Goals & Strategies
Y.O.U.’s Big Goal
Y.O.U. closes the opportunity gap by preparing youth for post-secondary and life success.
How do we reach this goal?
We utilize three strategies to close the opportunity gap and prepare youth for post-secondary and life success.
- ADVANCE youth success through our Out-of-School Time Program
- BUILD youth resilience through our Clinical Counseling and Outreach
- CATALYZE parent networks through Family Engagement Programming
Across all these strategies, we seek to build deep, caring relationships with youth, their families, and the community institutions around them.
Strategy #1
Advance youth success
Through our Out-of-School Time (OST) Program, we provide free, high-quality learning, social-emotional enrichment, and trauma-informed support services for 1,600 youth each year across 11 schools in Evanston and Niles Townships.
Our OST Program offers a “high expectations, high support” pathway to post-secondary and life success. Our model helps youth to grow in four areas: skills and knowledge, self-regulation, mindsets, and values.
Strategy #2
Build youth resilience
Our Clinical and Outreach Team provides mental health counseling, case management, and 24-7 crisis intervention to support the resilience of our youth.
We integrate group therapies and counseling services directly into our Out-of-School Time Program to support the emotional health and wellness of our youth and families. We also link disconnected youth to shelter, job readiness, family support, and educational resources.
Strategy #3
Catalyze parent networks
Through monthly family nights, leadership development opportunities, and caregiver support groups, we engage parents as advocates and leaders in our programs.
Our family engagement services promote the development of strong parent networks; help caregivers support their children's healthy development; and ensure families' successful connection to their schools and community.