Teen Programs
The Police Athletic League offers a variety of activities for teens, ages 13-19, in our Teen Centers. We strive to provide opportunities for athletic training, physical fitness, college readiness, job readiness, career outlook, social engagement, and experiences in the arts. In addition to our structured program model, we pride ourselves on rendering services that maximize youth exposure and foster positive relationships in the community at large.
The Teen Programming Department consists of six (6) foundational components. Please see the programs and descriptions below:
Teen Centers
PAL’s Teen Centers operate as the social hub for participants looking to engage with their peers in a safe space. Operating 3-5 days a week, 6:30pm – 9:30pm, Teen Centers typically host activities such as sports, arts, fitness, and game rooms. Additional social engagement opportunities are provided through teen workshops and culminating events.
With a heavy emphasis on athletics, teens at our centers frequently participate in PAL intramural competitions and tournaments. Understanding the need for leadership, our athletic activities focus on building proper teamwork and positive sportsmanship skills.
Teen Centers have expanded focus to create youth councils, offering opportunities for civic engagement and community outreach.
This program is free of charge. Click here to register
College Access Program (CAP)
The College Access Program (CAP) is offered to high school juniors and seniors attending PAL Teen Centers. The program helps participants overcome barriers to college. Students attend positive youth development workshops while gaining valuable career preparation through targeted self-selected internships. CAP aims to not only encourage students to enroll in higher education but to prepare them for success in school and in their career.
New York City’s high school graduation and college enrollment rates have plateaued and flattened signaling persistent barriers to college access, especially for New York City’s lowest-income youth. For would-be first-generation college students, who make up the majority of youth attending PAL’s Teen Centers, parents are often unprepared to guide them through the complicated maze of college and financial aid applications. CAP provides students with the guidance they need to navigate the process.
CAP prepares at-risk youth to achieve their dreams of higher education and meaningful careers. PAL will help youth complete high school, and transition into colleges and careers through: academic support, college awareness, job skills development, targeted internship/externships, and life skills workshops.
The CAP is located at PAL’s Webster Center.
This program is free of charge. Click here to register
Mentorship and Advocacy Program (MAAP)
The Mentorship and Advocacy Program (MAAP) is a program offered by the Division of Youth and Family Justice (DYFJ); providing individualized strength and advocacy-based wraparound support services for youth ages 12-21. MAAP operates in Brooklyn.
The program is for youth who exhibit risk factors that would increase the likelihood of engagement in delinquent behaviors; truancy, drug/alcohol use or abuse, association with negative peers, and pattern of family conflict or violence. Each youth is matched with a mentor whose focus is to guide them in developing better self-esteem, creating healthy relationships, and making positive life choices.
Participants are referred to MAAP through three (3) Administration for Children's Services (ACS) programs: Juvenile Justice Initiative (JJI), Close to Home, and the Family Assistance Program (FAP).
For more information on PAL MAAP please contact Jamilah Clark, Associate Director of Juvenile Justice, at Jclark@palynyc.org.
This program is free of charge. Contact program for enrollment details.
Summer Youth Employment Program (SYEP)
Each summer, in partnership with the Department of Youth and Community Development (DYCD) PAL, provides youth, ages 14-24 with employment opportunities throughout New York City. The Summer Youth Employment Program (SYEP) provides six weeks of paid employment during July and August. Entry level jobs give youth work experience in either public or private sector worksites. In addition to the six weeks of paid employment, participants attend workshops on job readiness, career exploration, and financial literacy. For many youths, these summer jobs are their first experience in the workforce. PAL serves more than 1,500 youth in the Queens, Manhattan, and Brooklyn through its full-service youth centers in these boroughs,
SYEP applications are released online in each spring. Applicants MUST be entered into the online lottery before the designated DYCD deadline to be eligible for selection. For households without computer access, paper applications may be submitted in person at select PAL sites.
The staff in PAL’s Youth Employment Department have been working on the SYEP program for over a decade and have extensive experience in placing youth in appropriate job sites. They achieve this through individual sessions where staff carefully consider youth’s experiences, goals, expectations, and skill set to appropriately place them in a job site that will be suitable for them.
Many of the young people employed in summer jobs also participate in PAL’s CAP and Teen Centers. This results in year-round involvement for many young people in healthy and productive activities that strengthen their job readiness skills and opens doors to meaningful internships.
To learn more about SYEP please contact Myshanda Parks, Program Coordinator, at MParks@palnyc.org.
This program is free of charge. Contact program for registration details.
Work, Learn, and Grow
The Work, Learn & Grow (WLG) employment program is a newly funded NYC Council initiative designed to give participants of the Summer Youth Employment Program (SYEP) an opportunity during the school year to continue to build off of the skills and experience acquired during the summer.
WLG provides select participants of the SYEP, ages 14-24, with career readiness training and paid employment for up to twenty-five weeks between October and April.
To be eligible, youth must have been enrolled in the prior SYEP cycle and be currently enrolled in school. If youth meet those two criteria, they are welcomed to apply to be entered into a lottery. If selected, participants are placed in an entry-level job in a wide array of areas including government agencies, hospitals, non-profits, small businesses, law firms, museums, sports enterprises, and retail establishments.
WLG career readiness training focuses on topics such as career exploration, financial literacy, conflict resolution, resume/cover letter writing and opportunities to further education and social growth.
To learn more about Work, Learn, and Grow please contact Myshanda Parks, Program Coordinator, at MParks@palnyc.org.
This program is free of charge. Contact program for registration details.
Youth Link
Established in 2004, Youth Link began as a mandated anti-recidivism program, providing family court-involved youth with counseling, tutoring, and social-emotional support to help them successfully exit the juvenile justice system; reconnecting them to their school, employment, families, and communities. The program has since expanded to include any teen, ages 13-19, in need of support.
We render services to teens experiencing unfortunate circumstances in life, included but not limited to, homelessness, foster care, truancy, probation, past conviction, and instances of childhood trauma.
Youth Link programs are located at PAL’s Harlem and New South Bronx Centers.
To learn more about Youth Link, please contact Jamilah Clark, Associate Director of Juvenile Justice, at Jclark@palynyc.org.
This program is free of charge. Contact program for enrollment details.