The Middle Earth Community Youth Center provides a safe and supervised place for any youth between the ages of 10 and 18 to gather and interact positively with their peers. Youth are able to “walk-in” during Center hours.  Our Center becomes a "home away from home" for many kids, a place to go instead of "hanging out" on the street. The staff strive to provide a support system to youth who would otherwise not have one, in the hopes of intervening prior to troubled behavior.

This comprehensive service center provides an array of benefits to youth all in one location, including:

• tutoring,
• special interest groups,
• leadership training,
• mentoring,
• community service,
• crisis intervention and referral services,
• recreation (such as pool table, ping pong table, TV, VCR, stereo, exercise equipment, board and video games, arts and crafts materials, cameras, computers, sound booth equipment and a bulletin board of planned activities),
• caring and supportive adults who act as role models,
• employment readiness (teaching skills to improve marketability in the workforce),
• informal counseling, and
• life skills center (e.g. cooking, obtaining a driver’s license, financial literacty, independent living).

Download the Community Youth Centers brochure.

The 21st Century Community Learning Center (CCLC) is a comprehensive after-school program, which supports students' academic, behavioral, emotional and social growth in an atmosphere of mutual respect and encouragement. The 21st CCLC program serves middle school aged students from Bound Brook and South Bound Brook and operates year-round.

The program provides students with opportunities in the following areas:

• academic remediation and enrichment,
• character education (such as fun and energetic activities that reinforce the six pillars of character, including respect and trust, and developing prevention skills for gangs and substance abuse),
• community service,
• cultural and artistic opportunities (such as art, culinary arts, computer technology, creative writing, environmental science, home economics, musical drama, scrapbooking, and videography),
• educational field trips (such as art museums, science centers, performing arts centers, zoos and aquariums, and local historical sites),
• family programming,
• health, nutrition, fitness and physical activity,
• on-site counseling, and
• recreation.

Download the 21st CCLC brochure.

The main purpose of the Somerset-Hunterdon Internship and Employment (S.H.I.N.E) Program is to provide youth with the necessary tools and resources so they can improve their academic success and employment skills to be marketable in the community. The S.H.I.N.E. Program connects youth with work-based readiness education, along with paid internship experiences, to prepare them for the workforce.

The program is divided into 4 phases. First, the youth will be assessed and will develop goals. Second, youth will attend workshops on job readiness skills such as resume writing, interview skills, behaviors while on the job and other employment related topics. They will be presented with other vital information such as the use of public transportation, financial literacy, how to obtain a driver’s permit/license, and how to navigate community resources. Third, youth will be placed in a paid internship and expected to work at least three days per week and attend program one day a week. Finally, staff will continue to follow-up with the youth to ensure their success.

The program will serve those youth ages 17-21 who are low-income based on the 70% lower living standard. Youth must reside in Somerset or Hunterdon Counties and must face one or more of the following challenges: basic skills deficient, school dropout, disabled, homeless, runaway or foster child, pregnant or parenting, involved as an offender in the Juvenile Justice System, and/or requires additional assistance to complete an educational program to secure and hold employment.

Download the SHINE brochure.

The Journeys Program provides an out-of-school program for Somerset County youth, ages 12 to 17, who have chronic family conflict, poor school attendance and/or performance, frequent contact with police, been placed on deferred probation, and/or a history of acting out in the community. Youth can be referred to the program by their school, local police officers, other community-based agencies, or they can refer themselves.

The services of the program include:

• Advocacy
• Anger management skills education
• Character education
• Community service (supervised)
• Community Youth Center
• Crisis intervention
• Daily after-school supervision
• Daily group meetings
• Educational support / tutoring / homework assistance
• Employment readiness skills training
• Field trips to college and technical schools
• Gang prevention curriculum
• Groups covering gender-specific topics
• Guest speakers
• Information and referral
• Leadership training
• Life skills education and groups
• Parent education and involvement/meetings
• Recreation
• Referrals to the Family Crisis Intervention Unit (FCIU) as appropriate
• Substance abuse education groups

The Linkages' School Based Program is a collaborative effort among local agencies designed to offer health services, life skills education, employment services, counseling, and safe recreational services to youth at one site: the Somerset County Vocational and Technical High School (SCVTHS).

Linkages offers year-round free services to all SCVTHS students (including part time) between 14 and 21 years old. Middle Earth’s role is to provide the recreational component of the Linkages Program through the use of a youth center at SCVTHS and offer recreation and outreach services to the students in order to provide safe and positive leisure activities and identify youth who are in need of special services. Recreational services are offered both through the Linkages Youth Center as well as through a variety of trips offered to participants throughout the year.

Download the Linkages (recreation component) brochure.

The Outreach Program provides stability to youth and their families through intensive mentoring services, which are tailored to meet the individual needs of the adolescent and their family. We help the youth adopt the value of taking responsibility for their actions. The youth meets with a trained, caring adult who provides mentoring on a consistent, long-term basis. Referrals to the program come from a variety of sources, which are listed on our brochure below.

The program provides the following services:

• Advocacy
• Case management
• Counseling
• Crisis intervention
• Educational support
• Group activities and trips
• Information and referral
• Life skills education
• Mentoring
• Outreach to youth and family
• Recreational activities
• Respite
• Supervision
• Support services to youth and their families
• Transportation

Download the Outreach brochure.

The Station House Adjustment (SHA) Program provides community service to first-time offending youth who commit a petty offense as a consequence for their behavior. To participate in the program, the youth cannot have any prior arrests or be on Probation, must be between the ages of 10 and 18, and be a Somerset County resident. The goal of this intervention is to deter the youth from continuing their negative behavior and progressing further into the juvenile justice system.

The services of the program include:

• Community service development and supervision
• Life skill opportunities
• Informal counseling
• Mentoring
• Information and referral services, as needed
• Support services, as needed

Download the Station House Adjustment brochure.