YMCA of Greater Cincinnati
1105 Elm Street
Cincinnati, OH 45202
YMCA Teen Programs
Grant Application:
The YMCA seeks support for our Teen Program relaunch, a direct response to combatting the increasing academic achievement gap and tailoring our work to focus more explicitly on racial and socioeconomic equity. YMCA Teen Programs help support our community’s youth on their journeys to becoming the next generation of leaders. Programs include: Youth & Government, which educates local high school students about systems of government and prepares them for a mock-government conference; Reach & Rise Mentoring, which provides one-on-one mentoring with a therapeutic model, case management, and mental health support; and Black & Latino Achievers, which provides resources and learning opportunities for teens as they pursue college and/or a career. While Y Teen Programs welcome all youth, the Y is intentionally targeting youth of color and youth from low-income households. We are committed to ensuring that historically underserved populations gain access to resources critical for upward economic mobility.
Goals/Objectives:
All Youth & Government (Y&G) activities are designed to provide leadership training and preparation to meet the needs of a democratic society; stimulate interest and awareness of US and state government’s function; create opportunities for civic engagement and awareness of prominent social issues; and develop self-confidence and self-expression while fostering tolerance and understanding of others’ points of view.
Black and Latinos Achievers (Achievers) aims to provide teens with the skills necessary to pursue higher education and to identify different career opportunities. Additionally, Achievers prioritizes the development of social-emotional learning skills including goal orientation, positive identity, and academic self-efficacy. The goals of the program are outlined in the Five Pillars of Achievers:
1. Improving academic performance, which equips teens with the skills needed to enter and excel in college
2. Developing college knowledge and support needed to confidently complete the college admissions process
3. Forming positive relationship with mentors and peers who support teen’s academic and professional aspirations
4. Developing life skills necessary for teens to succeed in life beyond high school
5. Developing a positive self-identity where teens envision a future in which they can be successful.
The goal of Rise and Reach is to foster successful futures for generations of youth by supporting them in developing healthy relationships, becoming productive citizens, and positively contributing to society. The program also focuses on identifying positive mentors and helping them to develop empathy and humility necessary to work with teens affected by trauma.
Grant Evaluation Report:
Teen Programs are designed in co-creation with those who are closest to the work: the participants. By ensuring that the needs of Cincinnati teens were central to program design and alterations, YMCA staff ensured greater buy-in from teens in CCPA and beyond. With Teen programs re-oriented to fit the needs of the participants, teens demonstrated interest and enthusiasm for the program. Participants report that the knowledge and skills they gained from the program influenced their plans for college and careers after high school.
Results:
n the past, Achievers was centered on career clusters that were meant to give kids experience in different fields. Program staff noticed, however, that many participants were choosing career clusters based on what their parents wanted, rather than making the decision for themselves.
Achievers restructured to prioritize self-exploration and personal development. Participants rotate through all available career clusters in order to gain valuable experience across all fields, even those they may not have considered for themselves. Program leads want to give teens a safe space in which they can imagine, think freely, and create their vision for the type of person that they would like to be.
Given the evolving nature of the program, YMCA staff rely upon open communication with program participants to ensure program satisfaction and foster a culture of continuous improvement.
The Black & Latino Achievers program has evolved to meet the needs of teens. By listening to community input and seeing the current struggles of Cincinnati youth, leadership restructured Achievers to focus on self-exploration and personal growth for teens through college and career prep. In the 2021-2022 school year, the program incorporated outlets for youth voices through Youth & Government and one-on-one coaching through the Reach & Rise Mentoring program.
Youth & Government currently runs as part of Black and Latino Achievers program. The program educates youth and teens about the importance of civic engagement and community involvement. The program also encourages participants to find their voice by identifying and researching issues that are meaningful to them. YMCA Staff are working with the UC Campus YMCA Government Group to develop a program curriculum for a standalone Y&G program for the 2023-2024 school year.
Website:
http://www.myy.org Amount: $25,000
Date: June 2022
