nationalyouth institute newsletter july 2012 issue 1lbymca.org/cd/sites/ · nationalyouth institute...

NATIONALYOUTH INSTITUTE

NEWSLETTERVOLUME 1

ISSUE 1JULY 2012

LONG BEACH, CA • ANAHEIM, CA • AZUSA, CA • BERKELEY, CA • EAST LA, CA • EAST PALO ALTO, CA • RAPID CITY, SD • SANTA ANA, CA • SAN LUIS OBISPO, CA • SOUTH CENTRAL LA, CA

WWW.LBYMCAYI.ORG • WWW.CHANGEAGENTPRODUCTIONS.ORG • WWW.YMCACAMBODIAPROJECT.ORG

NATIONAL YMCA YOUTH INSTITUTE • 525 EAST 7TH STREET • LONG BEACH, CALIFORNIA 90813 • (562) 624-5474 • (562) 624-5469

CON

TACT

S

• BOB CABEZA, Vice President of Community Development

email [email protected]• LES PETERS, Executive Director of Youth Institute

email [email protected]

• BOBBY KLEIN, Operations Director

email [email protected]• EDDIE GARDINER, College Readiness Director

email [email protected]• RON UNG, Logistics Director


• LEO SALCIDO, Senior Art Director of Change Agent Productions


• BEN CANDEE, Digital Media Artist Change Agent Productions


The 2012 Youth Institute Rep-lication is well underway. As of now we have 13 Youth Institutes operating from throughout California and Rapid City, South Dakota. Over 400 youth are busy final-izing their films and getting ready for their own film festivals to take place in their local communities. But the program will culminate into a National Youth Institute Film Festival and Awards Ceremony on Sunday, August 26th at the Scottish Rite Theater in downtown Long Beach, CA.The youth will be able to showcase their best films and there will be an award for 1st, 2nd and 3rd place for Best Picture in categories for ‘New Class High School’, ‘Alumni High School’ and ‘New Class Mid-dle School’. So Youth Institutes do your best and may the best picture win! More importantly, it has been a great summer

with all of our youth and they have learned so much in the areas of technology access and creating content, research and multi-ple types of software. The skills that they learned will be connected to their every-day lives both at school, home and future work. But their work is only beginning. Now the Graduates or ‘Alumni’ from the 13 Youth Institutes will go out and do service learning both at their high schools, middle schools and the community teach-ing their new skills to younger children, their peers, their families and the greater community. We require every Youth Insti-tute Alumni to teach these skills to at least ten others throughout the year in the Year Round Youth Institutes at their sites. They will do this through Get Connected Fairs, After School Programs and Family Nights. They will also help families and other youth find access to broadband

within their communities and train others on the importance of broadband access in their communities.So in closing, a HUGE Congratulation’s goes out to the NEW CLASS of the 13 Youth Institutes. You are a part of some-thing BIG and EXCITING! And a GREAT BIG THANK YOU to the young Youth Institute Con-sultants who took on a big challenge and ran their Youth Institutes well this sum-mer! You have created new Youth Insti-tutes both in atmosphere, program and MAGIC! Another HUGE THANKS goes to our partner agencies for trusting us and taking a chance on a very new and in-novative approach to Youth Work. You are pioneers!

- Bob CabezaFounder, YMCA Youth Institute

2 • NATIONAL YOUTH INSTITUTE NEWSLETTER

LONG BEACH YOUTH INSTITUTE • LONG BEACH, CA

I came to the Youth Institute when I was a 10th grader in 2007. Back then, it was a lot different. For one thing, the comuters weren’t as good as they are now. Another thing was that was also a lot more tamed than before. When I was just a student for the Youth Institute, I learned how to use Adobe Creative Suite, Cinema4D, and Final Cut Pro. But, as much as I learned from the program, I didn’t spend much time appreciating it to its fullest. This is because I hadn’t focused on the people, only the technology. In other words, I didn’t bond with my fellow peers, thus leading to me vanishing for 5 years, only to return in 2012, trying to get back into the Y and be-ing more involved with the people. When I came back to the program in early June 2012, I had originally thought that they would not recognize me as part of the organization; however, it was different. They accepted me back in with open arms, initially offering me to volunteer at the Wilderness Retreat. This eventually led me to working at the YMCA. I was astonished at this kind of hospitality. I had come back to the YMCA not as a stranger, but as a long lost family member; seeing old faces, and many new. This even made me come to appreciate what the program stood for even more than before. Right now, I am a college student at California State University, Long Beach. And as far as I know, I probably wouldn’t be at my current position without the help of the YMCA.

