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Youth Power
The Educational Fund to End Handgun Violence and the Child Welfare League of America are proud to announce their partnership on Youth Power, an innovative youth development program. Youth Power is for anyone concerned about the future of young people. It offers valuable tools for those who are already involved in or would like to initiate a school or community project dedicated to the well being of children and teenagers. Youth Power is based on these fundamental principles:
Young people are among our most valuable, yet underutilized, resources. They have the ability to make genuine and significant contributions to their peers, schools, communities, and society, and should be encouraged and empowered to do so.
- All young people have positive traits and skills that enable them to survive and even thrive in confusing and often difficult circumstances. Those attributes must be maximized.
- Young people's problems and successes are interrelated. If they experience success in one area of their lives, this will increase the likelihood that they will experience success in other areas. They need opportunities to experience success in many areas of their lives.
- Young people need to be part of a caring and supportive environment that allows them to develop social and academic skills. They need to feel connected to their peers, school, and community.
The Youth Power projects are designed for youth ages 8 to 18. They can be used in conjunction with other youth-oriented projects in schools, after-school programs, and community groups. These projects may be initiated as new projects where none have existed, or they may fill programming gaps. Youth Power offers a structure to unify projects while facilitating collaboration, organization, and outreach.
The Four New Youth Power Projects
Youth Power projects seek to draw youth into a spiral of success by promoting academic achievement, self-esteem, positive relationships, a sense of belonging, opportunities to make a difference, the development of new and exciting skills, and the ability to understand and deal with change. In each Youth Power project, young people, under the guidance and supervision of adult and older-peer volunteers.
- The YMedia Project involves young people in a media component based on the "Hands Without Guns" Model. This program is an opportunity for young people to design their own media campaign and have their voices heard by peers in their communities. This is an opportunity to highlight the positive contributions young people make within their schools and communities.
- The Transitions Project involves young people in helping students through the often-difficult transitions from grade school to junior high and from junior high to high school or when entering a new school or peer group.
- The Peer-Tutoring Project promotes academic success by training young people to provide one-on-one or group tutoring to other students to complement their schoolwork.
- The CommUnity-Service Project encourages youth learn skills and apply those skills to address issues of concern to them and to the community, thereby contributing to community solutions.
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