History

A Brief History of the Portage for Youth

What we are

The Portage for Youth maintains a "delivery system". This means we tailor existing well-proven programs and make them available to our target groups without needing to create our own staff, programs, or facilities. We serve as a catalyst by partnering up with other successful programs and bringing these outside programs to the neighborhood to address the needs of our local youth. Our efforts have resulted in a wide variety of fun and educational programs. Check out the Programs section for more information.

Our humble beginnings

Assessments were conducted in the early 1990s that focused on the needs and resources of the Dayton's Bluff neighborhood. These tests were coordinated with representatives of neighboring schools and nonprofits, families, funders, program participants, and others. In 1993, the Portage for Youth was born in response to the obvious need. Our mission was to provide after-school and summer enrichment programs for the high number of teenage girls from low-income and Hmong immigrant families living in the Dayton's Bluff neighborhood. Since then, the populations of these groups have continued to soar, making a community activities center like the Portage immensely important.