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About Community Youth In Action

The spirit of CYA has been around Idaho Falls since 2002—stemming from a youth coalition that has always had the mission of amplifying youth voices and giving them a platform to make a positive difference within their community.

Our Mission

In 2018, CYA’s founder, Becky Leatham, sat down with a team of youth and community members to form the CYA coalition.

One encapsulating organization to hold everything we wanted to do: volunteer projects, substance prevention, a teen center, a resource hub, and any other idea we believed could make our community a better place. We’ve broken it down into three main goals.

  • Provide a place to belong – A place where teens could learn, grow, and serve while building friendships and finding connections.
  • Provide a community platform – A way for teen voices to be heard so they have an input within the community, can get help from their community, and help their community when called to action.
  • Provide support and connections – An organization with compassionate people who can work with you to find things such as food, mental health assistance, or family resources.

A Place to Belong

Opportunities without obstacles. The CYA Teen Center opens after school and provides daily transportation, meals, and tutoring. It also hosts a variety of clubs with caring and supportive mentors. Clubs include STEM, art, music, fitness, cooking, photography, sewing, support groups, and more.

Everything offered is completely free. We are funded through grants and community partners so there are no strings or hidden secrets. It’s just free.

Community Platform

CYA participates in a variety of service and volunteer projects, substance and suicide prevention, safe & sober activities, the annual TRAPPED Leadership Retreat, and connects with the community. From monthly sector meetings to summer service trips our goal is a positive impact.

Support and Connection

Another branch of CYA is the Support, Prevention, and Resource Center (SPaRC). SPaRC is an assessment center that can connect youth and families to services and resources within the community. Through SPaRC all our teens have someone to listen to them without judgement and provide them with ways to be safe and healthy.
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