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YAPI |
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In October of 2004, Brenda Freed met DuAnne Redus, Founder
and Director of the non-profit organization, the Lifeworks Institute.
DuAnne told Brenda her vision of creating a somewhat self-sustaining
non-profit (social entrepreneurialism) that focused on prevention programs
for middle school youth. Because Brenda has a passion for
helping youth (YAPI) she immediately shared
DuAnne's vision. The two women worked closely together researching
statistics from the Texas Youth Commission and the Casey Foundation
and found there was a need for prevention programs to reduce drop out
rate and the number of youth entering the juvenile justice system. To
better reflect their new focus the name of the organization was changed
to Youth Taking Charge www.youthtakingcharge.org.
The mission of Youth Taking Charge (YTC) is to prevent situational
poverty (social, emotional, psychological or economical) from becoming
generational poverty.
- Prevention in Texas is commonly seen as protecting the public from
juvenile delinquents by incarcerating tens of thousands of them each
year, in turn, costing taxpayers millions of dollars. Incarceration
does not prepare youth for the transitions into higher education
and employment, and therefore creates generational poverty and all
the accompanying societal problems.
- YTC focuses on youth crisis prevention by intervening before youth
become part of the problem. YTC provides personal development
programs beginning with middle-school youth. Consistent
service, education and support are offered throughout high school
during 5-day residential summer camps, two refresher week-end retreats
and one-to-one mentoring from local college students receiving credit
for their mentoring and service learning projects. YTC also
offers hands-on entrepreneurial business training in a real business,
strengths-based service learning and apprentice jobs with mentors. These
programs are currently funded through donations and grants. In
the future, however, programs will be partially funded through a
self-sustainable business, making the organization less dependent
on annual grants and donations other than those required to maintain
our current non-profit status.
- For self-sustainable financial support, YTC is raising capital
to buy an event-based smoothie kiosk. YTC is currently partnered
with and sponsored by Smooth Sips to Go, Inc. who provides the kiosk
and product for the entrepreneurial business training at the camp.
- The results of this action will be more youth served through consistent
programs, a lowered risk of youth entering the juvenile justice system
and dropping out of school, increased savings to taxpayers, more
youth better prepared for transitions into higher education and employment,
and more generational health created making Hays County in Texas
a model of success in the social context.
Brenda is currently on the Board and Program Director for Youth Taking
Charge. To learn more about Youth Taking Charge, to volunteer
or to make a donation see www.youthtakingcharge.org |