration and physical and emotional health. Activities included cooking classes, drama games, and social/emotional wellness workshops. The Hamdard After-School Program includes social skill-building and academic workshops that focus on two identified focus areas: Literacy and Math. Math workshops focus on improving students’ basic math skills according to grade level including addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division; Literacy workshops aim to develop reading skills such as comprehension and vocabulary and writing skills such as creating an outline, sequencing, development of ideas, grammar, and style. In addition, the program includes a strong focus on homework help. Hamdard staff, along with tutors from Loyola University Chicago, work with students during homework time to help answer questions and problem solve. The results anticipated by the end of the academic school year are: improved grades in child’s service track subject, developed positive study habits, and increased confidence and independence in completion of schoolwork. The desired results for the following academic year are an increased focus on expression through the arts and social/emotional skill building. For more information about Hamdard’s Youth Program, contact our Youth Coordinator at 773-465-4600 x. 26.