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Building a Youth Specific, Youth Driven Transition Program. Panhandle Independent Living Center 1118 S. Taylor Amarillo, TX 79101. Agenda. The 5 W’s of a Youth Program Why should youth have their own program? Who should be our target? What unique needs should it address?. - PowerPoint PPT Presentation
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Building a Youth Specific,Building a Youth Specific, Youth Driven Transition Youth Driven Transition
ProgramProgram
Panhandle Independent Living Center
1118 S. Taylor Amarillo, TX 79101
AgendaAgenda The 5 W’s of a Youth Program
Why should youth have their own program?
Who should be our target?
What unique needs should it address?
Where should the youth specific activities take place?
When should youth be provided with services?
The “How” of Developing a Youth Program
Recruitment of Youth Participants
The Importance of Planning & Variety
How to Engage Community Support
Fundraising / Grant Writing
Enlistment & Role of Volunteers
Prepare Parents for Youth Programs
Evaluating Our Own Program
OverviewOverview
Suggestions Suggestions for Building for Building
a a
Successful Successful ProgramProgram
What?What? What is our YES program?
A program developed to assist middle and high school youth with disabilities in learning the skills and tools necessary to make healthy decisions as they approach adulthood.
It is designed to meet the unique needs that these youth face in their daily lives.
Our main focus is to give these students a positive, educational environment where they can learn from each other in a fun environment.
What our program IS NOT? We are not a day care or
day camp program.
We are not staffed to provide a full-time daily program.
We are not the answer to a parent’s childcare needs.
We are not equipped to offer transportation to and from our ILC.
Why?Why? Why does PILC offer a youth program?
Independent Living Centers’ staff are dedicated to providing education, information, and positive environment that empowers people with disabilities to make positive life choices on their own behalf.
We believe this is best done at a younger age before complacency and dependency has set in and become a way of life.
Who?Who? Who does PILC serve in
our transitional program? Our youth participants range
in age from 12 to 21. They must also be a student in middle or high school.
Students are allowed to remain in our program for one last summer of activities following their graduation from high school.
They then enter our adult program, if they choose, which allows:
them interaction with their older peers,
them to share their YES experiences with the older consumers as a source of true peer support/peer counseling
the staff to open YES enrollment to additional youth.
When?When? When do we offer our after
school program? YES meets the first and third
Monday of each month from 4:30-6:00 p.m.
This allows the youth time to get from school to our center, enjoy an after school snack, and engage in regular IL skills training, empowerment activities, and social and recreational events.
YES also meets each Monday and Wednesday during an 10-week extensive summer program.
This schedule allows for our rural county students to access our Panhandle Transit system, which only has routes to Amarillo on these days.
The students receive 4 hours of services/activities each of the two days.
It allows for equal calendar time between our youth and adult programs, which means that adult services are not interfered with during the summer months.
YES provides activities during special school breaks such as Spring Break to ensure the students do not become isolated during the extended school holiday.
Where?Where? Where should this youth
specific activities take place? Your ILC provides a perfect
location because: ILC core services provide
valuable skills training and opportunities at a young age.
The IL philosophy, the history, and culture of the disability community are valuable lessons for any person with a disability.
Your staff and board members provide an excellent source for positive role models who exemplify the lifestyles of independent individuals who have overcome their own obstacles and have learned how to “work around” or limit the impact of their own limitations.
The The “HOW”“HOW” of of
SuccessfulSuccessful
Program Program DevelopmeDevelopme
ntnt
Recruitment of Youth Recruitment of Youth ParticipantsParticipants
Establish eligibility and intake requirements
Identify appropriate allied agencies for referral purposes
Utilize assessments properly to gain valuable information
Plan Carefully /Plan Carefully / Provide Variety Provide Variety
Allow youth an opportunity to plan with staff.
Early exercise in consumer control consumer directed philosophy
Reinforces empowerment skills
Provides an exercise in decision-making
Plan a variety of activities that provide practice and discussion with essential skills Use hands-on activities and
real world applications
Utilize the ILC 4 core services:
IL Skills Training – Cooking, Money Management Skills, etc.
Peer Counseling – provide group discussions on an area of need or interest (example: overcoming obstacles or improving your self-esteem)
Advocacy Instruct students on becoming their
own self advocate by teaching them techniques to become assertive on their own behalf
Assisting parents to become a powerful, positive advocate for their child and their needs.
Information & Referrals – provide resources for a multitude of consumer needs including:
Transportation Employment Mobility Assistance Housing Medical Programs Adaptive Equipment Emergency food
Avoid getting in a rut Make each and every day
different Keep the youth guessing
Allow free socialization time for youth
Provide unstructured times for visiting to encourage the natural building of relationships
Lunch Time Outside Activities Board Games
Avoid the “classroom feel”
Ensure all activities are educational and FUN!FUN!
Educational Field Trips Motivational Guest
Speakers Role Playing Building Effective
Communication Skills Empowerment Activities Team Building Exercises Positive Peer Role
Models
Engage Community Engage Community SupportSupport
Network with business leaders and community organizations
Do not be afraid to “beg” for reduced rates and/or freebies
Most approached are willing to assist with most anything a program needs when it is aimed at assisting youth
Always say, “Thank You.” Ensure that all
contributors, speakers, donations, etc. receive a hand written thank you note signed by all youth participants
They will remember you next year because of this simple common courtesy.
Fundraising / Grant WritingFundraising / Grant Writing Consider asking local business
and charitable organizations for start up money
Provide them PR by placing their company logo on the back of t-shirts, which is then worn on all field trips
Find long-term funding to ensure longevity of the program
Utilize your funding to provide a completely free program since the majority of these youth come from low-income families. Ensure that there are NONO:
Registration Fees / Application Fees
Admissions fees for field trip expenses
Lunch expenses on outings outside your ILC
Enlistment & Role of Enlistment & Role of VolunteersVolunteers
Enlist as much free hands-on help as possible
Recruit individuals with and without disabilities
Consider high school age volunteers/mentors
Ensure mentors and volunteers have positive characteristics / comfort level with disabilities
Preparing ParentsPreparing Parents Avoid problems early
Prepare parents before program begins
Ensure they understand the purpose and mission of the program
Independence is taught, encouraged, and practiced.
NOT day care or camp
Invite parents to communicate their suggestions for activities and material to be taught
Consider implementing a parent support group
Provides parents with their own guidance and peer support as their children begin to exercise their independence.
Vital step to encouraging parents allow their children to practice the skills taught within your program
Evaluation ProcedureEvaluation Procedure Provide youth, parents, and community
and opportunity to provide you written feedback regarding the program itself and the activities provided.
Provide surveys before and during the program
Provide larger assessment to evaluate program at the end of each summer
Additional ResourcesAdditional Resources Building Youth Mentoring Programs –
Community Toolbox http://ctb.ku.edu/tools/en/sub_section_main_1197.htm
Partners for Youth with Disabilities http://www.pyd.org/
Foundations of Successful Youth Mentoring: A Guidebook for Program Development http://www.nwrel.org/mentoring/pdf/foundations.pdf
Building Relationships A Guide for New Mentors http://www.ppv.org/ppv/publications/assets/29_publication.pdf
Ten Tips to Mentoring Youth with Disabilities http://www.prtaonline.org/PDF%20Files/Ten%20Tips%20to%20Mentoring%20YWD.pdf
Group Work A Counseling Specialty by Samuel T. Gladding (4th Edition)