On Wednesday, October 16th, 48 YPC (Youth Policy Council) leaders and staff representing nine different YouthBuild programs came together for a one day leadership retreat at TreePeople in Beverly Hills. The purpose of the retreat was to connect with the youth leadership in the YouthBuild movement. The day consisted of an icebreaker, nature walk led by TreePeople eco-educators, workshops on leadership and policy advocacy, lunch, and a closing appreciation circle. Throughout the day, participants were able to identify program and community strengths and needs, and collaborate with one another regarding next steps towards improvement not only for their program but their community.
Youth Policy Councils have been a key part of the YouthBuild program model since the beginning. In the 1970s, when Dorothy Stoneman started the YouthBuild movement at the Youth Action Program in East Harlem, it was the young people in the policy council there who decided that the creation and renovation of community assets could be the catalyst for young people across the nation to better themselves and their communities. Respecting young people and their opinions (and creating avenues to allow for them to express these feelings) is what separates YouthBuild from similar youth programs. YouthBuild Charter School of California respects the power of young people to transform themselves and become leaders in their communities, and YPCs are just one way for our students to do that.
YPCs can help with all sorts of things at the YouthBuild program, such as identifying and addressing program issues and areas of improvement, helping out with new staff hiring/interviews, surveying students, leading trainings, facilitating team conversations, recruiting volunteers, identifying service projects, planning special events and field trips, and doing advocacy work on a local, state and national level.
The feedback survey collected from our YPC Retreat showed that 81.8% of attendees strongly agreed that the materials, lunch, and space for the retreat met or exceeded their expectations. In addition, 90.9% of attendees agreed or strongly agreed that they would recommend other YouthBuild participants attend a similar leadership retreat in the future. Future retreats are currently in the works, and are scheduled for January and March/April 2025.
Thank you to attendees from East LA, Ontario, Compton, Canoga Park, El Monte, Azusa, Lennox, and Riverside for your investment in Youth Policy Council efforts. Special thank you to TreePeople for hosting our retreat, and Youthbuild Collaborative of Southern California for sponsoring our youth leadership development efforts. Check out photos from the retreat below.
