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Community Change for Youth Development in Kansas City

NCJ Number
192695
Author(s)
Tracey Hartmann; Bernardine H. Watson; Brian Kantorek
Date Published
October 2001
Length
24 pages
Annotation
This booklet describes and assesses Kansas City's (Missouri) demonstration project, Community Change for Youth Development (CCYD), which aims to increase basic developmental supports and opportunities available for youth aged 12 to 20.
Abstract
Kansas City is one of six sites in a national demonstration project. CCYD has been operating in Kansas City since the mid-1990's. The demonstration focuses on five basic elements: adult support and guidance; opportunities for involvement in decision-making; support through critical transitions; opportunities for using work as a developmental tool; and the provision of positive activities after school, in the evenings, on weekends, and during the summer. Implementing youth programs in these five key developmental areas is the responsibility of a local lead agency that works in cooperation with local residents and service providers. The lead agency in Kansas City is the YMCA of Greater Kansas City, a traditional youth-serving organization that is part of a national network. The benefits of working with the YMCA and the challenges faced by the organization in leading a community-based initiative in three urban neighborhoods are the focus of this report. The challenges faced by the YMCA in implementing CCYD were twofold: the implementation of work as a developmental tool and the involvement of adults in the management and other aspects of CCYD programming. The YMCA has demonstrated that with commitment and the right kind of technical assistance, a traditional youth-serving agency can successfully lead a youth-focused, community-change effort that involves local citizens in oversight and in shaping program offerings. CCYD has become a central element in the YMCA's youth development programming approach, and as the initiative enters its sixth year, its prospects for sustainability look promising. 6 notes and 5 references