- Alex FongYI Class of 2007 &

YI Staff at Long Beach

Youth Institute Experience When I entered the Youth Institute, I thought it was just learning about computers so I thought it would be good for me. I didn’t know that they offered so much more then like camping trips or visiting colleges. Instantly, I fell in love with the program because of all the things it offered. It will help me prepare for college, learn writing skills, uncover computer skills, learn group dynamics, and so much more. I especially enjoyed our camping trip, because we all bonded and learned about the importance of teamwork. The first day of camping was great, because I already met new people and learned how to work together with everyone. All of the new class hung out together as if they had been friends for a long time. We bumped heads a couple of times in the activities, but that was the point of the activities. They made us frustrated so we could learn how to tackle obstacles in life. The advice was really helpful, because they are things we need in life. I also learned how to take risks like going polar bear dipping which is going in the freezing river in the early morning. Even though the camping trip was fun, it was meant to prepare us for when we really had to work. I recommend this program to all teens because it’s a lot fun and work but worth it, because it makes school seem too easy compared to this program.

- Daniela B.YI New Class

YMCA of Greater Long Beach

Community Development

YOUTH INSTITUTE

NATIONAL YOUTH INSTITUTE NEWSLETTER • 3

STEPHENS YOUTH INSTITUTE • LONG BEACH, CA

YMCA of Greater Long Beach

Community Development

STEPHENS YOUTH INSTITUTE

The first Stephens Middle School Youth Institute was created in June 2006. It was a time of growth and new beginings. Exciting things were happening with the High School Youth Institute and it was only right that we spread the wealth of knowl-edge and experiences to our younger generation at one of the middle schools on the west side of town.

My name is Phyras, class of 2003 and now Director for the Stephens Youth Institute 2012. It feels amazing being back where I had the opportunity to run my first Youth Institute class at 19 years old back in 2006. Many of our alumni from that year are now in college, interns from major corporations, or giving back as staff for over 13 sites across the country. It’s truly amaz-ing to see how they’ve taken everything they’ve learned from this program and applied it to better themselves and help make their dreams come true.

Now we have a new group of leaders here at the Stephens Youth Institute and it’s looking very promising. With forty-three new class members to create and design their mov-ies and magazine, the past four weeks have been intense and full of surprises. Returning Alumni, Johnny Maldonado, Crystalline Sicat, Jaira deLeon, Leo Trejo, and Jose Aleman are this year’s mentors and are doing a phenomenal job teaching and inspiring

our youth. This class has been both emotionally and physically fulfilling. The stories are strong but the bond is much stronger. Each and everyone one of these youth have something to say and they are using the tools they are learning to properly express themselves. They inspire me everyday.

Whoever said kids are not capable of producing amaz-ing work and creating art is completely wrong. These young people are no different from any other kids across America. Give them a camera, a computer, and a little trust and see what they come up with. You’ll be pleasantly surprised. This has been my life for the past couple of weeks and I wouldn’t have it any other way.

- Phyras MenYI Class of 2003 &

Stephens YI Director

Stephens Youth Institute Staff: (right to left) Crystalline Sicat, Jonathan Maldonado, Leo Trejo, Phyras Men, Jose Aleman and Jaira de Leon

ANAHEIM YOUTH INSTITUTE • ANAHEIM, CA


When most adults see a group of youth on the street, they have a tendency to see the group as a whole. Most see loud, noisy, rambunctious kids swarming around like a hive of frenzied bees, and the majority would choose to avoid them as they would bees.Blame the Gestalt effect. The Youth Institute is differ-ent. Our youth are wild, free-spirited and teeming with creativity. We like it that way. The Youth Institute isn’t about giving perks to already privileged youth, it’s about creating a safe haven for underprivileged teens who may have never known a help-ing hand or an open ear. It has always been claimed that the youth are our future, and the Anaheim youth reflect just that. The varied and mixed cultural backgrounds and smiling faces are precursors for a bright future. Learning to overcome differences, physically or mentally, and teaching the true meaning of words like “integrity”, “compassion” and “humility” are the basic tenants of the YI mission. Our youth are as varied as a bouquet of wild flowers. They are comprised of special needs youth, a former gang member, a

