What is YAR Promote the Peace?

What is YAR Promote the Peace?

YAR Promote the Peace engages youth in identifying and acting on ways to improve the public safety, security and cooperative spirit of their communities. It is a locally-based program that provides small grants to young people to design and carry out projects to meet their community’s needs. With support and funding from local businesses, foundations, and social service agencies, a local board of youth and adults solicits, reviews, and funds proposals written by young people.

Who Benefits from YAR Promote the Peace?

Adults…
The Youth as Resources model has transformed the way scores of adults view young people. Instead of seeing youth as a problem, adults now see that young people can be a positive force for community improvement.

Young People Themselves…
Working successfully with all kinds of people, managing money, adhering to a schedule, and finding resources are just a few of the skills young people gain through YAR Promote the Peace. Perhaps the greatest benefit of all to young people, though, is the sense of self-worth that comes from a job well done and the feeling that one has truly helped others.

The Entire Community…
Everyone in the community benefits from YAR Promote the Peace. From physical improvements such as a face-lift for a neighborhood park to workshops such as crime prevention and conflict resolution, YAR Promote the Peace projects are designed by youth to meet pressing needs in their schools and community. When young people take leadership roles in solving local problems, valuable work gets done.

What is YAR Promote the Peace doing in Bridgeport?

YAR Promote the Peace has two project sites in Bridgeport: Columbus School and Curiale School. Students at these schools, working in partnership with teachers and adults from the neighborhoods, are working to prevent crime and improve their school communities.