YouthThrive offers literacy circles, swimming lessons – and it’s a year-round family affair and support network.
By Ifhmalee Caceuis
Original Air Date: July 31, 2026
Host: This is more than a regular summer camp. Our reporter Ifhmalee Caceuis was at the final performance of Youth Thrive in Newtown.
YouthThrive performers. | Photos: Ifhmalee Caceuis
Child: I am smart.
Children: I am smart.
Child: I am kind to others.
Children: I am kind to others.
Child: I keep my hands to myself.
Children: I keep my hands to myself.
Child: I am in control of my emotions and behavior.
Children: I am in control of my emotions and behavior.
Ifhmalee Caceuis: Those affirmations echoed through the room Wednesday morning as children in Youth Thrive’s Summer Enrichment Program took the stage in Sarasota’s Newtown community for the It’s a Family Affair Talent Show.
The showcase was the culmination of weeks of learning. It brought together families, mentors and community members to celebrate the campers’ accomplishments through dance, music and creative performances.
Youth Thrive is a youth development program that serves children and families in the Sarasota community. Throughout the school year, the organization offers after-school programming focused on academic support, mentorship and personal development. During the summer, that mission expands into a full-day enrichment program designed to prevent summer learning loss while giving students opportunities to grow both inside and outside the classroom.
Campers spend their days reading independently and with tutors, participating in literacy circles, swimming lessons at the YMCA, educational field trips and enrichment activities led by local community partners. The program also serves as an All Faiths Food Bank Summer Hotspot, providing free breakfast and lunch to participating students and other youth in the community.
The summer enrichment program was led by Program Coordinator Lakeisha Tart and Youth Development Specialist Ty Levit. They say the talent show is more than a performance; it’s a celebration of everything the students have learned throughout the summer. Tart describes how the students were in charge of some of the acts.
LaKeisha Tart: We started off with a play, but one of our students had an idea. She was like, “I want to do a dance.” She wanted to dance with Miss T. So they started dancing, and the other children got excited and wanted to participate. So we shifted from a play to just all dances.
IC: Throughout the morning, students performed original dances and other acts as parents, relatives and community members filled the audience with applause and encouragement.
[Applause]
For many families, the showcase represents more than the end of summer camp. It’s a chance to see how much their children have grown over the past several weeks. This was not the first time for Elaine Jimenez and her son.
Elaine Jimenez: This is actually our third year being in the program, and my son loves it. They do things with them constantly. They’re learning throughout the summer. I noticed when he was in it last year that, when he started school the following year, he wasn’t behind on his reading and things like that. It keeps them motivated, and they’re constantly doing things.
IC: Organizers say the lessons students learn extend far beyond reading and academics. They hope children leave the program with confidence in themselves and the belief that they belong wherever life takes them. Youth Development Specialist Ty Levit:
Ty Levit: One thing I feel like we touch on a lot at Youth Thrive is the children’s talents and their capabilities and their own personal identities. Every single time, it’s always about the kids being able to express themselves the way that they want to.
IC: As the Summer Enrichment Program comes to a close, organizers hope the confidence, friendships and skills students built through Youth Thrive will continue long after they return to school.
LT: I think the name Youth Thrive sums it all up. They know that they can thrive in any environment.
For WSLR News, I’m Ifhmalee Caceuis.
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