Youth Organizing 

Our Youth Organizing Program is a full-year, after-school program for at-risk youth, ages 14-17. They are at high-risk for dropping out of school, which puts them at risk for chronic unemployment and underemployment, which then puts them at risk of becoming adult criminals. Some of these students are already involved in the juvenile justice system. The program is designed to serve 40 students in each of our three neighborhoods: Crown Heights, Brooklyn; Park Hill, Staten Island; and The Rockaways, Queens.

We are selecting these 40 students with assistance from their teachers, guidance counselors, parole officers, and other community “connectors”. Citizens Committee is committed to serving the most vulnerable and “at-risk” students from the community. For this reason, Citizens Committee has prioritized the recruitment of students who are not already participating in after-school programs or services.

Citizens Committee will connect these students with adult community leaders and involve them in community-improvement projects. This will help the community see them (and the students to see themselves) as an asset rather than a problem. The 44-week program includes:

•    Weekly workshops and life-skills training with Citizens Committee staff, on topics such as goal setting, money management, community mapping, academic exploration, self-presentation and personal hygiene, computer training, conflict resolution, job preparedness, and public speaking.

•    An internship with a community development organization. In order to facilitate the best experience possible for participants and organizations, Citizens Committee provides youth development training to the host organization, as well as a small grant to cover the expenses of hosting the interns.

•    A $1,500 scholarship for all students, given in increments throughout the program year. This not only provides an incentive to complete the program, but also shows the students that we value their participation, and understand that they have expenses and needs on a daily basis.

Throughout this process, our Outcomes Manager works with a consultant from John Jay to document and evaluate the program’s strengths and weaknesses, and make changes as necessary.

Citizens Committee will provide opportunities to maintain long-term relationships with all graduates. The mentoring relationships set up in the beginning of the program are encouraged to continue and given support from Citizens Committee staff. In addition, we invite graduates to continue to work for community improvement with help from our network, apply for grants and attend workshops offered by Citizens Committee, assist with future recruitment efforts, and eventually become mentors to the next generation of students.

Click here for a description of our Unity Market Project in Staten Island. (pdf)
Click here for an update of our Youth and Community Organizing Program. (pdf)