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12 | Y E L LOW S P R I N G S N EWS 2 O 2 3 – 2 4 S C HOO L G U I D E 937-767-1274. The park is open from dawn until dusk. THE RIDING CENTRE The Riding Centre is a nonprofit organi- zation that provides horse riding lessons for students ages eight and older, as well as horse boarding services, clinics and the Therapeutic Riding Program. The Riding Centre was founded by Louise Soelberg in 1959, and has been directed by Caro- lyn Bailey since Soelberg’s retirement in 1989. The Riding Centre carries a mission to provide affordable instruction and offers scholarships to students with financial need. Students come to the Riding Centre from diverse backgrounds, with varying levels of ability; all are welcome. The Riding Centre is located at 1117 East Hyde Road, and its grounds occupy 60 acres of land in Glen Helen Nature Pre- serve. Facilities include two barns, rolling pastures, a large outdoor ring, a lighted indoor ring, a cross-country hunt course, several wooded trails, indoor stables and outdoor shelters for the horses. Visit theridingcentre.org for more information. VILLAGE IMPACT PROJECT The Village Impact Project, or VIP, is a mentorship program that pairs commu- nity adults with local young people. Launched in January 2019 by Donna Haller, an intervention specialist at Yellow Springs High School, and first organized in affiliation with Big Brothers Big Sisters Miami Valley, the nonprofit organiza- tion changed hands in 2022, and is now managed by the National Conference for Community & Justice, or NCCJ, of Greater Dayton. Second- through ninth-grade students of Yellow Springs Schools who want to be part of the program are paired with men- tors who share their interests. Following its motto, “Changing our community two people at a time,” the program “seeks to become an integral part of village life through activities, fundraisers and com- munity service projects,” according to its mission statement. Student-mentor pairs can take part in one-on-one pursuits, such as bike riding, and monthly VIP group activities, which have included attending local sporting events, visiting Young’s Jersey Dairy and programming at Community Solutions’ Agraria property. For more information, go to nccjgreat- erdayton.org/vip. YOUNG PEOPLE OF COLOR The Young People of Color group was developed by The 365 Project to provide local children of color with mentorship and learning opportunities to help them to connect with and learn about Black culture from adults and leaders within their communities. Mentors provide educational experiences and events for youth group members. The 365 Project and Young People of Color also sponsor the annual “Blacks in Yellow Springs” walking tours, which are led by area middle and high school students, who are trained to lead the tours through historically significant sites around the village. The tours give the students an opportunity to learn about local Black history and develop public speaking skills. Interested youth and parents can email The 365 Project for more information at the365projectys@gmail.com . For more information, visit the365projectys.org/ ypoc. YOUTH CENTER AT JOHN BRYAN CENTER Located on the first floor of the John Bryan Center, the Youth Center is a wel- coming space for Yellow Springs residents ages 11–19 years old. The center is open 3–9 p.m., Monday–Friday, and noon–4 p.m. on Saturday. The center features a game room, homework help and other amenities. Open hours at the adjacent gym are also available. For more information, youth and par- ents may call 937-767-7209 or email monitors@yso.com. YS YOUTH ORCHESTRA ASSOCIATION The YS Youth Orchestra Program, or YSYOA, works to serve the village com- munity in music education and other music-related endeavors. Founded by cellist Shirley Mullins and the late violinist Mary Schumacher in 1965, the organization’s original focus was on supporting music education for children in YS schools. In recent years, the YSYOA has expanded its reach, and in addition to continuing its support of local school music programs, also supports and organizes the annual YS Summer Music Camp and the Yellow Springs Strings, a chamber orchestra for adults. YSYOA also organizes and presents recitals and concerts. The YSYOA sponsors a scholarship fund to help provide private music instruction for musicians of any age. Those who haven’t received private music lessons on a preferred instrument may apply to the scholarship fund to receive funding to pay for a limited number of lessons, with the possibility of further support after those lessons have been completed. For more information, or to download a scholarship application, visit ysyoa.org. | ENRICHMENT OPTIONS 937-767-1144 215 Xenia Ave. TheWindsCafe Fine Dinners Bakery • Wine Shop • Patio 3 Continued frpm page 11