Youth Empowerment Initiative

The Cause

My idea is centred around empowering youth to make an impact in their community using the organization I oversee as a platform for making that possible.
The organization I work for, Young Life, is a non-profit youth organization specializing in building relationships with youth in the community by going to where they're at both physically (school's, places of work, etc.), socially and emotionally. We have a program and a camp and reach roughly 80-100 teens weekly. However, we want to think outside the box to reach more teens, hence my idea.
I believe that this generation of teens are born with an innate sense of their individualism and are in search of community, as opposed to the generation before them where they were born into community and searched for themselves. The issue lies in that many teens aren't able to find these places of community and struggle to create one themselves.
My idea is to partner with small business', and city run places such as servus place, and hockey rinks to create community.
- We have a base of 20 adult volunteers already all with specific interests
- We would present ideas to gain more adult support
- These adults, with our help, would learn how to partner with teens in creating clubs for teens to be a part of in the community.
- For example, we contact "mission fun and games" in St. Albert with the following proposal.
- Partner with them for the use of their games, and potentially a volunteer from their staff to help run the club.
- Partner with the city in helping find a location to host the games night, or partner with a local coffee shop to do so.
- Advertise "youth game night, every Friday night" at the location in the schools, local newspaper, etc.
- The adult volunteers would be there to build relationships with the teens and foster a positive environment while the youth that partnered with them would be responsible for the way the night would operate and assist their peers in finding games, meeting people and building community.
- The central concept is bringing adults and teens together to create community for more.
- This same concept can be applied for thing such as "Jam session, st. albert" musicians gathering together once a week to play together. "ODR night" a rink or two hosting youth hockey night at a rink each week. "Pick up basketball" at Servus. Bringing adults together to help lead, facilitate and care for youth, while empowering youth to create a safe, positive and healthy community for their peers.

Who Will it Benefit?

Primarily teens
Secondary adult volunteers who will have the opportunity to give back by relating to, caring for and loving teens in the community.