Urban League of Greater Cincinnati
3458 Reading Road
Cincinnati, OH 45229
Youth Council Urban Champions
Grant Application:
Youth Council Urban Champions utilizes an asset-based approach to help youth achieve academic, career, and life goals by developing resiliency, leadership, determination, cultural competency, and community connections. The program will reach approximately 165 youth (ages 11 – 18 years) in Cincinnati communities considered most at-risk due to high levels of poverty and crime. These communities include Over-the-Rhine, West End, Westwood/East Westwood, Evanston, Avondale, North Avondale, Mount Airy, Winton Hills, Price Hill, and Roselawn.
The goal of Youth Council Urban Champions is to prepare Cincinnati youth for college, careers, and life as adults. To facilitate growth and learning, ULGSO will provide participants with workshops, field trips, civic engagement opportunities, and trainings. As a result, youth participants will establish a clear path and goals for completing high school; pursuing college and/or training; entering careers; and becoming active citizens.
Goals:
Youth Council Urban Champions utilizes an asset-based approach to help youth achieve academic, career, and life goals by developing resiliency, leadership, determination, cultural competency, and community connections. The program will reach approximately 165 youth (ages 11 – 18 years) in Cincinnati communities considered most at-risk due to high levels of poverty and crime. These communities include Over-the-Rhine, West End, Westwood/East Westwood, Evanston, Avondale, North Avondale, Mount Airy, Winton Hills, Price Hill, and Roselawn. Youth Council Urban Champions aims to prepare Cincinnati youth for college, careers, and life as adults. ULGSO will provide participants with workshops, field trips, civic engagement opportunities, and training to facilitate growth and learning. As a result, youth participants will establish a clear path and goals for completing high school, pursuing college and training, entering careers, and becoming active citizens.
Grant Evaluation Report:
Our financial literacy training with US Bank volunteers gave youth the tools to become more financially responsible. The youth were very engaged and interested in learning how to grow their finances and wanted to know how to invest in their future. The youth enjoyed the program; therefore, we will include more financial education programs.
This year's Youth Summit allowed youth from across Cincinnati to share their experiences and leave feeling like their voices were heard. We want to continue to build a safe space for the youth with equitable programming that advocates change. Our youth would like to continue to have platforms like the Youth Summit and have suggested that we expand our programming to discuss topics such as mental health service and access, academic anxiety, grief counseling, and how to build stronger relationships with parents and school staff.
Results:
The Youth Council Urban Champions Youth Summit 2022 theme is 'We are More than Enough!" is This year's Youth Summit connected over 200 youth from throughout Cincinnati at Withrow International High School on July 22nd. The youth designed and facilitated the four-hour Summit to speak up and speak out about the vision they have for their communities. Fifteen youth advocates served on the planning committee.
The youth-led event allowed community leaders and volunteers such as Cincinnati Councilwoman Meeka Owens to share her educational and career experience in a fireside chat with one of the youth advocates. Ms. Owens engaged in a conversation with the youth about the need to increase youth programming and, more specifically, about the importance of youth advocacy.
The youth also enjoyed the three-breakout session with volunteer Lawrence Cain of Abundance University, discussing the importance of achieving financial success. Youth who participated in the workshop were highly interested in improving their financial credit, how to make more money, and how to save money. In addition, there were sessions where the youth had an opportunity to participate in smaller breakout sessions. Sessions were focused on entrepreneurship and women's leadership. Dwight Price of 30-Day Flip Brothers facilitated the entrepreneurship breakout session. Mr. Price shared how his early experience in the juvenile justice system was the catalyst to becoming a real estate entrepreneur. It was important for the youth to learn how he was able to change his life and become a multi-millionaire despite having an unfavorable background. Precious Carter of Empower You facilitated the third breakout session. Mrs. Carter overcame adversity in her life by having faith and a positive attitude. Mrs. Carter was propelled from a girl born in prison and living a life of poverty and rejection into a life full of joy, love, and success. Mrs. Carter shared how she now uses her life experience to help youth avoid the prison system and encourages them to become leaders and develop strategies to become self-sufficient.
The Summit provided a stage for the youth to amplify their talents to acknowledge and express their life experiences amongst their peers in a safe space. The youth created live performances, including poetry and hip hop, that included topics such as youth violence, police brutality, and leadership. In addition, the youth had the opportunity to win prizes for their participation in the activities. The youth were also provided with pizza, snacks, and drinks for lunch.
This year's programming included 12 college students who served as peer mentors and provided additional coaching and mentorship to younger participants to learn about post-secondary college and career planning.
Website:
http://www.ulgso.org Amount: $25,000
Date: October 2021
