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An official release says that the $600,000 grant, accorded over
three years to US YMCAs will initially educate and train over 450
YMCA teen-related staff, youth volunteers and YMCA community partners
in after school programmes in the use of media and technology to
tackle pressing community concerns. A similar Time Warner grant
is being given to the New York City organisation Girls Inc.
The Time Warner grants will enable YMCA teens to create one-stop
web and video inventories of the resources available in their communities.
The process is called Asset Mapping. Teens will then use their newly
developed media and communication skills to advocate for positive
changes in their communities such as increasing after-school programs,
making libraries and other public institutions more widely available
to teens, and creating open spaces for teen activities.
Over the next three years, the YMCA of the USA will hold nine retreats
for youth-serving programme staff and young volunteers from local
YMCAs. Those teams will then return home and begin, or refine, civic-oriented
volunteer projects involving many more teens at local Ys. Fifteen
of those local projects will be selected for additional funding
from the grant.
The grant funds will allow the YMCA to educate and train at least
450 Y teen-related staff, youth volunteers and community partners
in 21st Century skills like media, technology, video production,
collaboration and critical thinking. The YMCA will also train 45
teens and 15 staff per year in advanced computer communications
and effective writing; facilitate the creation of 15 youth-developed,
advanced web products on critical local issues; and facilitate each
year the training of an additional 45 teenagers using the initial
trainees as instructors.
YMCA of the USA national executive director Kenneth L. Gladish
Ph.D added, "This partnership will enable the YMCAs to put more
dynamic new tools and capabilities into the hands of America's young
people. YMCAs engage more than nine million young members who in
turn can address many of the particular challenges and concerns
of their own communities.
"This process will serve our communities and our nation while
building character and creating a generation of new leaders as well.
We are very grateful to the Time Warner Foundation for their important
contributions."
Time Warner Foundation executive director Michele Sacconaghi said,
"The YMCA has a terrific history of providing learning opportunities
for young people in the out-of-school hours. The programmes we are
sponsoring will extend this rich tradition, giving teens the chance
to learn the skills they need to succeed in a complex world."
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