Worcester Gets Kids More Involved in Community With Y2Y Program
Tuesday, July 30, 2013
The Youth 4 District 4, (Y4D4) Advisory Council, whose mission is to engage youths in solving the problems facing their community today, will be hosting a Y2Y (Youth to Youth) training session created by, organized by, and facilitated by Worcester youths for other Worcester youths with the help of political figures and other concerned citizens.
This Y2Y Community Organizing Training Session will take place over two separate days, today and tomorrow, July 30 and 31, at the Levi Lincoln Room on the 3rd Floor of City Hall. The session lasts 3-5:30 pm each day.
By involving young people in solving important social justice issues affecting the city now, it is hoped that they will be prepared to take on challenges faced in the future according to organizers and supporters of the Y4D4 Advisory Council.
“I believe that our youth are a valuable resource in our community. We need to invest, engage, and work in collaboration with our youth. I believe youth are the leaders of today not just tomorrow. Our motto is 'Building up the youth leaders of today for a stronger tomorrow'" said Councilor Sarai Rivera, a major force in founding the Y4D4 Council. The group actually began out of Councilor Sarai Rivera’s election campaign. A major part of her platform was making sure youth had a voice in the city.
The Importance of Training Youth Leaders
The Y2Y session is a good start in helping to offer youths the opportunity to understand how to make a difference in their communities. Through leadership training the participants will be empowered to organize their communities and will lead by example.
In addition, by promoting efficient and effective cooperation between members of the community they will be better prepared to confront problems through civic engagement and a commitment to social justice. The participants will understand that people of all ages have a role to play in bettering the community.
The Mayor agrees.
“As has been demonstrated by programs such as this year’s Mayor’s Youth Civic Academy, we strongly believe in the benefits of youth empowerment. By getting children involved today, they learn the skills necessary to lead our city in the future. The Y2Y community organizing training is another initiative focused on engaging and educating the youth to be successful members of the community," said Mayor Petty.
"Councilor Sarai Rivera has been a major part of this youth initiative with her Youth 4 District 4 program, a youth advisory council which is running the Y2Y training. She understands the importance of getting young people involved in their communities and been immensely helpful in the process of engaging young people."
The Y2Y session will promote a collaborative relationship between the individual and the city as they understand how they can become involved in analyzing, solving, and preventing further challenges to their communities. This will also provide the participants with an early exposure to city government, as they will have the opportunity to interact with today’s officials and representatives as they learn how to be the leaders of tomorrow.
For more information on the Y4D4 Advisory Council please visit http://www.worcestermass.org.
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