Emerging Leaders

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SLACO’S EMERGING LEADERS PROGRAM 

SLACO’s Emerging Leaders Program will seek partnerships to employ youth ages 16 to 24 to work as Emerging Neighborhood Community Engagement Leaders.  Our program provides an opportunity for youth and adults to research, discuss, and evaluate real concerns that matter to them and their community and create an action plan for change.  The skills of social inquiry, and the accompanying ability to gather, analyze, synthesize, and share data, are highly valued skills in the contemporary work environment and transferable to different career settings.

SLACO views Community Engagement as a Positive Youth Development Strategy.  Positive youth development theory asserts that all youth have the capacity to change and grow as they interact with their communities.  The goal of positive youth development programs is to encourage and facilitate the growth of “functionally valued” behaviors resulting in thriving and well-being throughout adolescence, with the ultimate goal of helping youth develop into productive and contributing.  Functionally valued behaviors include competence, character, connection, confidence, and caring, commonly called the “5 C’s.”  In addition, community engagement is endorsed as a vehicle for actualization of the five C’s in youth.  The ultimate outcome of the 5 C’s is a positive contribution to one’s community, increasing through adolescence and becoming a valued aspect of one’s adult life.

 

FIRST CLASS

Veva Davis, Trezhure Cartwright and Ariel Cousett explain the program and engage with the Revitalization of Baden Association.

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Funding for this project was provided by the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention. Grant Number 2017-MU-MU-K006.  These services are available to all persons, regardless of race, gender, age, disability, or religion.

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