When kids face tough challenges, they need someone on their side to provide guidance, support and mentorship as they navigate their way through this world. Youth Impact is a nonprofit that offers a lifeline to students in at-risk situations, helping them stay on track in school while building life skills.

Based in Ogden at 2305 Grant Ave., Youth Impact gives students from kindergarten to high school a safe place to learn, make new friends, hang out and connect with others. But it’s not just an afterschool program. Youth Impact emphasizes community service, academics, extracurricular activities and mentorship programs to ensure a child’s success.

Suzy Miller has served as Youth Impact’s executive director for four years, coming from a background of working in the nonprofit sector. She said she fell in love with the program the minute she walked in and describes it as a “magical” place to be. Miller has witnessed miraculous results as kids in the program rise above their circumstances to become leaders and creators.

“We’re pretty much part of their family,” Miller said. “We have about 30 staff members and each person is assigned 12 kids. That staff member becomes part of the family. They contact the family all the time. They make sure they know their kid’s grades or see if any kind of help is needed, like therapy. We like to say we’re just one big, dysfunctional, happy family.”

Courtesy of Kim Raff, Comcast

Zendaya is one little girl whose life has been enhanced through her involvement with Youth Impact. She started attending the program as a kindergarten student with low confidence levels in learning to read. As she got older, the mentors at the center realized she didn’t know how to write out the alphabet. She couldn’t even spell her name.

Working with mentor Natalie Steadman, Zendaya set literacy goals that set her on a course where she could overcome her fear of reading while boosting confidence in the classroom.

“Zendaya is the sweetest yet wildest little girl you’ll ever see,” Miller said. “Natalie took her in, I think it was three or four days per week, because we also wanted her to have some fun, too. Somebody explained it to me like this: We are that third place. You have school, you have home, and sometimes you need a third place. We are the definition of a third place, we’re just there to give them that extra boost.”

The results were amazing. It was a day of celebration when Zendaya could spell her name, and her reading skills continue to improve. Miller and her team saw Zendaya start school this year without fear and with confidence in her literary skills.

“Seeing her not be afraid in school was big,” Miller said. “But also, her imagination is wild. She tells these huge stories. There’s something about when you’re able to read and write, your imagination really starts to blossom.”

Miller credits the success of Youth Impact to organizational and corporate partners like the George S. and Dolores Doré Eccles Foundation, United Way of Northern Utah and Comcast NBCUniversal.

As part of its partnership, Comcast installed two Lift Zones at Youth Impact, providing free Wi-Fi connectivity to help students access educational resources that are not often available in their homes. With this reliable internet access, kids in the program can discover new ways to learn.

“Comcast provided us with a Lift Zone in our study hall area, which really helped our situation because we had spotty internet for a long time,” Miller said. “It’s a huge building and that area is way in the back. When we had the system installed, we were able to help the kids log on to their homework and we can actually help them.”

Dedicated to bridging the digital divide, Comcast brings internet connection and digital literacy training to those who don’t have access to technology. As part of its mission, Comcast offers the Internet Essentials program, which provides low-cost, high-speed, in-home internet for $9.95 per month for qualifying families.

“Efforts to expand access, adoption and digital skills training by connecting Utahns to high-speed broadband internet – through Comcast’s Project Up initiatives, including the Internet Essentials program and Lift Zones – is a major goal of Comcast,” said Deneiva Knight, external affairs director for the Comcast Mountain West Region. “Youth Impact in Ogden has an inspiring track record for helping students, and we are pleased to provide resources that improve our communities and the lives of these students.”

Comcast placed a second Lift Zone in the facility’s STEM center. Students can now explore science, technology, engineering and math resources online. They can also learn how to do 3D printing and participate in Minecraft game days.

With a statewide focus on STEM education and computer literacy, Youth Impact and Comcast ensure students can stay on top of digital opportunities that can further their success in the world.

“A lot of these kids get overlooked in school, so when they are able to come to our facility and have internet access, to raise their grades, raise their test scores, it gives them hope and a sense that they can accomplish things in the future,” Miller said. “They don’t have to be the ones left behind.”

Grant money provided by Comcast allows Youth Impact to create new activities such as a theater club that will teach students not just about acting but about stage lighting, sound and set design, and everything they need to create a theatrical performance.

When it comes to student success, Miller has many stories to share. Last year, Tristan’s reading scores were awful, but this year, he’s passing his DIBELS literacy skills tests. Another young man, a high school student, raised his GPA from 1.08 to 3.30 within a few weeks.

Youth Impact works on a referral basis, with students recommended from homeless or domestic violence shelters, the Christmas Box House, the Ogden and Weber school districts, and other organizations dedicated to serving youth in the area. There are currently 150 students enrolled at Youth Impact, with another 60 on a waiting list.

Each day, the on-site chef works with five students to create, prepare, cook and serve dinner to everyone in the center. Students learn these culinary skills and can get a food handler’s permit that allows them to find work. The program also offers arts and crafts, garden and hiking clubs, music, life skills and weekly community service opportunities.

“We really stress community service at our facility because our kids need to start taking ownership of their community. When you feel like you belong somewhere, you are more inclined to be a part of it,” Miller said. “If we don’t recognize the fact that we’re mentors to one another, then I think we fail in society on some level. We need to create a community where we actually look out for one another, help each other out and help each other achieve whatever it is that you want to achieve. We need these kids to be a positive, productive part of our community.”

Miller invites people to stop by Youth Impact to witness the difference being made in the lives of these students. The program is free for all students. For those interested in volunteering, partnering with or donating to the program, visit youthimpactogden.org.

To learn more about Comcast’s Project Up comprehensive initiative to advance digital connectivity and help build a future of unlimited possibilities, visit corporate.comcast.com/impact/project-up.