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Who We Are

The Tamalpais Beacon Center Project is a school/community after school collaboration between Tamalpais High School and several community-based youth development organizations that have come together utilizing the Beacon Center model as a catalyst to organize the community in support of underserved youth with the intent of increasing their access to enrichment, tutorial and recreation programs and services. The collaboration is lead by Marin Interfaith Youth Outreach (MIYO), the other implementing partners include; the Hannah Project/Young Scholars Marin, Dynamic Solutions for Youth, and the Quest Youth Development Program. The Tamalpais Beacon Center operates on the campus of Tamalpais High School in Mill Valley, and is based on the conceptual strategies from the New York Beacon programs and the San Francisco Beacon Center Initiative.

There are also a variety of youth development organizations that will provide programs as part of the Beacon Center Project including; Youth Speaks, Teen Studio Careers, Youth Movement Records, Youth Leadership Institute, Oasis Events, 4 REEL Films, and the Harvest Project.

What Beacon Centers Do

Beacons are a strategy for strengthening communities to support children and youth. Public schools are transformed into neighborhood centers that provide an array of services, activities, opportunities, and supports based upon the needs and resources that promote the healthy development of children, families, and their communities. A Beacon Center serves as a major gathering place for the community and is open year-round, after school, on weekends, and in the summer.

The centers offer young people a wide array of vital programs focused on five different areas that are important to their future:

1. Education: programs range from tutoring and homework help to writing projects and other academic offerings
2. Career Development: students can sharpen their computer skills in state-of-the-art computer labs, and explore a range of other career paths.
3. Arts and Recreation: Beacon Centers offer a variety of individual and team sports (basketball, volleyball, soccer, flag football, tennis, swimming, and other sports) as well as cultural activities such as hip-hop, mural projects, dance, music, poetry/spoken word, and theatre.
4. Leadership: young people are encouraged to take leadership roles in planning activities and spearheading special interests groups and youth event planning.
5. Health: The centers offer a number of health education programs, and also provide information about publicly funded health coverage options for youth