Our Youth Need Friends…

...that's the motto of the Friends of the Ithaca Youth Bureau. We are committed to helping the youth in our community thrive, grow, and develop into engaged, happy, purposeful, and productive adults.

We would like to thank our amazing 2011 donors for helping us raise awareness and funding support for the programs of the Ithaca Youth Bureau.

Sponsor A Smile

It's not hard to make a young person smile: give him a challenge; let her compete; provide them both with opportunities to grow and learn.

The Ithaca Youth Bureau (IYB) has been making young people smile for more than 60 years. In programs that range from sports leagues to expressive arts, from computer skills to summer camp, the Youth Bureau plays an important role in our community by providing a broad variety of recreation and youth development programs that help cultivate productive and happy adults.

Fitness Buddies

In a time when fitness and going to the gym weren't as popular or accessible to everyone, Joanie Groome, Program Coordinator of Recreation Support Services, and other communities members led the charge to increase the health and well-being of individuals with disabilities.For the past 20 years, the buddy work-out program has run at City Health Club under the Ithaca Youth Bureau's Recreation Support Services coordination, pairing community volunteers and adults with developmental disabilities.

Getting to Know the IYB!

The mission of the Ithaca Youth Bureau is to provide a broad cross section of recreation programs and youth services to promote the health, happiness and well-being of all residents in the greater Ithaca area.

The Ithaca Youth Bureau has prepared a video for you to learn more about whom they are and the many great programs they offer.