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Contact Us
Camp Sunrise
YouthLEAD
Young Women's Mentoring
Program
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2007
Annual Report to the Community
2004
Annual Report
Awards & Recognition
Other Links of Interest
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About YouthCARE
Mission
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YouthCARE's
mission is to promote respect
for self and others, develop future leaders,
and provide youth with positive multicultural activities
and relationships with caring adults.
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History
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YouthCARE (Youth
for Cultural Appreciation & Racial Equality)
is a Twin Cities based nonprofit organization with a successful
thirty year history of directing leadership development, multi-cultural,
and educational programs and services for urban youth, 7-18
years old.
All YouthCARE programs:
- Helping youth develop the skills necessary
to live and work in a multicultural community.
- Encouraging understanding, respect,
and appreciation for self and others.
- Helping youth make a successful transition
from adolescence to adulthood.
- Providing opportunities for disadvantaged
youth and youth of color to gain leadership skills.
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YouthCARE was started
in 1974 as the Wilderness Work Camp, a summer work and camp
program for youth involved in the Twin Cities summer youth employment
programs. In 1977, the name was changed to Camp Sunrise and
we initiated the YouthLEAD program to meet the school-year needs
of the youth involved in the summer program. In 1990, the Young
Women's Mentoring Program was established to provide opportunities
for young women to gain meaningful employment experience and
develop their leadership skills as they mentored younger girls.
In 1993, the organization's name was changed from Camp Sunrise
to YouthCARE in order to more accurately reflect the organization's
commitment to cultural appreciation and racial equality.
Over the last 34 years,
YouthCARE has developed and maintained a strong emphasis on
bringing together youth from diverse ethnic, cultural and racial
backgrounds. YouthCARE believes very strongly in the importance
of helping youth learn how to live and work together cooperatively,
the need to appreciate cultural differences, and the richness
gained in making multicultural friendships.
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Strategies
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YouthCARE programs address
the underlying causes of social problems such as the lack of
positive out-of-school time activities for youth, the need to
bridge racial and cultural gaps, the need to overcome gender
barriers and the need youth have for consistent relationships
with caring adults.
In addition to providing
the guidance and support that many youth need and want, YouthCARE
programs offer much more. YouthCARE programs are structured
to provide youth with meaningful employment experiences - Junior
Counselors and Counselors in Training at Camp Sunrise, Youth
Mentors in the Young Womens Mentoring Program, and Community
Service Stars in the YouthLEAD Program. Youth are provided opportunities
to develop their leadership potential and encouraged
to serve as role models in their communities.
In addition, youth participants are given the opportunity to
cultivate these leadership skills with experiential skill enrichment
opportunities-- YouthCARE believes that we learn by doing. Youth
learn how to manage program and personal finances, develop public
speaking skills, and how to plan, implement and evaluate program
activities. In addition, they become certified in First Aid/CPR,
develop peaceful conflict resolution skills and much more!
YouthCARE programs bring
together youth from diverse backgrounds in an
environment that supports and encourages positive multicultural
interaction. The forms that these positive interactions may
take are leadership retreats, community service projects, teambuilding
activities, and Youth Advisory Council meetings. Adult staff
and volunteers, also from diverse backgrounds, serve as role
models to exemplify cooperative multicultural relationships
for youth. As a result of participation in YouthCARE programs,
teens form cross cultural relationships and friendships while
developing the skills necessary to live and work in our multicultural
society.
Through participation
in employment, training, educational, and recreational activities,
youth experience positive alternatives to negative or unhealthy
lifestyles. The Young Womens Mentoring Program provides
opportunities for pre-adolescent girls to see young women of
color, who live in their community,
in leadership positions. Through weekly Girls Group activities,
girls are able to participate in non-competitive physical activities
and creative art projects that help them gain confidence in
their bodies and abilities. The Young Womens Mentoring
Program empowers young women and girls.
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Primary
Goals
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The primary goals of
YouthCAREs programs are to:
- Bring together youth from diverse
backgrounds and cultures to foster greater cultural awareness,
understanding and appreciation.
- Provide opportunities for youth to
participate in after school, weekend and summer activities
that are positive, affordable and promote multicultural interaction
in a safe, supportive and fun environment.
- Employ youth in meaningful positions
and provide educational and career exploration.
- Provide opportunities for youth to
develop leadership skills.
- Provide youth with relationships with
caring adults.
- Develop awareness and appreciation
in urban youth for the natural environmental.
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Target Population
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YouthCARE programs and
services target Minneapolis and St. Paul youth, 13-18 years
old, who face social and economic barriers. In addition, the
Young Women's Mentoring Program reaches girls 7-13 years old.
Approximately 65% of the youth involved are 13-18 years old
and 35% are 7-12 years old. YouthCARE programs serve a diverse
youth population:
- African American 34%
- Asian American 21%
- Native American 15%
- European American 12%
- Chicano/Latino 4%
- African 3%
- Other 1%
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