Family Issues - Youth Services Youth Services The MacDill Youth Center is available to family members between the ages of 5 and 17 of active duty, retired military personnel, Reservists and Federal Civilian Employees. Annual activity cards, which offer substantial discounts for classes and activities, are available for a nominal fee. Programs and activities offered at the Youth Center help improve and maintain the physical, social, and mental wellbeing of youth to include year-round programs and wholesome leisure-time experiences. Not only are there games, crafts, life skills, and sports, but youth can learn how to become meaningful members of their community. Pre-Teens Pre-teens have an assortment of interest areas at the Youth Center. Youth ages 9 and 10 can become members of the Ambassador Club, while youth ages 11 and 12 can become members of the Torch Club. These are leadership clubs where the youth are responsible for planning community service, educational, health and fitness, and social activities throughout the year. Pre-teens also have access to the basketball court, game room, education room, instruction room and two rooms specifically for pre-teens. Programs like FitFactor, 4-H, Fine Arts Exhibition, Photography Contest, and computer classes are available throughout the year. Teens Teens have their own area where they can come to interact with their peers, get homework and career assistance, have computers with internet access, or play video games. The Teen Room also has a full-size pool table and teens have access to the other parts of the Youth Center such as the basketball court and game room. Teens have their own area where they can come to interact with their peers, get homework and career assistance, or play video games. Types of activities that are provided for teens include: Youth of the Year competition, Keystone Club, Money Matters, Operation Night Hoops, computer certifications through Giant Campus, a Job Fair before the summer months, FitFactor and quarterly special events such as Teen Night Out, Iron Chef competitions, and social activities. Youth Sports A diversified youth sports program offers basketball, baseball, and soccer leagues along with a cheerleading program. Special events are conducted periodically for both the pre-teens and teens. Youth Employment Skills (YES) Program The Youth Employment Skills (YES) Program is an on-base volunteer program for high school students. This program is a joint effort between Air Force Aid Society and Air Force Family Member Programs Flight to offer high school students an opportunity to learn valuable work skills, "bank" dollar credits toward their post-secondary education/training, and have a positive impact on their base community. YES allows high school students to "bank" $4 in grant funding for every hour volunteered in an on-base function. Students may accumulate as much as 250 hours over all 4 years of high school combined, for a potential maximum of $1,000 toward their future vocational-technical or academic endeavors. All high school-aged children (grades 9-12) of Active Duty Air Force members assigned to MacDill are eligible to participate. Please speak with the Youth Center staff for more details and how to apply.