East Liberty nonprofit Youth Enrichment Services Named 2019 Champion in Action
“Trib Total Media recognizes the power of the mentorship provided to young people in the Pittsburgh region by Youth Enrichment Services.”
— Jennifer Bertetto, Trib Total Media President and CEO
By Courier Editor, March 4, 2019
The New Pittsburgh Courier has learned that Youth Enrichment Services (YES), a nonprofit providing socially and economically at-risk youth the opportunity to achieve success through participation in mentorship, education and enrichment programs, has been named a 2019 Champion in Action in the category of Youth Leadership. The award, announced jointly by Citizens Bank, WPXI-TV, Trib Total Media and Pittsburgh Cares, includes $35,000 in unrestricted funding as well as promotional and volunteer support for the organization’s outstanding work, according to a release.
Youth Enrichment Services (YES) provides empowerment, experiential opportunities, academic enrichment and summer employment as positive pathways to future success. YES partners with local organizations to create synergy and generates transformative stories, national accolades and positive research outcomes.
Voices to Men
Empowerment
Voices to Men is designed to provide young men with the knowledge and skills to be socially and economically successful community leaders. Through a variety of targeted sessions, outings, and exercises with male mentors, participants will demonstrate knowledge of and strategically use their social, educational, and real voices and challenge the often-restrictive story plaguing men of color. In doing so, participants will speak their rich stories, discuss relevant and pressing issues in a supportive environment, heal, and grow.
Guiding Framework:
S: Space to Speak My Story
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Most of the young men are told to be silent and compliant. We want to hear their story as they understand it in their own language.
A: Audience of Peers and Mentors
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When men get together there are issues we understand in a unique way, while our perception is individual our experience is collective. We are often empowered by community.
F: Forum for Issues that are Important
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The issues that face our young men are important to them, this is a place to talk about them.
E: Experiences to Help Men Grow
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Sometimes we can’t see what the end result of our work may be but seeing others who have faced our same challenges and succeeded gives us confidence and a blueprint for our own success.
Goals:
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Giving young men a voice to create a sense of community.
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Expanding participants’ abilities to navigate life’s challenges.
Students Engage In:
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Barbershop Talks
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Physical Activities
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Social and Cultural Outings
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Team Building Exercises
Program Length:
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January – June
Eligibility Status:
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9th – 12th grader
VOICE:
Raw expression of how personal truths are realized, actualized, and expressed.
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SOCIAL VOICE:
Charged by the essence of advocacy, can change the trajectory of their lives.
“Can I make a difference?”
“I have ideas…How do I mobilize them and turn them into a plan of action
to help my community?”
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EDUCATIONAL VOICE:
Conscious youth understand what they know and express why their knowledge matters.
"What resources are available that I can access in a place where I won’t be
reluctant or embarrassed to ask?”
“What strategies are available to help me explore my opportunities?”
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REAL VOICE:
Unfettered youth have an authentic awareness of their current space and place in life.
“I want to talk the way I understand, not the way you want me to talk, not in a way that makes sense to you, but in a way, that makes sense to me—no buffers, no autocorrect.”