A Family Legacy of Youth Empowerment in Tampa Heights

Community involvement can be as essential as breathing. That foundational belief, rooted in generations of family history in Belize, sparked the creation of the Tampa Heights Junior Civic Association in 1998. Designed to connect children and families to their surrounding neighborhoods, the organization has spent nearly three decades building a comprehensive support system for local youth.

Today, the mission operates through a wrap-around approach that touches every aspect of a child's life. Serving students from kindergarten through 12th grade, the association provides afterschool and summer programming, in-school counseling, community classes, parent nights, and a garden program. This holistic strategy ensures that families receive continuous support both inside and outside the classroom.

The leadership of the organization has also become a family legacy. Founder Lena Young Green has passed the executive director role to her granddaughter, Nyla, who has been involved with the group since her teenage years. Under new leadership, the association continues to see the long-term results of its work, with former students frequently returning to share how the program shaped their adult lives and careers.