YOUTH VOICES AND VISION
A program of Young Women of Promise, Inc.
Photo by Paul Williams III
YWOP Graduates Young Leaders
Youth Voices and Vision is a leadership development initiative for minority youth and is a program of Young Women of Promise, Inc. YVAV was designed to provide leadership workshops on Team Building, Conflict Resolution, Leadership Development, Community Service, the Media, Public Speaking, and Photography, and a Youth Town Hall Meeting during the months of March-June, 2006. There were 35 students who enrolled in the spring class which we held in Kannapolis, North Carolina.
The youth had the opportunity to meet various leaders in the community. They also had the opportunity to learn about ways that youth can make a difference in their communities.
Youth Voices and Vision sponsored a Youth Town Hall meeting on Saturday, April 22, 2006 at the NC Cooperative Extension Office located at 715 Cabarrus Avenue West in Concord. This youth-led project gave youth from Cabarrus, Rowan and Mecklenburg County an opportunity to speak with elected officials and leaders in the Cabarrus County community as part of their National Youth Service Day activities. In addition to the Youth Town Hall Meeting the youth enjoyed lunch with the community leaders and prepared gift baskets, bags and cards for patients of Sisters in Partnership, a local breast health awareness program.
In her application for the program, YVAV participant Ashley Lanier shared her thoughts on the importance of youth leadership. She wrote, "Don’t think that you’re too young to be a leader because you are a kid. Kids make some of the largest impacts on our world today. Leaders change the world."
Dillon Robinson shared, "I believe that youth leadership development is important because the youth of today are the future of our nation. Without youth being leaders today our country will fall apart later on. It is also important for youth to take part in what our communities are doing day by day so they can use those life experiences later on for something they might like to do. We need older people to lead us as well and to help us to become successful as we become older."
The youth participated in a graduation and student celebration at Johnson C. Smith University in Charlotte on June 17.
Initial funding for Youth Voices and Vision was provided by the North Carolina Civic Education Consortium.
Youth Voices and Vision Newsletter (2007)
July 2006 Young Women's Report
Young Women of Promise, Inc.
Youth Voices and Vision Project
Theresa Williams Bethea, President/Founder
P.O. Box 5433
Charlotte, North Carolina 28299
704/877-9387
email: ywopromise@yahoo.com