History

The mission of North Andover Youth & Recreation Services is to provide the community, youth, and their families with staff, resources, and programs with the goal of empowerment and building self-esteem. The positive experience of this involvement enriches and strengthens the fabric of our community for today and a lifetime.

In 1988, North Andover Youth & Recreation Services was established through a state grant of $15,000 that was matched by funds from North Andover residents and businesses. NAYRS began as a one-year pilot program whose purpose was as an information and referral center for high-risk teens in town. Now, decades later, North Andover Youth & Recreation Services is a vital part of the town. Our programs and services serve over 3,000 youth per year.

We are a true multi-service agency, coordinating a variety of services to reach all youth in the community. These services range from recreation, sports, and outdoor adventure to counseling, tracking and crisis intervention with young people and their families. We work closely with the North Andover school systems, the courts and the police to ensure that to the extent possible, youth in need of services receive them.

During the summer of 2000, We were able to extend services and programs offered even further. NAYRS held the ribbon-cutting ceremony of the Joseph N. Hermann Youth Center; an architecturally grand building now home-base to Youth & Recreation Services staff and the services  provided. The JNHYC provides a multipurpose center for the youth of our community.