Artwork stating 'Education Destroys Barriers', 'We Demand Treatment', and 'I Need A Chance'

Search Results

You searched for: -

There are 294 results  for your search.  View and Refine Your Search Terms

  • Atlanta's Trying to Support, Not Punish, Its Teenage Water Vendors

    Teens selling water on the sweltering streets of Atlanta are typically dealt with by police officers who often crack down on "unpermitted sales of water by youth." In a new approach, city officials convened a council to offer alternatives to police action and suggested ways to promote and develop the entrepreneurial spirit in teens through a variety of programs. The council looked to a similar program in Baltimore that re-engaged windshield-washing teens in school and re-directed others to full-time jobs.

    Read More

  • Suicide hotline offers young people hope and a chance to talk with peers

    In Arizona, a teen-run suicide prevention hotline connects teens who need someone to talk to with a peer operator who works to listen to and calm the caller. The volunteer teenage operators don't offer medical advice but do undergo clinician-supervised training that includes active listening, collaborative problem solving and the ability to connect with callers.

    Read More

  • At Platinum Divaz, Black Girls Are Mentors And Leaders

    Platinum Divaz builds leadership skills and self-confidence among young people. While boys and all ethnicities are welcome to participate, the program focuses on raising the self-esteem for Black girls through dance. Divaz are assigned teammate mentors, typically teenagers, who teach dances and help younger girls with day-to-day struggles like school, bullying, and self-confidence. Practices like saying what they like about each other helps build each girl up with confidence and self-esteem. Supportive adults are also available as mentors to the girls.

    Read More

  • Program offers alternative for youth who commit misdemeanors

    Choose 180 channels Seattle-area young people into an alternative to court and jail when they commit relatively minor offenses. This "offramp" from the traditional justice system, serving a disproportionately Black and brown clientele, helped 400 clients in 2019, 87% of whom did not commit new offenses. Research shows such diversion programs have a better track record for preventing future crimes. A Choose 180 "sentence" comes in the form of a workshop introducing young people to mentors and giving them a chance at the stability and frame of mind they need to seek more lasting change in their lives.

    Read More

  • Virtual LGBT+ support group creates a space for youth

    When in-person meetings became impossible during the pandemic, Epicenter's youth-run, drop-in resource center for youth made its LGBTQ+ support group virtual, and attendance went up. The group, called Our Gente, provides a place for youth to support each other. Those trapped at home with families that are unsupportive can still participate online using text chats, rather than having to speak aloud. Youth at the center create their own programming, but work closely with Epicenter's deputy director, who grew up queer, non-binary in a family that at first did not support them.

    Read More

  • The Perks of Roommates With a 50-Year Age Difference

    Intergenerational home sharing is a mutually beneficial option for seniors and young people. There are about 60 programs, run by cities, nonprofits, and platforms in the style of Airbnb, that connect seniors and young people for cohabitation. Seniors benefit by being able to stay in their homes, collect income, and have someone to help with social isolation and household chores. Young people benefit from access to affordable housing options in high-cost areas and engaging in rich relationship building. Home sharing services are facing legal challenges and the Covid-19 pandemic made cohabiting more risky.

    Read More

  • From Settlement to University

    The Romani Education Fund in Slovakia is helping children from the Roma community, which has a history of social and economic disadvantages as well as being subject to ethnic discrimination, overcome challenges to finish high school and pursue higher education. The REF works by providing qualifying students with a stipend to pay for educational supplies, as well as providing school guidance and personal mentorship to help both students and parents overcome the social hurdles that impede the student's desire or ability to fulfill their potential.

    Read More

  • In the quiet of a shutdown, students and seniors forge new friendships

    When the Covid-19 pandemic resulted in widespread lockdowns, a Washington, D.C. Episcopal day school partnered with a retirement home to help students and seniors provide companionship to one another and decrease loneliness. To help alleviate nerves about talking with someone they've never met, the program trained the students in skills such as cold-calling and offered an introductory script for the initial conversation. The students have reported valuing the conversations while the seniors have said "the connection has been a lifeline."

    Read More

  • Hungarian Program Connects Seniors With Stand-in Grandkids

    The How Are You Today? program connects elderly Hungarians with young people who are also deprived of social connections during the Covid-19 pandemic. Festival Volunteer Center joined with Hungarian Charity Service of the Order of Malta to connect about 70 pairs for regular, supportive conversations to alleviate loneliness. Volunteers are trained to maintain boundaries to avoid certain emotional risks, however many participants have formed strong bonds and want the program to continue in some form after the pandemic. The organization is working on sustainable funding solutions to enable long-term operations.

    Read More

  • A vírus “mellékhatása”: generációkat kötött össze egy magyar program a kijárási korlátozás alatt

    A „Hogy tetszik lenni?” projekt magyar nyugdíjasokat és fiatalokat ismertet össze, akiknek megritkultak a társas kapcsolatai a Covid-19 járvány idején. A Fesztivál Önkéntes Központ a Máltai Szeretetszolgálattal közösen hetven idős-fiatal párt hozott össze, akik rendszeres beszélgetésekkel mérsékelték magányérzetüket. A fiatal önkénteseket felkészítették arra, hogy miként kerüljenek el bizonyos érzelmi reakciókat. A projekt eredményeként a résztvevők szoros személyes kapcsolatot alakítottak ki és ezt a járvány után is fenn kívánják tartani.

    Read More