recently relocated teen from South Africa, two eccentric sisters, a cancer survivor, some living under the poverty line, an-other who is from South India, an excep-tionally intelligent teen, video game fiends, and one young woman who has lived in five countries throughout Europe and Af-rica before the age of twelve. Our children reflect our community and they reflect the direction our world is moving in. While the world becomes increasingly globalized, it has become that much more important for our youth to develop skills that are transferable on a global scale. Digital media creation is only one of those skills. Bob Cabeza has shared his vision that “it isn’t about teaching youth to love school, it’s about teaching them to love learning.” The Youth Institute is about in-cubating and nurturing the creative spark that resides in everyone. By cultivating a love for learning, the transition to a responsible adulthood is eased. Teens learn problem-solving skills, grow to accept cul-tural differences, take on leadership roles, critical thinking and even foreign language acquisition become increasingly smaller hurdles while the youth are able to focus

on larger issues. As a manifestation of our physi-cal and cultural differences, but shared humanity, YI consultant Daniel Meza photographed his youth under an un-changed lighting style and viewpoint to put emphasis on the physical differences, such as facial features, while the youth were instructed to give “their most unat-tractive face possible”. The photographs were printed at 12”x18” in high contrast black and white to further blend the lines between skin color and hung on display in the computer lab for all to see. In the way that a single flower is a beauty to behold, a bouquet of varied flow-ers is something to be cherished. Just as flowers’ different colors, shapes and sizes complement each other to form some-thing greater than the sum of it’s parts. The Anaheim Youth Institute’s unique blend of creativity, spontaneity and cultural differ-ences continue to draw close parallels to the bouquet’s rare beauty.

- Daniel MezaYI Consultant Anaheim

ANAHEIM FAMILY YMCA

YOUTHINSTITUTE

THINK TOGETHER AZUSA YOUTH INSTITUTE • AZUSA, CA


The first few weeks of the Azusa High Youth Institute have been remarkable. It is exciting for me to see young youth making art out of what they have learned. Some youth enjoy beautifying pictures of celebrity faces and making graphic designs on free images that they pull from the Internet. Other youth have created impressive object videos by recording their movie with different shots, angles, and camera rules. As a college student and first time staff, I am overjoyed when a child shows that he/she understands the concepts taught within the program. Above all, it is an honor for me to work with Youth Institute staff Ben Falealili—who is hilarious by the way—and other Think Together Staff such as Yalina, Eduardo, Kyle, and Brian. Also, the children are happy to have bonded with a new family. They know more about one another than they do about an average classmate during school hours. After having a family slide presentation, and a long/short term goals project, the class has learned about each other’s family history and future dreams. This is significant because rarely would a young person get a chance to talk about their personal life within the school system. Not only do the students enjoy this program, we are seeing ex-citement within the parents as they eagerly ask, “When does this program start again?” I personally like the expression of my youth faces when I teach them something new. It is hard for me to pick out the nicest memory I had from the program so far because I love all my youth. In camp, a youth named, Brandon asked me what I wanted for lunch. On the fourth week of class, another youth named, Elizabeth brought me something to eat when I did not have a lunch. I cannot forget Jiapeng, a youth whom recently moved to America from China, who made enough homemade pork and chicken dumplings to go around for the entire class. At the end of each day, I also enjoy waiting for youth, Alejandra and Samuel to get picked up because we would have wholesome conversations that will make memories last. I hope to gain more knowledge and teaching experience out of the program. I want to exercise their critical thinking skills, teamwork skills, and leadership skills. Since we are about to go into moviemaking, I am excited to see what they will make with the skills that they have learned.

