Youth Empowered To Prosper Inc

YOUTH EMPOWERED TO PROSPER (YEP) WAS ESTABLISHED AS A 501(C)3 ORGANIZATION IN 2018 TO DEVELOP THE POWER, MINDSET, AND SKILLSET WITHIN YOUTH TO RISE ABOVE CHALLENGES, CHART A PATH TO PROSPERITY, AND GROW INTO LEADERS OF A BETTER WORLD. YOUTH EMPOWERED TO PROSPER DEVELOPS THE MINDSET AND SKILLSET OF CHALLENGED YOUTH AGES 13 TO 22 THROUGH MENTORSHIP AND REAL-LIFE EXPERIENCES FOCUSED ON CHARACTER-BUILDING, EDUCATION AND LEADERSHIP, JOB AND MONEY MANAGEMENT, UPLIFTING OTHERS, AND PERSONAL WELLNESS. IN 2022, YEP WAS AWARDED THE HATS OFF SMALL NONPROFIT OF THE YEAR AWARD. YEP ALSO REVAMPED ITS ENTIRE BRAND FROM THE MISSION, VISION, VALUES, LOGO, TAGLINE, COLORS, AND GRAPHICS. THIS WAS ALSO THE YEAR THAT YEP ELECTED ITS FIRST TEEN AND CLIENT TO THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS TO PROVIDE A VOICE FOR THE YOUTH WE SERVE. YEP ALSO RENEWED ITS ACCREDITATION WITH NONPROFITS FIRST, AN ORGANIZATION THAT PROVIDES A THIRD-PARTY VERIFICATION OF AN ORGANIZATION'S COMMITMENT TO LEGAL COMPLIANCE AND BEST PRACTICES FOR NONPROFIT MANAGEMENT AND GOVERNANCE. THE WORK AND ACHIEVEMENTS OF YEP COULD ONLY BE ACCOMPLISHED WITH THE SUPPORT OF 92 VOLUNTEERS COMPRISED OF MENTORS, KEYNOTE SPEAKERS, EVENT PLANNING VOLUNTEERS, AND OUR BOARD OF DIRECTORS. YOUNG WOMEN WHO WIN IS A ONE-TO-ONE WEEKLY SCHOOL-BASED MENTORING PROGRAM THAT SERVES MIDDLE AND HIGH SCHOOL GIRLS IN TITLE ONE SCHOOLS IN PALM BEACH COUNTY. TEEN GIRLS ARE SELECTED IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE SCHOOL BASED ON NEEDS RANGING FROM ACADEMIC STRUGGLES, ADVERSE CHILDHOOD EXPERIENCES, MALADAPTIVE BEHAVIORS, POVERTY, CHALLENGES IN THE FAMILY STRUCTURE, AND THE LIKE. THE PROFESSIONAL WOMEN VOLUNTEER MENTORS ARE TRAINED, SCREENED, AND MATCHED WITH A MENTEE. ONCE THE MATCH IS ESTABLISHED, YEP MONITORS, AND SUPERVISES THE MATCH UNTIL CLOSURE. THIS MENTORING PROGRAM UTILIZES THE ELEMENTS OF EFFECTIVE PRACTICE FOR MENTORING, A RESEARCH-INFORMED AND PRACTITIONER-APPROVED STANDARDS FOR CREATING AND SUSTAINING QUALITY YOUTH MENTORING PROGRAMS TO ENSURE THE SAFETY AND EFFECTIVENESS OF MENTORING RELATIONSHIPS. GIVEN THE HEIGHTENED MENTAL HEALTH CHALLENGES AMONG YOUTH, YEP INCORPORATED AN EVIDENCE-BASED MENTAL HEALTH PROGRAM CALLED "SEEKING SAFETY." DR. DAVIS, A LICENSED PSYCHOLOGIST WHO IS ALSO ON YEP'S BOARD OF DIRECTORS, FACILITATES TRAININGS TO HELP MENTORS INCORPORATE SEEKING SAFETY INTO THEIR INTERACTIONS WITH THEIR MENTEES. THESE SESSIONS PROVIDE MENTORS WILL TOOLS TO HAVE DIFFICULT CONVERSATIONS WITH MENTEES ON TOPICS SUCH AS ANXIETY, ADDICTION, DEPRESSION, ETC. MENTORS HAVE EXPRESSED THAT THIS TRAINING HAS