Parks & Recreation

About NFL Y.E.T. at Gwen Cherry Park

• Brief History
  The National Football League (NFL) Youth Educational Town Center at Gwen Cherry Park in Liberty City is the result of the NFL's commitment to enhance the lives of at-risk youth in cities that host the Super Bowl. Miami-Dade County became the recipient of a Youth Educational Town (YET) Center after hosting Super Bowl XXIX.
  
  The third of 15 YET centers in the nation and the only NFL YET Center in Miami-Dade County, the 22,000-square-foot facility sits on 38.5 acres of Miami-Dade Parks, Recreation and Open Spaces land known as Gwen Cherry Park. It cost $3.1 million dollars to build the facility, which was funded by the NFL, the Super Bowl Host Committee of Miami and private funds raised through the United Way. On December 16, 1996, the NFL YET Center at Gwen Cherry Park opened to the public.
  
  The Facility Each year, more than 700 children use the air-conditioned YET Center which has a library and two computer rooms for educational activities and an arts & craft room, a game room, a large multipurpose room, and a 9,000-square-foot gymnasium for cultural, recreational and special events.
  
  The facility is complete with seven administrative offices, storage rooms, a kitchen and reception area.

• Executive Director
  The Executive Director of the center is Miami-Dade County's administrator of the YET Center. This individual is responsible for the center's daily operations, including scheduling programs, assigning usage of rooms, maintaining the facility and ground and speaking at community meetings and functions.

• Gwen Cherry Park Advisory Board and Foundation
  The Gwen Cherry Park Advisory Board is group of 11 volunteers appointed to assist the YET Center's agencies with setting direction and fundraising. The funds raised by the advisory board are deposited in the Gwen Cherry Park Foundation's 501c,3 and distributed to the agencies as needed. Donations can be given to any of the three non-profit agencies or directly made out to the Gwen Cherry Park Foundation. The foundation will guarantee the funds are used for the best interest of the center and children.

Programs

• Center Programming
  The programming at this YET Center is unique from all other centers. It is a public/private partnership designed to bring state-of-the-art education and recreational programming to the residents of Miami-Dade County. Under the leadership of Miami-Dade County, three organizations were chosen to each bring a special area of expertise to the center. It was decided that one of the agencies would be public and the other two private. 

  Miami-Dade County Parks, Recreation and Open Spaces Department serves as the public agency while Communities in Schools of Miami and Boys & Girls Club of Miami represent the private sector. As the overseer of the center, Miami-Dade County hired an Executive Director through its Parks Department to act as its representative. Each agency is responsible for being self-sufficient and able to hire adequate staff to carry out its commitment to the center.

• Program Registration
  Children must register with one of the three agencies at the YET Center. Once registered, a child is able to come into the center and engage in program activities. Upon entering the center before 5 p.m., all children must sign in and proceed to the homework assistant room. There, they will receive help with homework or an assignment. After completion, they will be given a wristband which will allow them to go to any of the other educational activities, game room or gymnasium. Most activities at the center are free; however, some do require a small fee. Adult programming is also available, check with each agency for activities.

Agencies in Action

• Miami-Dade County Parks, Recreation and Open Spaces The Miami-Dade Parks Good Life Program introduces children ages 6-14 from the neighborhood schools and surrounding communities to sports. The program focuses on athletic development and sportsmanship. Flag football, basketball, swimming, volleyball, softball, soccer and track and field are among the activities offered. The children's recreation needs are also met through cultural activities, field trips and special events.
• Communities in School of Miami
  Communities in Schools (CIS) of Miami serves all the youth at the center in the area of education. The programs include homework assistance, one-on-one tutoring and technology education. Concerned with child development, CIS also offers classes and activities promoting good health, culture, and social skills.
• Boys & Girls Club of Miami
  The Boys & Girls Club of Miami provides sporting competitions and optimist leagues for both boys and girls. The young people showcase their talents through tackle football, cheerleading, dance basketball, soccer, baseball, T-ball and softball. The organization also collaborates with CIS in providing technological programs.

Contact Information & Hours of Operation

NFL YET Center at Gwen Cherry Park
7090 N. W. 22 Avenue, Miami, Florida, 33147
(305) 694-4889 (phone); (305) 694-2743 (fax)
YET Center Director, ext. 232
Communities in Schools Director, ext. 238 or 239
Boys & Girls Club Director, ext. 227

Monday - Friday, 8 a.m. to 9 p.m.; Saturday & Sunday , 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. However, due to miscellaneous activities, the center hours may be changed without notice.

Building and Field Rental

The Center has various multi-purpose rooms and a gymnasium for rental. We also rent the athletic fields and open space areas.

Telephone Usage

The facility is equipped with two pay phones in the vending room. Public usage of the receptionist phone is prohibited except in cases of emergencies. All patrons are asked to use the agency's phone in which they are participating in activities. This process will allow us to answer incoming phone calls in a timely manner.

Lost and Found

Any items lost in the center or in the park will be brought to the reception desk. After 24 hours, the item will be placed in storage for a week. After one week, the item will be made available to the Salvation Army.

Volunteers

The Center is always in need of volunteers to help with tutoring, homework assistance, maintenance, coaching, instructing and chaperoning. All individuals must undergo a background check before being approved to volunteer.