- Vigeneareay PhriangYI Class of 2008 &

YI Consultant THINK Azusa

THINK Together Azusa

YOUTH INSTITUTE


THINK TOGETHER GLADSTONE YOUTH INSTITUTE • AZUSA, CA

Often time people don’t notice the things they’re good at till they experience it. I never thought I would open up with all the youth and staff when we went Kings Canyon for a week. I was wrong. Before I came to the Youth Institute, I used to think that I didn’t have a voice to speak up and be a leader. Thanks to the Youth Institute, I have seen a side of me that I never knew existed in my soul. The first week of the Youth Institute we went to Kings Canyon National Park for a Wilderness Retreat. It took us about eight hours to get there and eight hours to get back. When we arrived we had a little meeting about what we would be doing. We were told to build a round house and unpack the U-Haul truck. I gave a helping hand in both areas. As we were building the round house we were having some difficulties with the tarps, when suddenly I had a brilliant idea and explained it to one of the staff. He told me to announce it to everyone else. That was a little scary at first but after a while I got the hang of it and couldn’t keep my ideas or thoughts to myself as the days went by. The reason for that was because I found my voice out in the Canyons or as I like to say out in “Mother Nature”. I have gained many experiences through the Youth Institute. I’m increasing my skills with Microsoft Office Suite. I have learned more about Adobe Photoshop and video editing software. I also gained the ability to interact more with my fellow class mates and cooperate with them. It’s also helping me increase my social skills amongst people. I haven’t ever felt this alive before!

- Ivone A.YI New Class 2012

YOUTH INSTITUTE

THINK Together Gladstone


BERKELEY YOUTH INSTITUTE • BERKELEY, CA

“I’m here to respect you, have fun, and stay alive, and I did it” one of the girls said to me as we packed up our sleeping bags. It was our last day in Kings Canyon and this sentiment perfectly captured the week that would define the rest of the sum-mer. Before I entered into camp, I began my journey with the Youth Institute with the intention of creating a transformative, safe, and healing space for teens to grow into new chapters of their life. I didn’t know what form that creation would take, how the space would manifest, or what story may cross my path. I understood the Youth Institute as a marriage of the old world and the new world. It acting as a union of our past and what lays in our future, and the opportunity to allow

both paradigms to coexist in our everyday activities and relationships. The pairing of the wilderness retreat and the technol-ogy component serves as a balance that otherwise would not exist. In the woods, among the trees, under the stars, sitting around the fire, teens return to another time. Their instinct is uncovered. Their truths are exposed. They are given the words to describe the importance of ritual and tradition. When they return to the city and enter the tech lab with cutting edge technology, they do so grounded in the ancient practices the woods have taught them. The girl who made the comment had no idea at the time how true her words would be and how far they would carry

her through the program. The Youth Institute is a practice of mutual respect, between staff and youth, be-tween the youth themselves, and between all the differing identi-ties that make the self. The Youth Institute is an initiation for teens. It is a

place for those that have never experienced a childhood and need to return so that they can cross into adulthood with a pure heart. It is also a home for those that have been waiting to transition but haven’t had the tools to do so. I have been in youth work for a number of years, and the thing I see over and over again that transcends place and time is that we don’t prepare our youth for adulthood. We don’t guide them and we don’t welcome them. The stories we hear at the Youth Institute are powerful. I am always moved to silence and respect for these kid’s experiences. My job, the Youth Institute’s job, becomes to not only “literally” keep these kids alive and off the street, but to metaphorically keep them alive and excited. To ignite in them a pas-sion for learning, a desire for compassion, and the confidence to use their creativity as an agent of change. Running the Berke-ley Youth Institute is my job, but I love it more than just a job. Everyday I am able to consciously choose to be there. The Youth Institute is a choice. No matter how power-ful the experience, how fun the activities, how difficult the process, at the end of the day each person involved has to make a deliberate choice to be there and when that happens, a community forms.

