All-academics Youth Center (Simpson Street Free Press South Towne site)

During the past 24 years, SSFP has carefully honed its its craft. While we operate at several sites, SSFP’s flagship location is the all-academics youth center at South Towne Mall. This facility is built on proven models for out-of-school time learning, and uses a nationally recognized curriculum. The South Towne youth center offers a range of activities and programs for youth in grades 2-12. We provide writing instruction, literacy support, technology training, and project-based learning structures. Curriculum emphasizes close reading, pre-writing activities, fact checking, learning logs, and revision work. In many SSFP programs, students can be paid stipends or earn class credit for completed and published work.
 
The South Towne youth center provides a range of academic supports for young people. Parents and students are encouraged to call and arrange a visit. We provide adult led and peer-to-peer math tutoring. We offer writing workshops, youth book clubs, and technology training sessions. In all SSFP programs students write and read extensively. They produce written work in Spanish and English, and publish on a variety of new media platforms. SSFP fields a credentialed group of editors, volunteers, math tutors, and writing instructors.
 
​Family convenience is a key strategy at SSFP. Our South Towne youth center is open 52 weeks per year and programs expand during all school breaks and the summer semester. Students and parents can arrange their own schedules based on convenience and other youth activities. Whatever a student’s schedule, the curriculum remains sequential. This project-based approach supports the classroom. The South Towne center schedules various programs throughout the year that are designed for the whole family. All programs are free of charge.