1. What
is the Jean Childs Young Institute for Youth Leadership?
2. What does it mean to be a partner with youth?
3. Where do the adults and youth come from?
4. What kinds of things does the partnership do?
5. What types of programs do you have?
6. How can youth join and where do you meet?
1.
What's the Jean Childs Young Institute for Youth Leadership? (top)
The Jean Childs Young Institute for Youth Leadership is a 501(c) (3) organization.
The Institute is made up of adults from the community who believe that the
best way to work with youth is to be their partners. The Institute helped
a group of young people start "KIDS 4 A CHANGE," which is the Institute's
youth partnership.
2.
What does it mean to be a partner with youth? (top)
Being a partner
means respecting the other person and wanting to work together because you
can't do it alone.
The members of the Institute found out at the very beginning of their work that youth had great ideas, energy and a desire to make a difference. But, adults weren't having much success trying to improve the conditions for youth. So, adults and youth working together as partners seemed like a logical idea.
3.
Where do the adults and youth come from? (top)
When Jean Childs Young and Lucy Carpenter Vance started the Institute in 1991,
they asked adults who represented the community through business, labor, education,
health, social services, religion and the media to become members. The Institute
members serve three year terms. The members of KIDS 4 A Change recruit other
youth to join the organization through the projects they conduct in the community.
Many young people who join don't realize they are leaders until they get involved.
Sometimes, no one else realized they were leaders either!
4.
What kinds of things does the partnership do? (top)
KIDS 4 A CHANGE, Check N' Game, UNIQUE and the Youth Leadership Training programs
get support from the Institute members for the projects they create. These
projects usually are organized around a problem or an issue that many youth
in the community face like the need for better schools, reducing community
violence, or respect for girls.
5.
What types of programs do you have? (top)
The Institute is comprised of:
KIDS
4 A CHANGE:
A youth-run program which empowers kids to speak out on issues effecting their
lives and their environment in order to educate adults and to make sure that
the voices of young people influence the building of a better community.
CHECK
N' GAME:
The male youth Anti-Violence Initiative is a program of the Institute. It
was started in 2000 by high school boys working on ways to reduce community
violence. The male students investigate the violence in their own lives and
the lives of young people of color, to find out where it comes from and ways
to stop it. They seek creative ways to interrupt violence and teach others
their skills. They believe that it is the legacy of all men and boys of color
to be Champions of Justice.
UNIQUE:
A program committed to helping young women take control of their lives by
building self esteem, self motivation and self discipline.
THE YOUTH
LEADERSHIP TRAINING PROGRAM:
This program reinforces the skills and commitment of our youth partners so
that they can take an active role in improving the community by building their
skills in the areas of job readiness, public speaking,, facilitation, organizational
management and leadership development.
6.
How can youth join? (top)
Call our office
to find out about the meeting schedule at 404-527-7426. Provide an address
so we can contact you with additional information. Be willing to come to a
meeting and you can bring a friend.
We are located downtown at 100 Edgewood Ave. Suite 530, Atlanta, Georgia 30303. We are located across the street from Georgia State University. The Institute is a short walk from 5 Points Marta Station. A token will be provided to you once our meeting is over.
Meetings are held on Tuesday from 5pm – 7pm and Saturday 11am – 1pm. Membership is free to all 8th-12th grade students. Please call Youth Organizer, Ikenna Ubaka, for more information at (404) 527-7426 Ext. 2.
To donate to Jean Childs Young Institute for Youth Leadership visit FirstGiving.org.
