Youth Services

As residents of the Village of Lansing, all of our youth are able to take advantage of the following services:

Ithaca Youth Bureau and the Recreation Partnership

Located in downtown Ithaca, the Ithaca Youth Bureau provides a wide variety of year-round recreation and youth development programs. These programs are designed to promote the health, happiness, and well-being of all youth and families in the greater Ithaca area and include:

  • Sports (football, basketball, lacrosse, fencing and more)
  • Expressive Arts (theatre, art, band/orchestra)
  • Lessons (dance, swimming, martial arts, climbing, sailing)
  • Summer Camps (encompassing a broad spectrum of activities)

As members of the Recreation Partnership (RP), a collaboration of 10 municipalities in Tompkins County, all Village residents are eligible for discounted program fees, often 50% or more.

All of these services are provided under the umbrella of the Tompkins County Youth Services Department. For more information and a full list of current programming, please visit www.iybrec.org

To register for programs you can follow the links to sign-up with Community Pass. All programs that are eligible for the RP discount will be denoted by the initials “RP”.


Joint Youth Commission

Targeted toward Middle and High School aged children, the Joint Youth Commission (JYC) is a collaboration between the Village of Lansing, Cayuga Heights, the Towns of Ithaca and Caroline and Cornell Cooperative Extension. The programs offered are designed to build life skills in these youth and include:

  • Career Exploration
  • Building Job Skills
  • First Job Placement
  • Work Experience/Apprenticeships
  • Cooking
  • Summer Camps at Coddington Road Community Center

Further, the JYC is always looking for teen youth to be trained and staff the summer camp programs. Please check out the JYC Facebook page for more information. www.facebook.com/JointYouthCommission


Lansing Recreation Department

As residents of the Town of Lansing, Village residents can take advantage of Town recreation programs. These programs cover a wide-range of activities including:

  • Sports (football, basketball, baseball, lacrosse, soccer, tennis, softball)
  • Expressive Arts (cheerleading, art, band/orchestra)
  • Lessons (horse riding, archery, fishing, robotics)
  • Summer Camps (encompassing a broad spectrum of activities)

The Town also offers a program in Nerf Wars and a Hogwarts Camp (sorry parents, there is an age limit)! Please visit https://lansingrec.recdesk.com/Community/Program for a full list of Town Recreation programming.

Myers Park in the Town of Lansing also offers a wonderful location to fish, camp, swim, canoe/kayak and enjoy all the amenities such as BBQ grills, walking trails and playgrounds. All Village residents can access the park for free, year-round.


Lansing Youth Services (LYS)

Provided by Cornell Cooperative Extension and supported by Tompkins County Youth Services, 4-H and the Town of Lansing, Lansing Youth Services provides year round programming to middle and high school aged youth. These programs include both recreational activities and employment assistance. 

Recreational activities include photography, wilderness survival skills, art and craft projects such as furniture upcycling and boat building. Summer programs, field trips and overnight camps are also part of the scheduling and in the past have included trips to the Tompkins County Airport and surrounding museums.

Employment services consist of applying for work through Lansing Youth Services, who will assist in connecting students with local job openings that suit the students abilities and interests. LYS will support students during this process and help them obtain the skills needed to become a successful employee!

For more information, visit: http://ccetompkins.org/4-h-youth/rural-youth-services/rys-program-sites/lansing-town


YMCA of Ithaca and Tompkins County

Located in the Village of Lansing, the YMCA is a not-for-profit social services organization, dedicated to youth development, healthy living and social responsibility. The YMCA provides lessons including swimming, archery and fitness. Child care and after school care is also available, in addition to day camps and summer camps. The YMCA also has an outdoor facility located at 1349 Mecklenburg Road with a pavilion and 5 marked hiking trails.

For more information on membership, programs and services offered, visit:

https://www.ithacaymca.com/