- Pegah RahmanianYI DIRECTOR Berkeley

YOUTH INSTITUTE

YMCA of the Central Bay Area

PG&E Teen Center Berkeley


EAST LA YOUTH INSTITUTE • LOS ANGELES, CA

East LA, Tell Us Your Story Imagine coming to place where everyone is a stranger. A place where everyone is categorized as Hispanic or Latino, but diversity, creativity and courage is hiding behind their natural fears and discomforts. A place where challenges will arise, yet leaders will emerge and uncer-tainty will blossom into a wonderful new world of caring, kindness, and compassion. Creativity then becomes second nature, all formed from a bond created at a campfire on the night of June 28, 2012. This is the East Los Angeles Youth Institute. Our youth and staff shared a campfire that night that was sacred to us

all. Each and every one of our youth and staff were brought to a place where there were no barriers between us. We were able to share our story. Not just a story about where we work, where we may go to school, or what we do in our spare time, but a story about who we are as people, as human beings, and what made us the people we are today. Many of us shared heartfelt stories that brought the group to tears. We broke down those city shells that incased us, and became not only friends, but also family. Our new class now knows things about the staff and each other that many other people may not know. The trust level amongst the group was incredible. Being able to understand one another and learn that we are not alone in our everyday life struggles was key to forming the true relationships that are needed to create magic this summer. Back in East LA, the vibe was amazing as our new class reflected their feelings about

camp, and being back home. Many of them feel like home is at our Youth Institute facility. They’re ready and willing to accept all that the Youth Institute has to offer, from the technology skills to learning what it means to be an important young adult in their community. Every new class partici-pant possesses the qualities of leadership in their own way. Whenever a task is present-ed, they are able to use their creativity to come up with the most unique ideas while working as a team. For example, coming up with their movie ideas was a fulfilling experience to witness because there was teamwork, communication, cooperation, trust, creativity, and innovation. Working together is now a part of their lifestyle. At the East LA Youth Institute, true bonds have been formed that may last a lifetime.

- John SandersYI Class of 2003 &

YI Consultant East LA

YMCA OF METROPOLITAN LOS ANGELES

WEINGART EAST LA YMCA

YOUTH INSTITUTE


RAPID CITY YOUTH INSTITUTE • RAPID CITY, SD

YOUTH INSTITUTE

Harney Peak is a trail located in the Black Hills of South Dakota. It is a gorgeous hike with great views over many lakes such as Horse Thief (our campsite is located there). If you ever get a chance to go on this hike- take it! I know who ever goes will love it and want to do it again someday. It will put you to your limits in terms of endurance and strength. I say if you want a good work-out and you want to enjoy nature I would recommend Harney Peak because there are a lot of people going but everyone goes at a different pace so you can still enjoy yourself. Harney Peak is a 12 mile hike there and back. If you do go to Harney Peak be prepared to pack a lunch, some water and if we had some, energy drinks.

At first glance people might think that Harney Peak is going to be boring, but once you start going it really isn’t. There are views when you are walking up that are just breathtaking. Its a whole family event that everyone can enjoy. I have trekked this hike and I can say I loved Harney Peak. I thought is was a good experience for our whole group and although it was tiring, it was very fun. I guarantee you will have loads of fun so if you are ever in the Black Hills, I would suggest you check it out!

- TRISTEN M.YI New Class

YMCA of RAPID CITY

“Great Faces Great Places.” It’s written on every license plate and it’s the very first thing I can remember about my experi-ence in Rapid City South Dakota. I was given the opportunity to run my own Youth Institute, the same program I went through in 2007. It was something new for me and the program itself, never has the program been operated in a state other than California or in a surrounding that wasn’t urban. In 2007 I was a fairly coy boy. I didn’t like talking in front of my peers nevertheless the staff. I’ve been in the Youth Institute for 5 years now. I followed through with the alumni program and honed my skills since. When the opportunity to try something new in South Dakota came along, I wasn’t reluctant to try something new. As soon as I got off the plane the people I was going to work with were extremely nice and made everything easier for me. Once I met the kids I knew it was going to be a good summer, their styles of thinking and acting were rich and diverse. Every single one of them offered something different and something to relate to. The first obstacle was the wilderness retreat, I’ve done many and there always seems to be a challenge. The great part about this one was the fact that the kids were stepping up and putting matters into their own hands. They were close the entire week and formed a great group friendship. After the wilderness retreat the program seemed to run smoothly. I worked hard to prepare for every lesson and make sure the kids had the best opportunity to gain something. The kids weren’t shy to ask each other or me for help. They all finished the pro-gram and all opened up to new things. They now have a cool spot to go hang out, practice what they’ve learned, or learn something new. But I can leave the program knowing I contributed to something successful and tell people that I got to see Great Faces and Great Places.

