Merrick House offers quality after-school care for students between the ages of 6 and 17. Kids enrolled in the program benefit from activities that help them build character, strengthen their social and emotional skills, become leaders, be creative, and have fun! Our structured curriculum focuses on three core areas: Leadership, Entrepreneurship, and Post-Secondary Readiness.

Monday Through Friday
2:30 p.m. – 5:30 p.m.

Location
Merrick House
1050 Starkweather Avenue
Cleveland, Ohio 44113
Phone: 216.771.5077

What We Provide

• Homework assistance
• Snacks
• Arts and crafts
• Field trips
• Fitness activities
• Service projects

Unique Opportunities for Growth

Youth Leadership Council – Promotes leadership and entrepreneurial skills.

Junior Achievement Curriculum – Develops workforce readiness and financial literacy.

Ambassador of Compassion Curriculum – Helps build resiliency and leadership skills.

A Chance to Participate in Group Discussions

Our older students (ages 13 through 17) are encouraged to participate in discussions on issues affecting them today such as sexuality, teen pregnancy, and drug and alcohol abuse. Sessions emphasize building self-esteem, improving communication skills, learning to cope, making responsible decisions, and learning to develop and maintain positive relationships with family and peers. Our staff also provides individual and family counseling when needed.

To qualify, you must:

• Be enrolled in school
• Be at least 6 years of age but no older than 17 years of age
• Complete a registration packet for all children enrolled in our After School youth program.
• Be a resident of Cleveland

All Merrick House Youth Program services are FREE!

To get more information or to sign up for the Youth Program at Merrick House, which serves the west side of Cleveland, call 216.771.5077.

Merrick House is committed to partnering with other community organizations in order to maximize available resources to community members. Below are programs made possible through various partnerships that enable kids to participate at no cost to them or their families.

Youth Outdoors Program
Youth Outdoors is a partnership between Cleveland Metroparks, The Ohio State University Extension, 4-H, and the City of Cleveland. The program strives to meet the developmental needs of urban youth ages 8 through 18 living in the City of Cleveland through involvement in outdoor adventure and nature exploration activities such as hiking, kayaking, rock climbing, fishing, biking, and cross-country skiing. The goal of the program is to provide young people with opportunities to experience nature and gain important life skills. 

Youth Opportunities Unlimited (Y.O.U.)
Youth Opportunities Unlimited (Y.O.U.) is a nonprofit workforce development organization based in Cleveland that serves teens and young adults ages 14 through 24 living in economically distressed areas in Cuyahoga, Lorain, and Lake counties. The organization’s goal is to ensure that teens and young adults in Northeast Ohio are well prepared to enter the workforce.

International Youth Leadership Foundation
The mission of the International Youth Leadership Foundation is to posture highly motivated students from diverse cultural and socioeconomic backgrounds to be thought leaders and innovators in their future careers of choice.

Financial Literacy Programs
Through a partnership with Ohio Savings Bank, a Division of New York Community Bank, we offer financial literacy programs to youth on topics such as managing money, preventing fraud and identity theft, purchasing a home, and saving for retirement. 

Youth Basketball League – Summer
The six-week program meets one to two times per week. Half court officiated games. The program is made possible by the MyCom Out-of-School Time Grant.

Summer Camp – June – July 2024
The six to seven week program will run daily from 8:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.
Registration to come soon. 

Whether you are a parent, student, or volunteer, you can find out more about our youth programs by contacting us at 216.771.5077.

Merrick House received the MyCom Out-of-School Time grant from Starting Point, along with community partners Tremont West Development Corporation, Tremont Montessori School, and the Cleveland Music School Settlement. This grant had three goals: (1) to more fully engage Tremont youth in decision-making and neighborhood planning; (2) to increase the variety of out-of-school time programming offered to the youth in the Tremont community; and (3) to increase available structured summer out-of-school time opportunities for youth in Tremont. As part of this grant, Merrick House has established a Youth Leadership Council and expanded programming to include music therapy classes for youth and a summer basketball league.