Direct programs offered by the Youth Bureau are: Adventure Programs: Mission: To provide youth in Schoharie County a connection to our natural world through outdoor adventure. A place for youth to grow, learn and have fun by experiencing the challenges and opportunities encountered in an outdoor environment. To lead youth down a healthy path of development and the discovery of their potential through experiential learning and positive youth engagement. Adventure Programs are for youth ages 8-18. Trips are broken up in age groups. Jr. Adventures (ages 8-11), Adventure (ages 12-14) and Teen Adventure (ages 15-18). Trips include hiking, geo-caching, letterboxing, multi-adventure trips, canoeing, white water kayaking, white water rafting, rock climbing, canoeing, horseback riding, community service, archery and fishing. April Adventures: The Youth Bureau runs this four day long program during the county schools Spring Break. We provide outdoor/educational/recreational activities for youth ages 8-15. We break the ages into two programs. 8-11 year olds have two days of programming and then we hold two days of programming for the 12-15 year olds. Programming has included: hiking, visits to museums and/or educational farm/maple syrup trips, ice skating, roller skating, swimming, environmental education, team-building activities, indoor rock climbing and ropes courses.

Youth As Leaders:

The mission of the Youth As Leaders program in Schoharie County is to provide an opportunity for youth to enhance their personal skills and leadership abilities while voicing their concerns and learning to take a leadership role in their community. The Youth As Leaders program arranges for youth to become acquainted with community needs and resources, encourages their interests and participation through leadership development, and assists in finding solutions for quality of life issues in Schoharie County. As youth participate in the program, they will become young individuals who are caring and participate in community leadership activities and responsibilities throughout Schoharie County. Students are chosen by their schools to start their sophomore year and they continue with the program until graduation.

Sophomore Year: Learn leadership skills through team-based adventure games and build relationships across the county school districts.

Junior Year: Apply concepts and skills learned to plan projects or activities that focus on youth involvement for either leisure time or community service.

Senior Year: Facilitate what has been learned and pass it along to the new incoming sophomore class and/or community groups during workshops.

Schoharie County Youth Service Day:

The Youth Bureau partners with the Schoharie County Office for the Aging. Youth sign-up to perform community service through the Youth Bureau and seniors citizens sign-up to for the community service to be completed at their homes through OFA. We set groups of youth up with 1-3 seniors homes and they help out by doing yard work that is much needed. After the community service is completed we host a free pizza celebration for the volunteers.

Team-building Workshops:

The Youth Bureau is willing to facilitate team-based games to youth and/or youth workers that are interested. We start out with ice-breaker activities and work our way to initiatives that focus on problem solving as a group and we debrief the activities and daily experiences and relate what they have experienced into real life.

****The Schoharie County Youth Bureau is always open to coordinating new events/activities for youth. If anyone is interested in our activities or would like to plan something new, please contact the Schoharie County Youth Bureau.