Transitional Youth Mobilizing for Change

Our mission is to empower transition-age youth 16-24 years of age to build skills, achieve their potential, and become agents of change in their communities through learning, research, and action. By participating in youth-driven research and service learning projects focused on education, advocacy, and community development, TYM4Change empowers youth people to (1) learn about their community's needs, (2) identify and research ways to meet them, and (3) take action--all while building vital leadership, research, and social-emotional skills. \n\nResearch demonstrates that when youth are empowered to use their voice to benefit themselves and others in a safe and structured way surrounded by supportive relationships, positive social norms and opportunities to belong and build skills (Eccles & Gootman, 2002), they are much more likely to positively develop into competent, confident, caring and highly-contributing individuals (Lerner et al., 2005). By gaining important knowledge about mental health needs and other services in their community and supporting stigma-reduction efforts, youth can build their own resiliency (CA Department of Public Health (CDPH), 2015)—their ability to cope effectively with adversity and adapt to challenges—while contributing to community-wide education, awareness-building and increase Kern County’s community resiliency as a whole. Unemployment, underemployment, low-income, food insecurity, homelessness, low access to services for substance abuse and mental illness, poor access to health care for low-income families and discrimination are all examples of chronic problems that can dangerously compromise the health, wellbeing and resilience of communities. Kern County residents suffer from many of these challenges (www.statisticalatlas.com, 2018) and they bring a slew of additional health and mental-health related problems that can negatively impact communities. Being a minority, lower-income, and/or with limited English can all contribute to individuals having reduced access to high quality health and mental health care; all significant concerns for Kern County residents (UCLA, 2012). Giving the County’s young people a chance to learn, inform and contribute to raising awareness, reducing stigma, and increasing access to health care will not only contribute to strengthening their own resilience, but will also contribute to Kern County’s development of community resilience, by facilitating an inquisitive and transparent community environment that takes “intentional action to enhance the personal and collective capacity of its citizens and institutions to respond to and influence the course of social and economic change” (SAMHSA, 2012). Kern County’s youth need the empowerment and skill-building opportunities that TYM4Change will provide them, and Kern County needs its youth’s creative, inquisitive and freshly energetic approach to building awareness, support and overall resiliency of the community.

TYM4Change recruits youth from throughout the county, with a particular focus on outreach to emancipated foster youth, veterans, first-generation immigrants, youth with a history of homelessness, and youth from families in which incarceration has been a factor. Youth are given a monthly stipend ranging from $100 to $300, depending on their level of engagement and participation (a minimum of two hours a week or eight hours per month). Youth Participatory Action Research is an evidence-based practice in which young community stakeholders join together to develop knowledge for action and change. The great value of the PAR approach is that direct stakeholder involvement results in youth developing professional skills that build their self-confidence and enhance their ability to compete for and obtain sustainable employment, while at the same time promoting positive, community-wide change in areas like mental health stigma reduction or reduction of health disparities. Youth go through a formal application and interview process before engaging in the following program activities: \n\n(1) Orientation & Ongoing Training. Youth receive training in critical thinking, leadership, cultural competence, ethics, and social-emotional skills through activities and reflection. Youth learn how to film mini-documentaries about their work, including how to write scripts, narrate, and edit. They learn public speaking.\n\n(2) Data-Collection, Analysis & Interpretation. With guidance, youth develop a research methodology and data collection instruments, and carry out data collection activities that can include transcription, data entry, and analysis. \n\n(3) Developing an Implementing Data-informed Strategies. Youth learn how to tell the stories of their research to and advocate on behalf of community stakeholders. This can include creating PSAs, social-media campaigns, and meetings with local officials, policy makers, service providers, and residents.\n\nAll of this can be encapsulated in a four-part process: (1) training and team-building; (2) research and discovery; (3) analyzing and presenting; and (4) strategizing, networking, and advocating. \n\nYouth are encouraged to communicate regularly with their teams and their adult mentors, and every effort is made to reduce barriers to their participation. We provide transportation, referral to housing, and other paraprofessional case management services, as needed, and we periodically provide youth the opportunity to take "field trips" to colleges and universities, to participate in conferences that teach writing and public speaking, and to research possible areas of future employment. All of this is provided over and above the direct project-based experience they can as the core aspect of the program. Youth are eligible to participate for three years or until they age out of the program, but are allowed to continue to participate as peer leaders and volunteers indefinitely.

TYM4Change was founded by two social science researchers with a background in youth participatory action research (PAR). Dr. Dixie King is a cultural anthropologist who has worked as a community-based researcher, program evaluator, speaker, trainer, and youth advocate in educational, criminal justice, and health settings for nearly 30 years. Dr. Lisa Elliott is a sociologist and applied statistician who is actively engaged in philanthropic work and has overseen the training of youth researchers and the collection and analysis of quantitative data for PAR projects. Dr. King is currently the Executive Director of TYM4Change, while Dr. Elliott serves on the Board, along with Karine Kanikkeberg, who manages education and workforce development projects for the largest high school district in the State of California; Kelly Bernard, a youth development specialist and a career coach at Northern Arizona University with an emphasis in social-emotional learning; Charlie McCarthy, a CPA with a passion for youth; Jeff Coomber, a Program Coordinator with twenty years' experience running AmeriCorps projects; and Tabatha Mills, a reporter with a local television station; with Our Advisory Committee includes two media arts teachers, one of whom is a journalist for a local television station; a youth organizer; and seven youth between 16 and 21 years of age who participate in developing our messaging and social media, and who volunteer with us in carrying out projects. Currently, we have one part-time paid coordinator, and all other activities are directed and carried out by the Board, advisory committee, and volunteers. Although the organization is currently in its first year, nearly all the Board members and adult Advisory Committee members have long-term, in-depth experience in providing youth with skills-building opportunities similar to those offer in TYM4Change. What makes us unique is the focus on project-based learning that teaches young people public engagement, citizenship, and service over a long period of time. The relationships we develop with our youth provide significant mentoring in academic and job-related areas, and another level of personal support for youth who already have weathered significant life experiences.

Because we are a start-up, our accomplishments to date are limited. Nevertheless, in an eight-month period, we established our Board and advisory committee, obtained our 501(c)(3) status, and successfully sought and obtained two years' funding through The California Endowment. We have hired a part-time coordinator, and have begun recruiting youth. We have also established a partnership with the Kern County Museum, and will be working on a history project that will benefit renovation of historic buildings and the establishment of a permanent Native American exhibit. Youth will begin training in April, with a field start date of June 1, 2019.