August 2014
Opening Doors for Young Leaders
2014 has been a busy year for the Voices of Youth program, which seeks to cultivate young leaders and foster youth-led social change. We’re excited to share our progress with you!
Currently, 50 young people are participating in weekly Voices of Youth meetings. |
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| Setting Goals with Voices of Youth |
Voices of Youth looks to the future: Vocation and College Readiness
In April, Building Dignity launched a new curriculum on vocation and college readiness for Voices of Youth participants.
The new curriculum helps young people to:
- Set goals for their future
- Identify areas of interest for future study and work
- Learn about post-secondary educational opportunities
- Prepare for the admissions process
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| Leadership Retreat 2014 |
2014 Youth Leadership Retreat
In May, we hosted our second annual Youth Leadership Retreat for 41 young people ages 11 to 20 years—nearly doubling participation from last year’s retreat.
We were particularly excited to welcome the Voices of Youth participants from the community of Oasis where Building Dignity began work last year.
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| Leadership Retreat 2014 |
| In their words
“I liked the retreat because it allowed me to escape the ordinary, see a new perspective, and learn how to be a leader. We learned how to encourage others and help them see their potential. We learned that a leader is someone who helps others be leaders, too.”
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| Voices of Youth service project |
Youth leaders serve the community
Young leaders came back to Lima ready to put their ideas into action! During the month of July, Voices of Youth groups planned two days of service with the elderly in their community.
In collaboration with Los Martincitos care center, these young leaders prepared meals, performed plays, and organized games for more than 100 senior citizens. We are inspired by their dedication to their community!
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| Claudia presents Building Dignity |
Voices of Youth speak up!
From August 5-8, a delegation of Voices of Youth participants traveled to the city of Trujillo, Peru to represent Building Dignity in an international conference of non-profits, organized by the Omprakash Foundation.
Throughout the week, Brenda (20), Bryan (19), Christian (19), Claudia (19), and Karla (17) presented Building Dignity’s educational and youth leadership programs. As Building Dignity ambassadors, they sharpened their public speaking skills, learned how to network and collaborate with other organizations, and discussed best practices in youth development.
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| Voices of Youth conference delegation |
Reflections from our youth ambassadors:
“The conference presentations and workshops topics were very interesting and offered us many suggestions for improving our own work. Each conversation was enriching for us and exposed us to a new way of thinking and working.”
“We heard different opinions and debates among the participants, which was important for us. It helped us see different strategies and approaches that we can implement in our organization and in our community.”
“We are so grateful for the invitation to participate! It served as a great learning opportunity.”
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| Voices of Youth Impact Study Results |
Our Impact
Building Dignity tracks participants on a number of indicators, including self-esteem, teamwork, leadership, and goal-setting.
Survey research conducted every 6 months demonstrates a steady increase in all indicators over time. This graph shows results thus far in 2014 with respect to self-esteem, ability to work successfully in a group, and demonstration of leadership skills.
After 6 months in Voices of Youth, participants demonstrate a considerable improvement in all three categories!
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| ¡Muchas Gracias! |
Thanks to our donors!
We are grateful to all our friends and donors who support this work. A special thanks to supporters who joined us for recent fundraising events in Minneapolis and Eden Prairie, MN and Washington, DC. Our budget is growing quickly (up 29% from last year), and each new donation helps us welcome more children, youth and adults into our programs.
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