White Plains Youth Bureau

The White Plains Youth Bureau has touched thousands of young lives since the Mayor and Common Council made it a formal office of city government in 1970. The White Plains Youth Bureau has one mission: helping youth grow into successful adults. Today, the Youth Bureau works with over 2000 youth each day with 50 programs backed by our proud tradition of 45 years of service. In 1970, Mayor Richard Hendey named Common Council Member Hal Masback Chair of the Youth Board, and the Youth Bureau as we know it officially began. The small, tentative organization originally housed in a crooked little building on North Lexington Avenue has become a dynamic, effective and respected force in our city and state providing services in every neighborhood and school building in White Plains. 45 years ago, the emphasis of The Youth Services Bureau, as it was then known, was a coffeehouse and jobs. Today, the Youth Bureau offers a full range of youth development programs and activities including: after school, employment, leadership and counseling, substance abuse prevention and community building. A variety of youth development programs prepare youth for academic and personal success, higher education, summer jobs, and career development. Youth Bureau programs – from chess to boxing to lacrosse – provide skills, fun, and character development. Art, dance, and music help youngsters discover new skills…and, of course, have more fun. Youth are exposed to science, business and technology in our computer labs, environmental programs, media labs and field trips to centers of commerce and learning. Mentoring programs, along with intergenerational activities for youth and seniors, strengthen everyone’s appreciation of time, life and community. From one desk in a corner at city hall to a dynamic city agency, the Youth Bureau has grown and developed. But one thing has not changed – the Youth Bureau’s determination to represent, support and advocate for the young people of White Plains.