YEP is an experiential mentoring program led by Jasmine Aguiar geared toward providing youth with practical hands on experiences including service projects, exploring Chicago, and life skills training. Youth partake in community service projects geared at relearning the nature and functionality of their own neighborhoods.
The community service projects not only allow youth to rebuild and redefine their purpose in their communities but also allows them to empathize and create solutions for those that are less fortunate. Interactive activities are created for youth to become tourists in the city of Chicago. Most youth have not been outside of their neighborhoods nor do they understand how others live that aren’t in their communities. This piece allows them to compare both the implicit and explicit inequality in both economic and social injustices. Lastly, We tie both components with a life skills piece that gives youth a space to better articulate their abilities by giving them resources on job readiness, career building, and overall social awareness.
This group is regularly looking for opportunities to support those without a home – please let us know if you have leads or donations they can distribute to the less fortunate.
