Encourage, Excel, Educate is a tutoring program established at the Newport News Family Y. The purpose of this program is to encourage excellence through education. This program is for children grades 1-12. Each child is assigned a tutor who specializes in the subject requested for help.

Encourage, Excel, Educate, was started by Tiara Lamb an employee of the Newport News Family YMCA who learned from a parent of a struggling child that tutoring help in their school system was based on income. Tiara contacted Dominiqe Primer to assist her in implementing Encourage, Excel, Educate because they believe tutoring should be readily accessible to all children requesting help. 

The program began January 19, 2012. It currently has 30 participating students with 20 volunteers serving as tutors in subjects such as Math, Reading, English, Physics, Chemistry, Reading Comprehension, History, Social Studies, Geometry and Music. Parents have seen remarkable improvement in their children who are participating in the program.

Aaron and Andrew Nau were paired with volunteer Zachary Flack for Math, they are 5th graders at Westside Elementary. Before tutoring, Aaron and Andrew were making average grades; now both are on the Principal's List, which is the highest academic achievement any elementary student can achieve.

Tutors for Encourage, Excel, Educate, range from educators like Tina White, Musicians such as Rylan Harris and William Cash, who tells that education is important by sharing his own struggle with graduating from high school with the children, a high school Physics teacher, Hampton University Alumni, Christopher Newport University students and Leadership Fellows. 

Our tutors serve as educators but also as mentors and role models to the impressionable great minds of today's youth. It is the Y's responsibility to give back to the community and our goal is to ensure each child develops with character by instilling values such as caring, honesty, respect and responsibility.  

Let your chldren know it is always ok to ask for help; give them encouragement by offering them a tutor.  Our tutors are here Thursdays from 6-8 pm.

Grades 1st-12th.

Dates: Jan. 12 -May 31, 2012

Cost: FREE

Please sign up at the Welcome Center to participate. 

The Y is providing activities for children of all ages.  There will be bounce houses, ongoing games of different types like: ring toss, fishing, basketball, a kids' wash, and more.  There will also be scheduled activities such as: Kids Zumba, Hoola-Hoop contest, Limbo, Cha- Cha Slide and more.

So stop by the Y's children's activity area and have some fun! 

If you would like to volunteer to help out, contact the Y at  245-0047 and talk with Sharon Nichols.

Anyone can participate in Relay For Life. Friends, families, neighbors, classmates, sports teams, etc., can form their own teams. No matter who you are, there's a place for you at Relay. The only requirement to participate in Relay For Life is the $10 registration/commitment fee (per person) that is due upon registration. Find out more information at the American Cancer Society web page.