Youth engagement programs are about more than just keeping kids and teens busy! At their core, they’re about providing meaningful support to kids and families. Whether it’s through inspiring a commitment to serve, creating positive role models, or supporting working parents, youth engagement programs are a powerful resource that can transform communities.
Interested in learning more? Read on to find out how youth engagement programs help build stronger communities!
Promoting Civic Responsibility
Youth engagement programs are a great way to empower kids to solve problems and use their voices, all in a safe environment where they feel comfortable practicing and growing. For example, during our Clayton before and after-school programs, we begin our hands-on curriculum by asking our students what they want to learn that day. By giving our kids a sense of ownership and influence over the way they spend their time, they become more comfortable speaking up and participating in the community.
Similarly, Clayton Kids are encouraged to share their perspectives during activities and to begin working through problems independently, which helps them build critical thinking skills. Over time, they see the direct results of their thinking and their efforts. All of this helps them build a foundation of confidence in who they are and how they can contribute to the world around them, giving them the tools they need to become leaders in their community and take action.
Additionally, youth engagement programs can help children learn more about the world around them, giving them a deeper sense of awareness of how they want to make a difference in the world. This helps motivate them to become active in their community and advocate for civic causes they care about. All of this directly benefits communities because young people often are the ones with the energy, passion, and drive to effect change, and when they feel confident using their voices, they can solve local challenges with fresh perspectives and innovation!
Inspiring Commitment to Service
Community service and outreach are often a central component of what kids and teens are taught in youth engagement programs. For example, Clayton offers a teen leadership camp that encourages young adults ages 13-15 to engage in hands-on community service projects. During the camp, teens work together to help others in need in their community while also learning from inspiring speakers and mentors. For many young people, these community service activities are their first experiences in service work, and it can inspire them to continue to help others throughout their lives.
Youth engagement programs also often teach pro-social behaviors and relationship-building skills. For example, at Clayton, a big part of our curriculum involves collaborative activities, where kids participate in sharing exercises, discussions, and hands-on projects in groups. This helps them learn how to listen to others, successfully resolve conflict, and understand how to work with others who are different from them.
All of this helps youth to strengthen their sense of empathy and care about the challenges the people around them are facing. Expanding their social horizons and connecting with others can motivate them to be of service in their community and be forces of good: whether that’s volunteering at a food bank, cleaning up their neighborhood, or running a donation drive!
Creating Positive Role Models
With all the other pillars of community-building as a foundation, children in youth engagement programs are primed to be thoughtful leaders and positive role models. Everything we do has a ripple effect and can truly move the people around us: by promoting civic change, participating in community service work, and building positive connections throughout their communities, the activities that children in youth engagement programs participate in are sure to inspire their peers and loved ones.
Additionally, youth engagement programs often teach kids essential life skills that help them be positive role models for their peers. For example, through Clayton’s curriculum, youth learn five key C.L.I.M.B tools:
- Consideration: for understanding others, treating everyone with respect, demonstrating empathy, and observing social cues and cultural norms
- Leadership: for problem-solving, critical thinking, communication, and ethical decision-making
- Independence: for controlling emotions, determining goals, and practicing self-regulation
- Mindfulness: for identifying strengths, accepting weaknesses, assessing emotional responses, and self-assurance
- Building Relationships: for effectively communicating, sharing goals, understanding differences, and collaborating
Whether it’s using their independence to determine what their personal values are, coping skills to confidently work through problems, or relationship skills to communicate respectfully, kids and teens will bring these skill sets into their everyday lives. All of this helps them to model healthy behaviors and mindsets for their peers and create more grounded, positive communities!
Supporting Working Parents
Many times, these programs are designed specifically to support the needs of working parents. At Clayton, for example, we try to maximize the convenience of our before and after-school programs by hosting them on school campuses, so parents don’t have to worry about traveling to other locations. Youth engagement programs like Clayton’s give parents the opportunities they need to work and fulfill their other commitments out of the home.
Undoubtedly, working parents experience many stressors. According to a study by KPMG, 53% of working parents struggle with ongoing childcare arrangements, while 49% do not have onsite or back-up childcare options at their workplace. Trying to juggle busy work schedules and daily commitments with childcare can cause significant stress within families. Youth engagement programs help ease this burden by providing a safe, stable environment for children to go to before school, after school, in the summer, and during holidays.
This is especially important for families with lower household incomes. That’s why at Clayton, we offer a scholarship program that provides discounts from 20% to 40% for qualifying families. In fact, with the generosity of grantors, local corporations, individuals, and others, Clayton was able to provide more than $500,000 in financial aid to help families in Tarrant County send their children to our programs last year. This is an essential resource for communities, helping to ensure the families who need it most are able to get relief and support their loved ones!
Providing Safety and Belonging
It’s critical that children and teens have somewhere to go where they have a sense of consistency and belonging. Youth engagement programs can help youth feel secure, stable, and accepted, which in turn can help keep them from turning to unhealthy distractions, such as excessive online time. It can also help keep them from being drawn into unsafe behaviors, which they are more likely to engage in if they don’t have a feeling of security. Being in a caring environment with engaging activities helps kids and teens find healthy outlets and keeps communities safe.
Youth engagement programs can also offer additional resources to help serve the needs of children and families. For example, at Clayton, we have a community center in Meadowbrook that acts as a hub for safe gatherings and supportive services. This includes:
- Weekly food pantry events
- Immunization clinics
- CPR clinics
- Adult education and job search assistance
Additionally, youth engagement programs help kids and teens connect socially and emotionally with both their peers and trusted adults, safeguarding them against feelings of isolation. Importantly, this type of social engagement is known to promote good mental health and well-being. It also helps children to see what positive relationships, meaningful connections, and supportive communities feel like, enabling them to make healthy and safe choices in the future. The sense of belonging, safety, and connection that youth experience in these programs is often reflected right back into the community!
Get Started with Youth Engagement
At Clayton, we believe in creating meaningful youth engagement programs that prepare children to live great lives. We offer before and after-school programs, full-day camps for school holidays, summer camps, and child development center programs across Tarrant County. We partner with school districts and communities to offer several options for working families in need of care for their children.
If you’re interested in signing up your child for youth engagement that will help them thrive and build a better community, make sure to check out our programs today!