Every One. All Ways.

Youth are the backbone to any community. Our committed focus to nurturing the minds and hearts of youth in West Marin outside of school hours is one of our top priorities.

Contact

415-663-8418 | youth.program@westmarincs.org

About

The WMCS-Youth Services Program was adopted in 2021 by taking on the Youth Center on the West Marin Elementary School campus. We are excited about our plans to continue to offer expanded, meaningful, hands-on programming for youth and families in West Marin. Our Youth Center is open 5 days a week afterschool offering a different activity every day such as art, cooking classes, tutoring, mountain biking, music, field trips, and much more. Camps during school breaks offer students engaging and enriching activities to stay safe and healthy when school is out of session. 

Academic Resources and Social-Emotional Learning

We stay focused on how best to provide after-school tutoring and targeted social-emotional support for students during non-school time. We continue to meet with key community partners, a Youth Services Committee, school staff, and parents to understand how to arrange these essential supports.

We encourage each student to have both personal and academic goals for the school year. Whether a student is enrolled with 10K Degrees, Academic Wednesdays, or Kahn Academy, there are several academic pathways to follow.  Additionally, our Youth Center continues to develop an awareness of social-emotional, mental health, and social justice issues. These are learning opportunities that will need sufficient resources, more community partnerships, and your help to work effectively with each student.

We encourage you to reach out to your teachers, family advocates, school counselors, Shoreline Mentors, library staff, sports coaches, and mentors who can help your family connect with necessary resources.

Outdoor Recreational Activities

The WMCS Youth Center aka Tomales Bay Youth Center (TBYC) strives to offer opportunities for youth to participate in outdoor recreational activities.  We achieve this goal with weekly mountain biking trips to local parks and trails. Students can also join our year-round fishing and hiking clubs.

During the summer, we offer field trips to state and county parks, opportunities such as swimming in Tomales Bay, meeting park rangers to learn more about the ecosystems, and experiences of exploring the outdoors. 

It is crucial for youth to participate in these programs as the benefits are exponential to their physical and mental health. Thank you for the support and helping WMCS keep TBYC a place where youth can participate in outdoor education. 

Waterdogs Swim Classes

Waterdogs Swim Safety Class is Back for Its 85th Season! 

 We’re thrilled to announce Waterdogs 2025! Save the date for this year’s summer schedule, which will be July 21st-August 1st. Classes will be held at Hearts Desire Beach, with pool testing at a location to be announced. 

We are hoping to find a pool in the Bolinas or Point Reyes areas, please let us know if you have a lead on a pool. 

Applications Open April 1, 2025 Applications to apply for the program will be available starting April 1. Please note that submitting an application does not guarantee a spot in the program. Applications will be available online or at any West Marin Community Services (WMCS) location. 

Volunteer Opportunities Join our team and help make this season a success! We’re seeking: 

• Lifeguards 

• Bilingual Beach Aides: Assist Spanish-speaking families and ensure smooth operations. 

• Swim Instructors: Support the primary instructor in the water during class. More instructors means more kids can swim! 

Inverness Fair Support We also need volunteers for the Inverness Fair, where we’ll sell our famous tostadas to raise funds for the program. 

Support the Program Your donations make a difference! Sponsor a child to support our scholarship program and help make Waterdogs accessible to all families. 

If you’re interested in volunteering, donating, or supporting the program in any way, please get in touch with us at:
📧 waterdogs@westmarincommunityservices.org
📞 Youth Services: (415) 663-8418 

Thank you for helping us make our 85th season a success! 

Volunteer

Love sports? Tutoring? Cooking? Art? Biking? Computers? The youth are eager to learn and interact with the community. Whether you come every week, or just drop in to play sports every once in awhile, your presence is important!

Engage

Need young people to help on a community project? Have an activity or an  experience you think West Marin youth would love to participate in? Please let us know! Call 415-663-8418 or email youth.program@westmarincs.org today!

Donate

Food, art supplies, expertise and sports equipment are always appreciated. Financial donations will allow us to expand our hours, hire more staff, and provide more wonderful activities for our students!

We need your support to continue to provide youth services. Donations and scholarships allow for all young people to participate in our program.

Thank you for helping us create bright futures for the youth of West Marin!

Youth Resources

Be The Influence – Reduce teen alcohol, cannabis, tobacco, and other drug use by empowering parents with factual information and the tools to support their children in making healthy and safe choices.

California Parent & Youth Helpline – Emotional support for families challenged by the pressures of COVID-19.

Huckleberry Youth Programs – Educate, inspire, and support under served youth to develop healthy life choice, to maximize their potential, and to realize their dreams.

Marin Al-Anon and Al-Teen – A fellowship of relatives and friends of alcoholics. They meet together – virtually or in person – to solve our common problems and to share experience, strength, and hope with one another.

Marin Prevention Network – A collaboration of community coalitions, organizations, and individuals actively seeking to change norms, policies, and laws that affect the availability, promotion, sale, and use of alcohol and other drugs.

National Alliance on Mental Illness, Marin County – The local affiliate of the nation’s largest grassroots mental health organization dedicated to building better lives for the millions of Americans affected by mental illness and their families.

The Den: Bolinas-Stinson Youth Group – Provides a safe and inspiring space for community building, personal discovery, and peer-supported growth for 6th to 12th graders, with special focus on the middle school population.

The Loft: San Geronimo Valley Afterschool – A place for children in the 4th to 8th grades to enjoy a supervised settings to hang out with friends, do homework or participate in gym activities.

West Marin Coalition for Healthy Youth – Mobilize across all sectors of the community and work collaboratively to significantly reduce the incidence of underage use of alcohol, tobacco, and other drugs.

World Story Exchange – Partners with schools and educational organizations to offer documentary storytelling workshops to youth ages 7-23.

Youth Leadership Institute – Builds communities where young people and their adult allies come together to create positive community change that promotes social justice and racial equity.

Youth Center Location

At the West Marin Elementary School 11550 Shoreline Hwy, Point Reyes Station, CA 94956

Youth Program Event Calendar

Thank you to Marin County Parks for supporting the Youth Center through the Breathe Respira Grant—helping youth connect with the outdoors, explore Marin’s parks and open spaces, and supporting our Mountain Biking Club.

The WMCS Youth Center students express gratitude for the support of Marin Charitable. We were able to provide academic support to 20 students in need this school year. This grant has also been instrumental in ensuring we have the necessary materials for our students and support for our tutors. The Study Squad will continue to support students on Mondays and Tuesdays at the WMCS Youth Center.