- Angel RamirezYI Class of 2007 &

YI Consultant Rapid City, SD


THINK TOGETHER CENTURY YOUTH INSTITUTE • SANTA ANA, CA

Venturing out to a new city to replicate the Youth Institute was something really extraordinary. We are replicating everything that has been done at Long Beach Youth Institute and creating new institutes around the world. Prisma and I have been placed in Santa Ana Century High School to replicate a Youth Institute. My first interaction with the youth was at our first meet-ing. I saw all the looks on their faces when we described the wilderness retreat, they were nervous, shocked and anxious. They didn’t really know what to expect. Then I started to reflect back to when I was in their seats experi-encing the same emotions. On our way up to Kings Canyon on the bus ride, all the kids were quiet. They kept to themselves. We shared the bus with another Santa Ana site. Through-out the week the youth had to do everything in groups that included making lunches, cooking dinner, clean-ing dishes and setting up their own sleeping area. Also during the week every one of the groups was put through team building activities in which they could not complete without every member helping. The youth bonded and became a family. On our way back on the bus ride, the Youth Institute effect came into play. Everybody seemed so much closer to each other; they started singing on the bus and talking to each other, they were being themselves and having a good time. Our first day into the program you could see the youth excited to be back and see each other. We have formed new families in Santa Ana. The youth here are very unique and creative. They are very persistent in be-coming alumni and being part of the Institute next year..

- Eduardo GarciaYI Class of 2006 &

YI Consultant THINK Century

THINK Together Century

YOUTH INSTITUTE


THINK TOGETHER VALLEY YOUTH INSTITUTE • SANTA ANA, CA

Wilderness Retreat Though we warned them ahead of time, the two sites (including Century and Valley High School of Santa Ana) were in for a surprise upon arrival. There was no cabin (with the exception of the restroom building), no electrical outlets, no refrigerator, and no phone service. The rival high schools were a bit defiant towards the chores that doubled as team building processes at the beginning of the week. However, as time went on and newer challenges were given to them, their bonds began to grow and they began to intermingle so well, that before we knew it, the staff weren’t able to tell which kids belonged to what site!

“Devil’s Maze was horrible, frustrating, and it was hot and I was thirsty.” –Alfredo, YI new class Just as the staff had gained the trust and respect of the kids, the Devil’s Maze had to have made an appearance. The Devil’s Maze is the ultimate team builder, which breaks them down the entire time and builds them right back up as soon as it is solved. Though they couldn’t tell during the process of trying to solve the Devil’s Maze, it’s meant to show them the frustrations they can face and to not always be dependent on the staff, but rather each other. It tests their breaking points and how they will react when a new hurdle is faced, just as they were getting over the last one given to them.

“Helped me realize you have to communicate with the people around you and that you have to say your opinion, so it helps you

with your movie in your groups.” –Jennifer, YI new class Campfire talks became deeper and much longer towards the end of the week. We went from hearing things like “When will we go back home?” to “We only have one more day left together!” Once they became used to sharing each other’s company, they soon became comfortable sharing each other’s stories. This is the magic of the wilderness retreat; though they have only spent a week, because of the challenges and adversities they face, they come through it feeling as though they are family. Everyone leaves King’s Canyon with experiences and lessons that they can take with them not just to the Youth Institute lab, but also to apply to their everyday lives.

“It was a life experience that was unforgettable. It’s something that happens once in a lifetime.”-Enrique, YI new class

- Sally SanchezYI Class of 2008 &

YI Consultant THINK Valley

THINK Together Valley

YOUTH INSTITUTE


SAN LUIS OBISPO YOUTH INSTITUTE • SAN LUIS OBISPO, CA

Santa Lucia Middle School in Cambria, California is starting its first year as part of the YMCA Youth Institute family. Cambria, Califor-nia is a rural town with a population of 6,032 people. This summer the YMCA Youth Institute has a total of 27 middle school students partici-pating in this program. 70 percent of our students come from Hispanic families and the other 30 percent come from Caucasian families. With this new program our students are experiencing a new understanding for each other and understanding the meaning of an outside family. Cambria’s Youth Institute is going into its 4th week of its 6-week sum-mer program. Our students are expanding their knowledge in Digital Arts and they are creating amazing work in professional programs such as Adobe Illustrator, Garage Band, Final Cut Pro, Photoshop and InDe-sign. They are currently working together in their production groups to create a film. Story boarding, filming, audio, and editing are filling our

