YCS Peer Leadership

YCS Youth Connect is made up of interconnected programs where youth lead service learning projects after school and on their school campuses to address critical issues in our community. Peer Leaders, Advocates, and YCS Corps allow students to find service projects that best fit their interests.

Youth Connect elevates youth voice and promotes leadership and advocacy skills in youth. YCS provides Youth Connect students with resources and guidance in planning and carrying out various youth-led service projects.

Peer Leaders

Youth Connect Peer Leaders can choose from five different content tracks. In each track, Peer Leaders create their own service projects from the ground up based on the theme of their track. The tracks are Save: Suicide Prevention; Heart: Racial Equality; Sprout: Environmental Sustainability; Rise: Public Health; Hear the Queer: LGBTQ+ Advocacy. Weekly meetings allow Peer Leaders the time to build community, engage in leadership training, and create service projects and community events.

Advocates

The Youth Connect Advocates will have the flexibility to select from a range of engagement options. They will actively contribute by participating in monthly meetings with Peer Leaders and offering assistance to their projects through on-campus activities. Additionally, Advocates will have the opportunity to initiate and lead their own service projects, concentrating on enhancing the well-being of their school communities. Advocates will also participate in YCS Workshops facilitating information about suicide prevention, substance use prevention, and life skills.

YCS Corps

Youth who are interested in engaging with the community through a wide-ranging variety of existing service opportunities. Students in the YCS Corps provide support for one-time opportunities such as making sandbags to prevent potential flooding, community park clean-ups, or helping kids do crafts at an event. This option is ideal for students who want to be involved but can’t commit to weekly meetings.

All youth participants are eligible to earn YCS leadership awards! Youth Connect Peer Leaders are eligible for the YCS Service Leadership Award and Youth Connect Advocates and YCS Corps members are eligible for the YCS Community Leadership Award. Qualifying students may also apply for a scholarship. Read more about these offerings on our awards page.

If you are an adult interested in supporting this program, check out our Mentor page to learn more!

Email ycpeerleaders@youthcommunityservice.org with questions.

Peer Leader Spotlight

Nishi Goyal

Nishi (Gunn, '24) ha formado parte del programa Peer Leadership de la JEC desde 10º curso y este año estará en el programa SAVE. El verano pasado, Nishi trabajó como pasante de Youth Connect, lo que le valió el premio President Volunteer Service Award y el premio YCS Leadership Award.

"Antes de unirme al programa, me sentía desconectada de mis compañeros. Desde que me uní a la JEC, he conocido a mucha gente increíble. Siento que los miembros del personal realmente se preocupan por mí y aprecio lo bien que conectan con los jóvenes. Todos los jóvenes con los que he trabajado son únicos, pero a todos nos apasionan cosas similares, así que ha sido genial conocerlos a todos. Como parte de ser un líder de pares, he organizado un evento Gunn Paly Gameday. También participé en dos pasantías el verano pasado, donde ayudé a diseñar presentaciones de talleres de Concientización sobre el Abuso de Sustancias, organicé un taller de Llamado a la Acción y asesoré sobre mejoras para los programas. En general, la JEC se ha convertido en una comunidad que valoro profundamente y de la que estoy orgullosa de formar parte".

Historia

La versión actual de Youth Connect reúne todos los programas de YCS Peer Leader bajo un mismo paraguas para que los jóvenes tengan la oportunidad de aprender unos de otros, colaborar y crecer. Youth Connect hoy se basa en los muchos éxitos a lo largo de los años por los líderes estudiantiles en Comisión LEARN (¡Liderando el Antirracismo Ahora!), Umoja Health Peer Leaderse Iniciativa de Conexión Juvenil (YCI).

Conozca más sobre la historia de los programas de Líderes Pares de la JEC y vea los numerosos proyectos, videos y premios obtenidos a través de estos programas pioneros.

YCS Peer Leadership

Peer Leader Spotlight

Historia

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