The Bureau of Youth Services, a division within the Department of Recreation and Youth Services, provides funding and support for 
programs and services targeted to youth, young adults and their families in the City of Rochester. These services include employment and career readiness programming, youth and adult programming, training and workshops for parents, as well as support to connect our customers to valued resources in the community.
Location
25 Franklin Street 14604 map
Misson Statement
The Bureau of Youth Services supports the City of Rochester's One City Vision statement and its values and guiding principles by supporting youth in their development into successful, contributing youth and adult citizens. We provide support for academic enrichment, youth development, empowerment, and other prevention-based programs and services.
Vision
We envision a community where all young people in the City of Rochester receive everything they need to develop into healthy, successful and contributing adults. A community where all stakeholders, including families, schools, businesses, faith community, community agencies and government, share in the responsibility of helping youth as they develop into contributing members of the greater Rochester community.
Funding
BYS uses a comprehensive mix of local, state and federal funding streams (i.e., Community Development Block Grant, Adolescent Pregnancy Prevention Services, and NYS 21st Century Community Learning Centers), to partner with local agencies, and oversee bureau projects in support of our goals.
Youth Programs
Our key youth employment programs are Youth Training Academy (YTA) and Volunteer Internship Program (VIP).
BYS uses the Search Institute’s 40 Asset Development® as a framework for supporting youth in their journey to adulthood. The 40 Assets are common sense, positive experiences and qualities that help influence choices young people make and help them become caring, responsible adults. Our youth development projects may include: community service/ learning projects; leadership development & character education; effective communication training; and youth empowerment projects.
The Rochester After School Academy (RASA) is a comprehensive after school program developed through dynamic partnerships between community agencies, schools, students and families at 4 City high schools.
The Pillars of Hope provides City School District students with visible and accessible professionals and role models, who conduct presentations about their journeys from adolescence to successful adulthood.
The Bureau of Youth Services also oversees two new projects that aims to reduce teen pregnancy rates, and the impact this issue has on our community:
The CAPP (Comprehensive Adolescent Pregnancy Prevention) project offers training & workshops in evidenced-based curriculums in select middle and high schools throughout the greater Rochester community.
The THRIVE project (Teens Helping to Reinvent Integrity, Values and Empowerment) is an afterschool youth development program offered in 14 City Recreation Centers. This program is a five year evaluative study funded by the US Department of Health’s Office of Adolescent Health.
Departmental Newsletter
The department publishes a newsletter three times per year that features Recreation programs, people, facilities, events, and more!
Check out the newsletter
Contact
Bureau of Youth Services
Department of Recreation and Youth Services
Sibley Building
25 Franklin Street
Rochester, NY 14604
(585) 428-6896