Girls Empowerment Program, 2010. Photo: Bruce Silcox
Overview
Youth ages 10-14 work toward success and personal power through group hands-on opportunities that foster public leadership, relationship building, and responsibility.
Core Approach
We organize opportunities for youth in multi-week quarterly mentoring sessions with an emphasis on civic engagement action projects. Youth come together to develop leadership skills and learn to act effectively out of their talent and voice as they contribute to community.
Mentoring sessions are facilitated by guest artists.
Mentoring & Leadership Projects
Camp Readiness Program
This summer mentoring session prepares between 35-40 youth for a 1-week overnight camp experience. Topics such as navigating issues of race (on the minds of many of the kids) and how to talk to camp counselors help ensure a positive experience. This summer parents and families will come together to send their children off to YMCA Camp Icaghowan for one week. View photo gallery from the Hope camp send-off. The Pohlad Family Foundation’s Summer Camp Scholarship Program makes this summer camp experience possible.
Community Documentary Projects
Using the medium of filmmaking, youth are engaged in the process of understanding their own individual stories as public citizens to examine the issues and problems facing their neighborhoods, schools, cities, nation and their world. Youth are learning about and applying in a public setting the power of public space, free space, diversity, citizenship, relationships, public work, democracy, self-interest, power, accountability/ responsibility, and active learning.
Girls Empowerment Project
Through writing, music and performance young girls explore their opinions, values and beliefs in a positive way. The project is centered around four core themes: educational empowerment, critical thinking and awareness, developing bonds of sisterhood and civic engagement. For 8 weeks – one Saturday morning a week, local women artists facilitate a multi-disciplined arts curriculum that culminates in a community performance given by participants.
Youth in the City Job Readiness
This is a six-week program that gives youth ages 14-15 skills to support them in their job search with a focus on leadership development. Youth in the City Job Readiness is designed with the City of Minneaplis STEP UP summer youth job program.
Academic Enrichment
Project for Pride in Living Tutoring (PPL) – The PPL tutor/mentor program matches K-8 children with college students and recent graduates. They work one to one with a child on reading, spelling, math, writing and other areas that the youth may need help in. In addition they have monthly outings with the tutor/mentor and other youth in the program.
Questions? Contact Dhop, Organizer/Family Outreach Coordinator at dhop@hope-community.org or call (612) 435-1673.
