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We are currently holding Every Youth
Included programs at
North County Community High School, Challenge Charter High School,
Juvenile Hall, and Fairview High School.
If you are interested in having Every Youth Included become part of your organization
please contact Aydin Kennedy at (530) 570-3156 or e-mail at programs@ccychico.org.
Every Youth Included is a strengths-based program
for youth and young adults from diverse cultures and ethnicities
which uses the arts, theatre, interactive events and adventure
outings for self discovery, to build resiliency, and promote
awareness and respect for the rich diversity of humankind.
The emphasis is for participants to have fun and make new
friends, provide peer group support and adult mentoring,
and discover healthy alternatives for recreation.
The Every Youth Included facilitation team is a well-trained
group of young adults from a diversity of backgrounds
who have a rich background working with youth in a variety
of capacities. They provide a lively, fun and safe environment
for young people to creatively and effectively explore the
sensitive issues they face in their lives
The Every Youth Included facilitation team
is available to implement programs at schools, community centers
and other youth-serving agencies through-out the North Valley
region at minimal cost. For more information about bringing
Every Youth Included to your school or agency, contact
CCY.
Every Youth Included themes:
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Journey Within: Honoring Self
begins with introductory activities and establishment
of safe space, where each participant commits to acceptance
and respect for the other group members. Themes are self-awareness,
self care and building resiliency. Participants identify
their inherent strengths, and consider goals for a successful
future, including recognizing healthy ways to deal with
stress and avoiding the dangers of substance abuse. Youth
have the opportunity to tell their story in a safe and
supportive environment.
-
Journey With Others: Family and Friends
addresses the dynamics of primary relationships – family
and friends – particularly the factors that support healthy
relationships and help avoid unhealthy consequences. Themes
include communication and refusal skills, conflict resolution,
and awareness of the dangers of unsafe sex practices.
The goal is to provide a foundation to build positive,
satisfying personal relationships.
-
Building Inclusive Community
celebrates the diversity of peoples in our community,
and addresses issues of stereotyping and prejudice and
the violence associated with these issues. Themes include
awareness of the value of all cultures, personal growth
and healing, and violence prevention. The session concludes
with exploration of the richness that diversity in human
cultures can bring to our lives and our community. Emphasis
is on the personal experiences of the participants.
Every
Youth Included was developed as a cooperative project involving
youth and adults from five community-based programs in the
Chico area, all affiliated members of CCY: Focus on the Future,
Nia Learning Academy, Stonewall Alliance Youth, A Theatre
On The Inside-Out and T.E.A.M. Chapman. The curriculum is
an integration of approaches used by CCY member programs:
A Theatre On the Inside-Out, Journey-Coming of Age in Today's
World, and Beyond Violence Alliance.
Funding for development of Every Youth Included came from
a planning grant from The California Endowment, awarded in
November 2001. The grant brought youth together from diverse
sectors of the local community to conduct a needs assessment,
develop a program based on recommendations from the needs
assessment, and train a Youth Leadership Team of youth
and young adults to facilitate the new program.
Following the planning grant, on March 1, 2003, CCY was awarded
a three-year $446,575 grant from The California Endowment
to implement Every Youth Included. In year one, the grant
provided funding for a pilot Every Youth Included group to
be held at the CCY Center, and facilitated by the Youth Leadership
Team who received training during the planning phase. In year
two, we began programs at Prospect High in Oroville and North
County Community Day School in Chico. In year
three, the program expanded to include a total of five programs,
located at the CCY Center, Prospect, North County, and additionally
at South County Community School and Juvenile Hall in
Oroville. At the present time, the majority of youth served
by EYI programs are on probation or in Juvenile Hall. Facilitators
have been successful in engaging many participating youth,
inspiring a sense of hope and determination to overcome obstacles
in their lives. Early evaluation outcomes suggest promising
results , and the program has been highly acclaimed by teachers
and principals associated with the various sites.
The California Endowment, a private, statewide health foundation,
was established in 1996 to expand access to affordable, quality
health care for underserved individuals and communities, and
to promote fundamental improvements in the health status of
all Californians. Headquartered in Woodland Hills, The Endowment
has regional offices in Los Angeles, San Francisco, Sacramento,
Fresno and San Diego, with program staff working throughout
the state. The Endowment makes grants to organizations and
institutions that directly benefit the health and well-being
of the people of California. For more information about The
California Endowment, visit their web site at www.calendow.org.
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