In a culture that affords youth too few opportunities to experience purpose, power, and place, is it any wonder that so many young people feel disconnected from their communities?

When we treat youth primarily as customers, clients, recipients of services, or problems to be fixed, when we do too much "to" them or "for" them and not enough "with" them, we deprive them of opportunities to get their basic developmental needs met in prosocial ways, and become the adults we'd all like to have as colleagues and neighbors.

However, our experience and current youth development research show that young people have a tremendous capacity to give back to their schools, families, and communities. When provided with training, support, and opportunities, young people can work in partnership with adults to solve challenging problems. Moreover, when they do, they gain valuable skills, acquire knowledge, and develop parts of their character not otherwise possible: compassion and empathy, connection to others, an ethic of service, and more.

With our focus on youth development, we can help schools and other organizations that work with youth to involve young people in meaningful ways, at school and in the community. We can help you put the "youth" in youth development with strategies like:

Youth-Led Community Meetings, Forums, and Summits Youth Speakers' Bureau Leadership Training G-Force Peer Education and Peer Helping

Youth-Led Community Meetings, Forums, and Summits
Imagine a team of youth working with adult support to design and lead a full-day gathering where hundreds of people from your community discuss and take action on an important issue like violence prevention, diversity and tolerance, community development, asset building, AIDS, or... imagine joining forces. more info >>>

Youth Speakers Bureau
Let the voice of youth ring out (in ways the adults can hear)! Create a cadre of young people equipped to make effective presentations to community audiences about relevant issues, and build intergenerational bridges of understanding, respect, and trust. more info >>>

Leadership Training
Loaded with inspiration and practicality, this custom-designed training can help the young people in your community acquire and refine the skills they need to work effectively on Youth Advisory Councils or as partners with adults on specific projects. more info >>>

G-Force
Create a team of youth and adults who use games and other experiential tools to train school, business and community groups in the skills and values necessary for building and sustaining a safe and healthy community. more info >>>

Peer Education / Peer Helping
Harness the innate desire of young people to make a positive difference, and give it structure and direction. Equip youth to provide services like conflict resolution, school safety monitoring, tutoring, mentoring, new student orientations, ATOD prevention education, and more. more info >>>

Setting a Prominent Place for Youth at the Table of Community Planning Youth as Prevention Practitioners Preventing a School Safety Crisis: Eight Keys to Safer Schools Youth Voice: Developing A Speakers Bureau Taking Your Peer Helping Program to the Next Level: How to Design and Deliver High Powered Retreats Engaging Students in School Safety: Designing a Safe School Ambassadors Program

As the youth development paradigm shifts from risk to resiliency, Community Matters can help you stay current and better prepare the youth in your community to take up the mantle of adulthood.

Whether you're in education or government, law enforcement or recreation, social service or the faith community, Community Matters can help you:

• assess how well you're meeting the needs of your youth
• identify opportunities for improvement
• select and implement youth development strategies that can have practical & tangible
  benefits like:
  • increased safety / reduced crime in schools and the community
  • increased academic performance / reduced discipline in schools
  • youth taking a greater positive role in the community

As the youth development paradigm shifts from risk to resiliency, Community Matters can help you stay current and better prepare the youth in your community to take up the mantle of adulthood.

Contact us for more information today!