The Youth Action Committee (YAC) is a group of homeless youth ages 16-21, who access services from New Roads, Station 7, or New Roads School. The group consists of 6 youth and are hoping to expand to 8-12 youth in the future. They meet once a month at New Roads School and are served dinner as part of the meeting.
New Roads staff sharing information about Youth Action Committee.
One of the goals of the YAC is to provide feedback in how we serve homeless youth in our Homeless Youth Services at Looking Glass. They will provide input on how the program is running, what changes they would want, and what ideas they have for the community.
The structure of being part of a committee is teaching the youth how to communicate effectively and learn the practices of being in a leadership role. The youth will create a handbook for the committee with a mission statement and goals, and have democratic leadership within the group.
Johnny, the Outreach Coordinator at New Roads has been assisting with the organization of this group. The team will be planning an overnight retreat for the committee to attend and allow for leadership building and exposure to professional conferences.
“I love having the opportunity to help youth feel empowered within our program. It’s important for them to have influence on how we serve them. Often, the conversations revolve around what youth need, but this enables them to have a voice for themselves.” - Johnny Green, Outreach Coordinator