BEEN VERY HELPFUL IN BETTER UNDERSTANDING THE ISSUES THEIR MENTEES DEAL WITH, AND THEY FEEL BETTER EQUIPPED TO SUPPORT THEIR MENTEE. IN 2022, YEP SUPPORTED 75 MENTOR MATCHES WITH THE GOAL OF DECREASING ABSENTEEISM, IMPROVING EFFECTIVE COPING MECHANISMS FOR DEALING FOR STRESS, AND IMPROVING EFFECTIVE PROBLEM-SOLVING SKILLS. PER THE NATIONAL MENTORING PARTNERSHIP, YOUNG ADULTS WHO ARE AT-RISK FOR FALLING OFF TRACK BUT HAD A MENTOR ARE 55% MORE LIKELY TO ENROLL IN COLLEGE, 78% MORE LIKELY TO VOLUNTEER REGULARLY, AND 130% MORE LIKELY TO HOLD LEADERSHIP POSITIONS. STUDENTS WHO MEET REGULARLY WITH THEIR MENTORS ARE 52% LESS LIKELY THAN THEIR PEERS TO SKIP A DAY OF SCHOOL. TEEN LEADERSHIP PBC IS AN AFTER-SCHOOL PROGRAM THAT IS DELIVERED ON SITE AT VARIOUS TITLE I HIGH SCHOOLS AND FEATURES LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES THROUGH SPECIAL SPEAKERS AND LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT ACTIVITIES. THE GOAL OF THE PROGRAM IS TO PREPARE STUDENTS FOR LIFE AFTER HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATION. TEEN LEADERSHIP WAS DESIGNED TO INSPIRE THE LEADER WITHIN BY DEVELOPING 5 SOCIAL AND EMOTIONAL LEARNING CORE COMPETENCIES INCLUDING SELF-AWARENESS, AWARENESS OF OTHERS, SELF-MANAGEMENT, RELATIONSHIP SKILLS AND RESPONSIBLE DECISION-MAKING. MAJOR ACTIVITIES INCLUDED KEYNOTE SPEAKERS, SMALL GROUP SESSIONS, TEAM BUILDING ACTIVITIES, MOCK BUSINESS INTERVIEWS, INSPIRATIONAL AND MOTIVATIONAL WORKSHOPS, VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES, AND A CLOSING CEREMONY. TOPICS ADDRESSED INCLUDE LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT, FINANCIAL LITERACY, CONFLICT RESOLUTION, COLLEGE READINESS, CAREER PREPAREDNESS, MICROAGGRESSIONS, PERSONAL APPEARANCE AND ETIQUETTE, PUBLIC SPEAKING, AND MORE. AS A RESULT OF THE PILOT PROGRAM, 92% OF PARTICIPANTS INCREASED THEIR LIFE AND LEADERSHIP SKILLS AS MEASURED BY A PRE-POST SURVEY. YEP PRIDES ITSELF AS HAVING PARTICIPATED AND/OR BEING A PART OF THE PALM BEACH COUNTY COMMUNITY THROUGH VARIOUS COLLECTIVE IMPACT INITIATIVES SUCH AS PBC'S CULTURE OF WELLNESS STEWARDSHIP INVESTOR LEARNING LAB COMPRISED OF CHILDREN'S SERVICES COUNCIL, PBC YOUTH SERVICES, PALM HEALTH FOUNDATION, PBC COMMUNITY SERVICES, AND BEWELL PBC; UNITED WAY OF PALM BEACH COUNTY MENTOR NETWORK, HEALTHIER LAKE WORTH BEACH, THE PALM BEACH COUNTY SCHOOL DISTRICT, THE NONPROFIT CHAMBER OF PALM BEACH COUNTY, ACHIEVE PBC, THE HOMELESS AND HOUSING ALLIANCE, AND MANY MORE. AS AN ORGANIZATION, OUR CULTURE IS ONE THAT IS EMBEDDED IN COLLABORATION TO SERVE YOUTH MORE EFFECTIVELY. YOUTH EMPOWERED TO PROSPER EMPOWERS YOUTH TODAY TO PROSPER TOMORROW.