Goals and Objectives
The goal of our program is to identify youths who are struggling and offer a positive support system so they can avoid the pitfalls that can derail their lives. The focus is slightly different for each age group, but the goal remains the same; to inspire and educate youth by giving them an opportunity to discover and actualize their highest potential and make positive changes in their life.
AYM forms partnerships with schools, clubs, police departments, and the juvenile court systems. Our focus is on youth who are overcoming stressors in their life such as poverty, abuse, addictions, unstable home life and difficulty in school. In our work with the middle school age youth we focus on early intervention and prevention by providing mentors as developmental role models for young people who are looking for direction. For those who are ages 15-18 our focus is on personal accountability, with a proactive effort to assist the participant in redirecting their life through new positive choices while providing mentors that support them with goal setting, self-discipline and life skills development.
“This
was a great experience. It changed my whole
life. I used to have a lot of anger and sadness inside of me, but
now it is all lifted off my shoulders because of this program.”
Danika
~ age 15
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Meeting the
needs
Teens
long to be understood, and when they are
they
seek to understand
We
live in a stressful world where staying focused,
managing our emotions
and handling our responsibilities
is not always easy. Teens are not
immune to this stress, in
fact they often feel it more than adults. Many
teens want
to
be responsible for their choices and actions, yet simply
do not have the resources (both internal and external) or
tools to support positive decision
making. Often, dreams go unfulfilled due to lack of clarity, vision, or
focus. Actually,
a large majority of teens do not believe their lives
are significant enough to even have a
dream, or for that matter to pursue
a higher education.
There
are a very few programs today that offer teens an opportunity for self
expression and self
discovery. Boot camp or rehab are often used as a last effort for those
who are struggling, and even though these may be positive places for
young adults they often backfire because of the forceful nature through
which they arrived at these destinations.
Teens
need support and tools to discover who
they are. They need people who can see their possibilities, while not
judging them on their past behaviors or mistakes. They need real solutions to real
problems.
