TAMPA — The Skills Center is a youth development organisation that has been making an impact in Tampa for 18 years.

Before launching her career as a youth development specialist at the Skills Centre in East Tampa, Tocara Jackson interned three years ago. The new building wasn’t open yet. 

“We were conducting a pilot program to see how children and students would respond to the skills center once the building was open,” said Jackson. “And we want to see where they were socially and emotionally. So, we collected data and things of that nature.”

This led to a state-of-the-art $13 Million facility opening six months ago. It offers after-school programs that include sports, tutoring, life skills, career counselling, and specialized education in creative arts like podcasting, audio, AI, coding, and gaming. 

“So each child that comes in is assigned their own counsellor as the youth development specialist,” said Jackson. “Everything is very individualized. Each child may not need tutoring or may not need homework help. So, we make sure that we’re checking their grades or checking in with their teachers. We’re able to go up to the school’s guidance counsellors and be that bridge for the parent and the child.”

The new skills center has found success in serving students from nearby schools, but now they’re trying to reach students who live further away. 

“So being in East Tampa, a lot of the families here struggle with transportation,” said Jackson.

Discussions with area bus lines are underway to develop a plan to remove that barrier. In the meantime, Jackson wants to keep spreading the word about this after-school program that’s completely free for students.

“The children can come here,” said Jackson. “The building was built for them. If we can just touch them two or three times a week, we know that we can make a difference.”

 Jackson attributes her career success to her own skills and feels inspired to give back, ensuring that others who follow in her footsteps receive the same opportunities.