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YouthLaunch
7756 Northcross Drive, Suite 203
Austin, Texas
78757
YouthLaunch envisions a world in which all young people are healthy and resilient and have the opportunity to develop the knowledge and skills to make meaningful contributions to society. Our mission is to provide empowering service experiences for young people. YouthLaunch achieves this through innovative programs that combine best practices of positive youth development with transformative powers of service. The primary clients of YouthLaunch are young people ages 12-24 engaged in service, who gain the knowledge, skills, and confidence to make a difference in their communities now and in the future.
Each YouthLaunch program has a unique impact and was designed to meet previously unmet community needs. The breadth of opportunities created by YouthLaunch programs supports the idea that it is empowering service that makes the difference in youth development. Current programs include:
(1) No Kidding: Straight Talk from Teen Parents: - Teen parents are engaged as peer educators who inform Austin area middle and high school students about the rights, realities and responsibilities of teen parenting. The goal of the program is to encourage young people to delay parenting until they are emotionally and financially prepared for the responsibility.
(2) Urban Roots - YouthLaunch's newest program, Urban Roots empowers under-served youth to grow food and nourish the community, challenging young people to think about the food they eat, the environment they live in, and hunger in their communities. Young people cultivate a 1-acre, diversified organic farm, selling a portion of their harvest in the Austin area and donating a portion to local hunger relief programs.
(3) Youth Partnership for Change - A prevention education program, Youth Partnership for Change works to raise awareness of the effects of alcohol on the developing brain. Trained high school leaders engage other students in an innovative and interactive course about adolescent brain development.
(4) YouthLaunch Scholarship for Outstanding Service - Designed to highlight the transformative power of service, each year this program provides college scholarships to three students who have worked to improve their communities and can speak firsthand about the positive transformation that occurs when young people commit themselves to service. [website...]