a year-round educational employment program for underserved teenagers
Youth Ambassadors provides trauma-informed programming for Greater Kansas City youth (ages 14-18) through social emotional learning, trauma healing, and anti-violence programming. Our youth receive specialized training in Health & Wellness, Youth Entrepreneurship, Community Development, Life & Job Skills, and Creative Expression. Ambassadors who have mastered social emotional learning curriculum are promoted to participate in paid work on community impact projects and internships. Our Teen Empowerment Project helps youth strengthen existing skills and uncover hidden talents, while unlocking their potential to serve as impactful citizens and future leaders of Greater Kansas City.
Specialty Activities include, expressive art and writing projects, violence prevention workshops (focusing on teen dating violence, restorative justice, conflict resolution and community violence), building employment portfolios, participating in mock job interviews with career professionals, and leading public conversations on major issues impacting our communities.
Examples of community impact projects include maintaining community gardens in food deserts, public art murals, neighborhood clean-ups, leadership on community health initiatives, and revitalizing urban green spaces.
Youth Ambassadors provides strength-based programming during the school year on Saturdays. Our team uses small-sized training groups, with a teen/instructor ratio of 10:1 to facilitate positive and impactful youth/adult mentor relationships.
Summer programming at Youth Ambassadors occurs during the week from Monday – Thursday through a six-to-eight week summer program session. Teens develop and grow their skills through project-based training activities in collaboration with civic leaders and community members throughout Greater Kansas City.
Our work is bolstered by the use of an evidence-based, nationally recognized, social emotional learning curriculum, SPARK™, which is endorsed by the Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning (CASEL). SPARK™ is provided to all youth engaged in YA programming.
Teens participating in our Group Chat programming get support for their emotional wellbeing and mental health. Group Chat curriculum is guided by licensed child clinicians using the evidence-based intervention model Structured Psychotherapy for Adolescents Responding to Chronic Stress (SPARCS) using Mindfulness Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT), an established method of applying mindfulness meditation to stop the cycle of recurring anxiety and depression. Youth can obtain up to six individual therapy sessions as needed or by referral, all free of charge.
Youth Ambassadors, Inc.
3130 Troost Ave, Kansas City, MO 64109 | P.O. Box 22867, Kansas City, MO 64113
Copyright © 2024 Youth Ambassadors, Inc. - All Rights Reserved.
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