Local Programs

Youth Leadership

A major key to the long-term success of Aslan is our Youth Leadership Development Program. Over 125 children are reached through life-changing, non-denominational Bible classes (training in Christian ethics and values) and numerous recreational and cultural activities.

• Each Tuesday afternoon during the school year, Aslan operates youth classes for 35 primary-school-aged children from the greater Red Bank area.

• Tuesday and Thursday evenings are devoted to 20 high school youth.

• On Wednesday afternoons during the school year, Aslan provides youth class activities for 75 Long Branch youth, ages 6-12.

• Thursday afternoons are devoted to 40 children from the housing projects in Asbury Park.

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Right Choices Program

The youth class program includes:

• A holiday gift program in which participating area churches and organizations buy quality Christmas gifts for each child.

• Taking the students to a “Back-to-School” shopping night and providing each young person with quality clothing.

• Frequent outings to museums and sporting events to expose the youth to a variety of positive stimuli.

• A yearly winter ski trip to Pennsylvania’s Pocono Mountains sponsored by Aslan for our youth to celebrate Martin Luther King’s birthday.

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Summer Programs

Each summer, Aslan takes children to the beautiful rolling hills of middle Pennsylvania to Agape Farms for the Creation Festival. During this five-day event, youth and adults camp out in tents and enjoy listening to positive and uplifting speakers and contemporary Christian musical groups.

Aslan also sponsors 40-50 children to attend Camp Haluwasa, a one-week summer camp in southern New Jersey. Additionally, during the summer months of July and August, Aslan operates summer day camps for each area program as well as for our children in Haiti. For several hours each day, children are treated to sports activities, music and arts & crafts. The local summer programs also include numerous field trips to the beach and to special programs provided through the Monmouth County Park system.

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Aslan Cycling Program

One of the most exciting recreational activities we provide for youth is our Aslan Cycling Program. With new 21-speed mountain bikes provided by a grant from The Sunfield Foundation, Aslan takes young people on extensive bicycle adventure trips. Valuable lessons of discipline and teamwork are instilled in each Aslan participant through this effort. Young people are taught how to safely ride and maintain a bicycle and how to deal with the sometimes frustrating circumstances of long and difficult rides.

Aslan’s Cycling Program began in 1991 with a 250-mile ride from High Point to Cape May, New Jersey. In 1992, Aslan sponsored a 200-mile ride from Red Bank to Cape May. From there the program developed into shorter area rides throughout Monmouth County over periods of 5-6 weeks.

Cheesequake Challenge
Aslan's annual spring “Cheesequake Challenge” begins with 5 weeks of training rides and culminates in a 60-mile, round-trip ride through the rolling hills of central New Jersey with a night of camping at Cheesequake State Park.

Shore Challenge
During the fall, Aslan provides another 5 weeks of training rides along the beautiful New Jersey coastline

Turkey Swamp Challenge
Asbury Park children participate in 5 weeks of training before our 26-mile “Turkey Swamp Challenge” to Turkey Swamp.

Pocono Mountain Challenge
In late October, Aslan takes its best rider to Pennsylvania’s beautiful Pocono Mountains for the extremely challenging “Pocono Rolling Thunder Tour.” This 30-mile ride in the mountains pushes each rider to the limit of his/her endurance! Although there are always some bikers who must stop and walk up some of the steep inclines, everyone is thrilled by the “downhills” they encounter! This ride ends at the gorgeous Bushkill Falls, the “Niagara” of Pennsylvania.

The personal discipline developed by each child on these challenging rides spills over into many areas of their lives. Our children often have very low expectations of themselves. Completing five weeks of traing rides and the culminating event encourages them to believe in their God-given abilities and reach for greater things in their lives.

As with every Aslan activity, our sports and recreation programs are a means to an end. Teamwork, conflict and anger management, self-control, and self-discipline are only some of the important values that are instilled in our youth as they are stretched (sometimes to their breaking points) to excel.

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Alpine Skiing

At least twice during winter months, Aslan takes 30 students from our area programs to the Pocono Mountains for a day of skiing. Less advantaged children are rarely exposed to an activity like this, so this is always a highlight of the year. Those who participated in past years usually "remember" how to ski very quickly. However, we always have a number of children who are skiing with us for the first time. These kids (even older teens who think they can do anything without instruction) are, at first, easily frustrated -- having difficulty standing still with skis on, much less actually moving. However, after an hour or so on the "bunny slope," most everyone is having a good time -- even falling down! By the end of the day, everyone is asking us when we'll be returning to ski again.

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Core Leadership Group

Select high school students are chosen each year to participate in Aslan’s Core Leadership Group. These young people are singled out because of their desire to attend college or trade school upon graduation from high school. This group of young people participate in special activities which encourages and supports them in their goal of post-high school study. Each spring Aslan sponsors a special trip to colleges from New Jersey to Virginia in order to inspire the youth and help them to decide where they want to attend.

In 1996 alone Aslan had 7 young men and women graduate from high school and enter college. Because of the success of our Core Leadership Group, Aslan has established a college scholarship assistance program. In January of 1996, we provided Aslan graduate, Jason, with a $1,500 scholarship for a winter semester of study at Wroxton College in England.

Over a 4-year period, from 1997-2000, Aslan provided $22,000 in scholarship assistance for Ebony who has participated in Aslan since she was 8 years old. Ebony graduated from Clark Atlanta University with her degree in Religion and Communications. Ebony has returned to New Jersey on a number of occasions to speak to new generations of Aslan children. From 1997-2001 Aslan also provided over $22,000 in scholarship assistance to Earnest. Earnest was privileged to complete an internship with NASA in Washington, D.C. before graduating from Georgia State University with a degree in engineering.

Sonny, another Aslan graduate, was provided with over $6,000 in scholarship assistance to attend Baltimore International University.. He recently graduated from college with a degree in business and culinary arts.

Many other Aslan graduates have gone on to college with great success. Our most recent example is Lynn, who graduated from Westminster Choir College in Princeton, New Jersey. Although Lynn was on full scholarhip at Princeton, we still provided financial aid for special projects not covered through his scholarship. Lynn graduated with a 3.9 GPA!!

For more information on the Youth Leadership Class Program and how you can volunteer your time, call Lynn Ann Bogard, Program Director at (732) 741-7824.

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