Since 1972, Progressive Youth Connection (formerly Center) has become one of the primary prevention agencies in the area, serving more than 4,000 youth, parents, and other community members each year. By providing violence prevention and character education programs, as well as counseling services and after school and summer programs, PYC is continually working to improve the lives of youth and their families.

Mission Statement
Progressive Youth Connection creates strong communities by generating deep learning experiences designed to keep kids safe while successfully dealing with life situations and allowing them to grow into productive adults.

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Looking at recent News Headlines the question is: What can we do?

It's unfortunate that a highly publicized beating is now opening up parents and educators eyes to what has been happening and will continue to happen unless we change things now. Kids should not be afraid to go to school. 1 in 10 eighth graders reported staying home once a month because of bullying. In a mid size school, bullying happens once every seven minutes.

As a parent you are probably wondering, "what can I do right now?" You can help your child by encouraging them to communicate with you. Bring up the issue of bullying. Ask what they would do if they were being bullied or witnessed a bullying incident. Direct them to speak to an adult in any instance of bullying. If you think your child is being bullied begin a written log of all incidents. Communicate with the school; they will have guidelines in place to address the situation. Finally, model positive behaviors. Speak respectfully to your child and others. Manage your anger and conflict in ways that you would want your child to manage their anger and conflict. These simple steps will create a healthy environment for your child to grow.

Together what can we do? Talk with your school counselor’s about what prevention programs are available at your child’s school. If there is not anything in place talk to your school about putting a prevention program, like Stand-Up for You, in place.

The goal of “Stand-up for you” is to address the issues of bullying and being bullied. The lessons equip the children with factual information about violence, non-violence, anger-management, peer pressure and what being a bully is all about. These lessons help the participants develop concrete skills in conflict resolution and empathy with the hope that students will utilize these skills in all areas of their lives.

Attend one of our Parenting workshops:

• Bullying 101 -
  This workshop explores all aspects of bullying and cyber-bullying, including behaviors, effects and ways to address and prevent bullying.


• Healthy Families 101 –
  This workshop addresses ways to create and maintain a healthy home environment, develop effective and consistent discipline, and ensure open lines of communication.


• Working Through Conflict 101 –
  This workshop addresses ways families can effectively work through conflict and anger and find positive solutions to negative situations.


• Motivating Your Child 101 -
  This workshop addresses ways to motivate children and help them positively develop their self-esteem.

For further information or to schedule a workshop please contact:

Stephanie Zimmerman
Director of Prevention Services
314-963-8368 X 203 or saspyc@aol.com

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RECEIVE A TAX CREDIT UP TO 50 PERCENT OF YOUR DONATION TO PYC!
As a result of the State of Missouri's Youth Opportunities Program (Y.O.P.), you may be eligible to receive 50 cents back for every $1.00 you donate to Progressive Youth Connection. PYC was recently approved to receive the tax credits for 2009 through the Missouri Department of Economic Development, which administers the program. Y.O.P. is designed to broaden and strengthen opportunities for positive development in community life for youth, and to discourage criminal and violent behavior.

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Position Statement
Progressive Youth Connection implements prevention programs to help children develop the skills to make positive choices in life, while striving to promote a violence-free school environment to ensure academic and social success for children of all ages.

Privacy Policy
To view Progressive Youth Connection's privacy policy (PDF), please click here.

Stories of PYC's programs making a difference.

"In my 25 plus years as the counselor at Delmar Harvard School I have observed first hand the need for a program such as "Count To Ten", the anger management program offered by Progressive Youth Connections. Many of our students have not had opportunities to learn the skills necessary for effective conflict resolution. I know that these skills must be taught the same way academic skills are taught and reviewed multiple times. It is unreasonable to expect children to know the steps of conflict resolution if they have not been exposed to this information. Children need time to learn the material and practice using it in a classroom selling.

I often find myself sitting with two or more students after they have had a shouting match or a physical incident involving hitting, pushing or fighting and I find that even after they are calm and they have an adult working with them, they do not know strategies for dealing with their anger. Many students believe that the only way to solve a problem is to vent their feelings, posture, or get revenge.

It is important for all students to understand what the alternatives to these unproductive actions can be."

-Beth Brightfield, Counselor at Delmar Harvard Elementary School