About
The Greater Ithaca Activities Center is a center for all ages, particularly youth and teens. We serve the immediate neighborhood and the greater Ithaca area by providing multicultural, educational, and recreational programs focused on social and individual development. Our programs include services dedicated to improving the quality of life for the people we serve; advocating for the rights and needs of youth, families, and underrepresented and disenfranchised populations; providing structured employment training opportunities for at risk youth and adults; and fighting against oppression and intimidation in our community. Our Center executes this mission through its own programming and by drawing on the resources of other community agencies and individuals.
In the past, the GIAC Jumpers have learned African dance, drumming, and step. The team has participated in the International Double Dutch competition in Ithaca, NY, and traveled to Ohio through fundraising efforts to compete in AAU jump rope events, bringing home first-place medals in 2016-17, 2017 -18, and 2018-19. Due to the pandemic, from 2020 – 2022, the participants did not have a chance to compete. However, the jumper program has performed at many community events in the 2022-2023 academic year. Last year ASL (American Sign Language) was added to our learning objective, using each creative performance component to empower and strengthen their self-reliance, communication, and interpersonal skills. Tying these different physical elements to educational goals like using a jump rope to help with spelling, dancing to help with reading, and stepping to assist in learning math.
