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Alternatives,
Inc. and Youth Civic Engagement: "When you help (a) youth, you help the whole city." You would expect to hear a remark like this coming from a businessperson at a "pancake dinner" fundraiser. In fact, it was made by Hollis Mason, then a Senior at Phoebus High School and now a Freshmen at Spellman College, about his work as a voting member of the Hampton Neighborhood Youth Advisory Board. The opportunity for Hollis and hundreds of others who participate in Youth Civic Engagement (YCE) programs to be taken seriously by adults, given training and meaningful work to do, represents a fundamental shift in adult's attitudes about the ways in which youth can contribute and the value of their contribution. Our community, like others around the country, has come to view YCE programs as a means toward personal growth for young people while benefiting the community at large. When young people are engaged in YCE opportunities they also influence a larger population and serve as agents of positive change within a community. However, in order for YCE programs and projects to take hold and blossom it takes a dedicated youth development organization like Alternatives, Inc. to facilitate the training, marshal the community support and cultivate meaningful opportunities for youth to contribute. Since the early 90's, Alternatives, Inc. has worked in partnership with community leaders and city officials in Hampton and Newport News to create an environment that values young people as a community resource. The non-profits solid research and practice of youth development and its willingness to go the distance to champion youth issues and form partnerships won it a pivotal role as a youth development program facilitator and trainer on the Virginia Peninsula. Drawing from its long-standing experience working with youth, (Alternatives' opened its doors in 1973 as substance abuse treatment program before shifting to youth development in the early 90's) Alternatives tapped into young people's desires to lead healthy, drug-free lifestyles and be creative, active participants in the life of the community. The results have been extraordinary. Alternatives’ Youth Civic Engagement initiative has provided meaningful opportunities for young people to use their knowledge and skills in over 45 different programs and projects. Such opportunities exist within the community at large, within secondary schools, individual neighborhoods and throughout the State. For more information about Alternatives, call 757-838-2330 #### |
