Youth Centers

About the Youth Centers

The Youth Centers in Tuolumne County find their roots back in the mid 1960's when community leaders and teachers led the effort to offer youth center services to the community. They originally operated at schools and other community buildings. The first County Youth Center opened in 1978 in Groveland and due to the success of that program it prompted the County to expand the program to meet the needs of the youth in both Tuolumne City and Jamestown. The Tuolumne County Recreation Department still operates those three youth center programs throughout the year in Groveland, Jamestown, and Tuolumne for youths ages 8 to 18.

The Youth Center Program is meant to give the children of Tuolumne County a safe, fun and exciting place to spend the day free from bullying, criticism and negative peer pressure. We work hard to make youth aware of proper nutrition and exercise, as well as the dangers of drug/alcohol use, teen pregnancy prevention and much more. Each Youth Center also offers a variety of arts and crafts, filed trips, games and activities like: wii, air-hockey, pool, ping-pong and foosball. As well as being an exciting and fun place to go, the Youth Centers provide mentoring, crisis intervention, tutoring, job training/assistance and community service opportunities.

If you have never visited one of our Youth Centers, please stop by and see what we are all about. The Youth Centers are drop-in sites and free of charges (excluding certain field trips). Parents are welcome to tour the facility and meet our staff.

Tuolumne County Youth Centers' Role in the Community:

  1. To build positive relationships and attitudes with the youth and their families, as well as local businesses, county agencies and community members
  2. To educate the youth on new recreational opportunities, as well as encourage participation in recreational events
  3. Youth Center Programs help to enrich the youth’s lives by offering leadership opportunities, job opportunities, volunteerism and homework help
  4. Provide a safe, fun environment where they can learn, play and grow
  5. Act as a deterrent to outside influences (i.e. drugs, alcohol, cutting school)

Volunteer Opportunities

We are always in need of caring, committed adults to become involved in their local youth centers. If volunteering is something that you would like to do, the first thing that you must do is complete and submit the Volunteer Request Form. After the form has been received and reviewed by the Recreation Department staff you will be notified as to whether or not your request to volunteer has been approved or denied. If you are approved, and have not been fingerprinted by the Recreation Department, you must fill out the Livescan Touchprint Application Form at the Recreation Department. Once your fingerprints have been cleared the Recreation Department will coordinate a schedule with you.

View the procedures for the fingerprint process