Building A Better Youth (B.A.B.Y.) Program Objectives

Youth are engaged in leadership roles in the design and some implementation of youth programming as well as the design of teen facilities:

B.A.B.Y. participants gather input from community teens regarding their wants, needs, strengths, weaknesses, barriers to participation, civic concerns, etc. to be used to enhance North Light's programming for youth. B.A.B.Y. participants train to conduct a 1::1 and/or small group listening campaign (community organizing technique) with a minimum goal of 50 cumulative respondents, orally report to the group, list findings and establish priorities based on repeated responses.

B.A.B.Y. members collaborate with North Light staff and board regarding youth programming:

B.A.B.Y. participants attend meetings regularly with the Teen Coordinator and/or other North Light staff in attendance to report on their survey findings and to provide updates on YAC progress and or needs.
A B.A.B.Y. liaison attends board meetings on a regular basis to report on their findings and to provide input on youth programming development.

Youth have opportunities for youth civic engagement:

B.A.B.Y. participants coordinate 2-3 community service activities over the course of the year based on the feedback received from listening campaign and surveying of their peers.
B.A.B.Y. participants attend monthly workshops in which speakers present on various topics based on their stated interests.
B.A.B.Y. participants help to select the theme, research, plan and implement a portion of the curriculum for younger children in North Light Community Center's Summer Day Camp Program as part of their Jr. Counselor work experience.

Youth are empowered to create their own opportunities:

The intake process for B.A.B.Y. participants includes an application in which each youth identifies his/her strengths/assets along with his/her weakness/needs. Participants work with the Teen Coordinator to create Individual Improvement Plans which will include personal goals pertaining to academic and social skills. The Teen Coordinator provides supports to assist teens to be successful. Awarding of incentives (including student stipends) is based in part on students' achievements of their goals.
B.A.B.Y. participants work with the Teen Coordinator and appropriate staff to integrate their survey findings into North Light's programming for teens, including making decisions re resource development and allocation.