A World Where Youth Hold the Power

The article, In a World Where Youth Hold the Power by the Youth in Action (YIA), has the main idea of youth empowerment. The word power was emphasized in the article by Oredola when explaining social inequality to the systemic challenges that disadvantage families and youth face. The word power was emphasized even more by the relationship that youths have with power. The authors states, “As a young person of color, you can view yourself as powerful or powerless within the systems that impact you.” (p.48). The authors continues its narrative on how YIA empowers its teenagers with opportunities in leadership, conflict resolution, team work, advocacy and many other essential civic-social skills. The personal stories that the YIA authors give all pertains to YIA means of empowerment, and the outcomes of empowerment.

The YIA model resonates with my own experience in the City Year New York: Young Heroes program. This program had East Harlem middle school students engage in variety of service-learning topics that relates to the community that the Young Heroes live in. Topics such as: homelessness, gun violence, drugs, bullies, etc… My role in this program was curriculum coordinator/ team leader. I was partnered with seven other corps members in order to provide quality programing and mentorship to our Young Heroes. Our team of corps members made it a priority to empower the youth in our program, to give them a voice and knowledge to feel powerful in their community, a community that is social-economical oppressed. These service-learning topics were deeper than addressing social justice issues, these topics were the means for our Young Heroes to explore their strengths, styles, and attitudes to the realities they live in. I can confidently say that the Young Heroes program parallels the YIA model in how they both empower youth and give them the opportunities to grow in the communities they live in that schools could not previously provide.

Oh, and here is a photo of my City Year team. I am going to Facebook my service leader and see if I can get pictures of some of my Young Heroes.