About

Masks Required on Premises

 A place where youth can come together to play, study, build community, learn leadership and life skills, job/career guidance, and much more!

Objectives:

  • Youth will participate in peer mentoring opportunities.
  • Youth will develop healthy relationship/life skills by participating in workshops & activities.
  • Youth will create a safe, welcoming environment for daily community building.
  • Youth will give service to their community without receiving compensation.
  • Youth will form a sense of family with cross-age youth and build each other up with positive modeling and behavior.
  • Youth will participate in after-school homework studies, scholarship/college searches, career option searches, and household planning needs.
  • Youth will create healthy relationships with peers and adults, enhancing their talents and gifts.
  • Youth will develop agricultural opportunities within the center’s yard to learn about sustainability and healthy eating.
  • Youth will participate in cooking program in PYEC’s commercial kitchen
  • Youth will participate in after-school STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) activities, and arts/crafts projects.

Purpose:
The Patagonia Youth Enrichment Center’s purpose is to give youth a variety of after-school/weekend opportunities that will enhance their family life, academic successes, and future leadership/community service. PYEC is a safe venue for youth to congregate to work & play together while helping each other navigate their world with respect, acceptance, and love.

Helping to Fulfill the Needs of the Youth:
The Patagonia Youth Enrichment Center was founded in March of 2014. Director, Anna Coleman and her husband, Steve, felt Patagonia and its surrounding communities of Sonoita and Elgin needed a youth center to help give the youth support during after-school hours. After finding a building to rent, the Colemans enlisted the help of the area’s youth to construct walls, paint, decorate, and landscape the upcoming youth center. The hours that the youth volunteered provided the bridge in allowing the youth center to become theirs and they gained a sense of pride and ownership.

On May 1, 2014, the Patagonia Youth Enrichment Center opened its doors for the community’s youth. Attendance grew as the young people spread the word of the center.  In 2017, PYEC was gifted with a donation that allowed a purchase of a house for a permanent location for the youth center.  After several months of renovations by Steve Coleman, the center welcomed the youth back into their new space.  The new center has a pool table, game room, art room, separate gathering rooms for younger and older youth, a commercial kitchen, a welcoming living room/dining room space and a fenced back yard area. The youth gather at the center during the after-school hours on the weekdays and occasionally on the weekends, to do homework, eat healthy meals (often prepared by the youth themselves), play games, watch TV/movies, play video games, and become part of an extended “family”. Peer mentoring activities are an integral part of life at PYEC.

Research states that:

Anna "Mom" Coleman (Director)

Anna "Mom" Coleman (Director)

  • K-8 certified elementary teacher (Masters in Education with emphasis in Literacy and the Arts)- teacher at Elgin Elementary since 2004.
  • K-12 triple certified CTE (Career Technology Education) in Life Sciences, Agriculture and Teaching/Careers
  • Adolescent Life Coach
  • Former 4H Community Club Leader for 10 years- Mustang 4H Club in Sonoita and a 4H Lamb project leader 
  • Former Strategic Planning Committee member for PUHS
  • Former Empire Ranch Foundation- Youth Coordinator for Legacy Days and Outreach
  • Santa Cruz County Fair Planning Committee for 6 years- past member
  • Owned and operated a preschool in Tucson for 6 years and Riverdance Family Enrichment Center for 3 years prior to moving to Sonoita in 2004.
  • Founder and Director
Caitlyn Coleman- Program Coordinator

* Current Librarian at Elgin Elementary School

* Youth Mental Health First Aid certified

* Bachelors Degree in Communications from University of Alaska  Fairbanks

*  Adolescent peer mentor

* Certified ACEs coalition member