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A Neighborhood-Based Youth Development Strategy
Elements for Success
Emphasizing the importance that strong community-wide networks can play in supporting young people, the Foundation has developed a neighborhood-based youth development strategy. Its goals are to: - Develop a community network of quality, year-round programs and activities for young people.
- Strengthen neighborhood leadership to coordinate youth development opportunities.
- Enhance adult support and guidance for young people, especially during the critical transitions of adolescence.
- Augment the community's ability to identify and track neighborhood youth.
- Provide young people with a vehicle that allows them to influence their programs and opportunities, increasing their social connection to their neighborhood.
In order for communities to succeed through this strategy, they must possess significant community assets, so before investing in a neighborhood, the Foundation requires its leaders to undergo a community self-assessment of the neighborhood's readiness for a targeted infusion of youth development resources. Using the Foundation's self-assessment tool, community leaders ask themselves the following: - What youth-serving agencies are working in the neighborhood?
- Do we have the neighborhood facilities, including indoor and outdoor recreational spaces needed for youth activities? What condition are the facilities in?
- Are there adequate meeting spaces where community leaders can convene?
- Does our community have anchor institutions, such as hospitals, libraries, and universities, that might be able to help support youth programs?
- Who else in our neighborhood is concerned about young people? Possibilities might include block captains, residents, businesspersons, and others.
- What is the state of youth development in our community? Are there gaps in our services for youth?
- Do we have the ability to develop and implement quality youth programs? Can we track participants? Can we measure results?
- What is the capacity of the organizations in our community? Do they have sufficient staff and revenue? What level of technical assistance might they require?
- What are the boundaries of our community?
The community self-assessment process is designed to help neighborhoods develop a better understanding of their strengths and challenges and a more informed perspective on how stakeholders can collaborate to improve the quality and quantity of youth opportunities. If you believe your community might be a good fit, please submit a Letter of Inquiry. Letters should be the result of collaboration between the organizations of a neighborhood, and multiple groups are encouraged to co-sign letters when inquiring about this strategy.
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Two Logan Square
11th Floor
100 North 18th Street
Philadelphia, PA
19103-2757
215-988-1830 (tel)
215-988-1823 (fax)
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