Today, YAP leaders Shaena Fazal and Ed DeJesus are presenting YAP's model at a Washington, D.C. conference open to the public, organized by the World Bank.  To join the webex or audio conference, see the login information below.  

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Reintegrating Youth: Lessons from 100 Communities in the U.S.

Thursday, December 3, 2015 || 1:00 - 3:00 pm || Room J 5-050

Lunch will be served

Empowering youth requires providing them with the resources, information, skills and opportunities necessary to structure and transform their lives and livelihoods to engage meaningfully with their communities. Interventions for youth reveal that they can significantly contribute to social cohesion and the social integration of youth from different ethic, regional and rural communities into mainstream social, economic and political life. Youth interventions are often multi-sectoral in nature, ranging from job- and life-skills development to programs improving health and nutrition. Evaluating the impact of these programs is key to producing the knowledge base policymakers and practitioners require to implement the most cost effective and sustainable projects. 

The Youth Advocates Program, Inc. (YAP), which works in partnership with over 13,000 youth and families annually in 18 states and over 100 communities, will present their wrap-around advocacy model and the impact of their outcomes in empowering youth for positive change.  YAP effectively engages and serves youth in high risk, high needs populations achieving reductions in risks and needs, improvements in quality of life, education and social behavior. YAP has a rich history of providing services to the most complex need youth and families, including the most challenging youths in the juvenile justice system who are safely integrated within their community through skill-building and developing positive connections to the community. Connecting youth with meaningful vocational training and employment is crucial to long-term positive outcomes. YAP’s model is designed to achieve positive outcomes for the highest need youth at a national average cost of $75/day, less than one-third the cost of the national daily average to incarcerate youth ($250).

Internationally, YAP works with partners across five continents, including France, Morocco, Australia, Brazil, Sweden, Spain, Bolivia, Argentina, Ireland and Portugal to address their endemic needs, goals and objectives in serving and empowering high risk youth. Through creative and inspirational storytelling mixed with cold hard facts, Edward DeJesus argues that every community has the seeds to set up the structures that make a difference in their youth’s future. And, through his message, audiences learn how to make these seeds grow.

SPEAKERS

Edward DeJesus, National Director of Workforce Development & Policy, Youth Advocate Programs, Inc.

Shaena Fazal, National Policy Director, Youth Advocate Programs, Inc.

DISCUSSANT

Roberta Gatti, Global Lead, Social Protection and Labor (GSPDR)

Joan Serra Hoffman, Senior Social Development Specialist, (GSURR)

Chair

Maninder S. Gill, Director, Urban Rural and Social Development (GSURR)

Join via Audio Connection

Toll #: 1-650-479-3207 (US/Canada)

Access code: 731 113 076