days into long working hours. There is a huge creative flow of ideas and great imaginations occurring amongst our 4 production groups on site. During our Wilderness retreat, the Cambria kids were able to adapt to a new surrounding and to a new diverse group of students. Cambria is a small rural town where youth’s are not exposed to a very diverse community. Being able to meet Long Beach Stephen’s Middle School was a huge breakthrough for our Cambria youth. Many of these kids created new friendships that will always be remembered at King Canyon National Park and that hopefully will be relived through out the summer to come. A huge part for the hard work and dedication that our youth are being able to achieve this summer, comes from the amazing help of their YMCA director Dan Hartzell. Dan Hartzell is passionate about the future of his youth, not only through what they can create through Digital Media Arts but also with how they can become successful human beings. Aside from all the teaching that is be-ing done at the Cambria Youth Institute site, there is also a lot of mentoring being done by all the Staff. The parent involvement in this community is beyond anything any one of us Staff has experienced. The parent involvement is huge and a very important factor for the growth of our Cambria kids. We are shaping our youth to become bright individuals for their community and for the world.

- Melinda AmadoYI Class of 2005 &

YI Consultant San Luis Obispo

YOUTH INSTITUTE

YMCA OF SAN LUIS OBISPO COUNTY

SOUTH CENTRAL YOUTH INSTITUTE • LOS ANGELES, CA


Here at the South Central Weingart YMCA, we are having the time of our lives. Coming from the wilderness retreat and get-ting into our setting as a Youth Institute came naturally to the kids and the staff here. As part of the Long Beach YMCA, I was wel-comed with open arms and warm hearts. As the program started the youth were so engaged, it really made everything easy on both consultants, the site director and the staff here at South Central Weingart YMCA. I believe as the youth started to use the technology, they expanded their expectations for themselves. Looking at how they por-trayed themselves in their “Futuring” project, it showed me the dedication and drive that our youth want for their life. Taking further steps with our youth is a great transition into maturity and work ethic. Things are only going to get brighter!

- Leslie BarnesYI Class of 2006 &

YI Consultant So Central LA

YOUTHINSTITUTE

WEINGART YMCA WELLINESS& AQUATIC CENTER

YMCA OF METROPOLITAN LOS ANGELES

The YMCA Youth Institute summer wilderness retreat was an unique and interesting experience. There was an extreme amount of pressure and responsibility on our shoulders and I believe we handled it very well and things ended running smoother then expected. Leaders developed, new friends were made, people who were quiet, talked non-stop as the week progressed. Bottom line the mission was accomplished. The obstacles we threw their way were accomplished in a way that I’ve never seen in my eight years of experience in this program and all the expectations were exceeded. They trusted one and other and us, they worked hard, they opened up to each other and really created the magic that has fueled this program to the point to where it is today. Whether it was the ice breaking team-building activities, the devils maze, trusting me with their lives at Muir Rock and espe-cially the spirit lifting campfires, the retreat was one of the uplifting rewarding experiences I’ve ever had, I felt the love and care in the air and it made me excited about working with the youth I consider mine this summer.

- AJ ThomasYI Class of 2004 &

YI Consultant So Central LA

NATIONALYOUTH INSTITUTE525 East 7th St • Long Beach, CA 90813

NATIONAL YOUTH INSTITUTE CALENDAR

JULY 24 - 29Y-World Alliance TrainingLong Beach, CA.

AUGUST 11Film Festival & Graduation - Long Beach, Berkeley, EPA, THINK Santa Ana

AUGUST 26National YI Film Festival - Long Beach, CA

AUGUST 4Film Festival &Graduation - Rapid City, SD

AUGUST 18Film Festival & Graduation - East LA, So Cen-tral LA, Anaheim, THINK Azusa

YOUTH INSTITUTE

YMCA of SILICON VALLEY

LEWIS AND JOAN PLATT EAST PALO ALTO FAMILY YMCA

My name is Luis, I am an alumni of 2011. When I started the program, it had its ups and downs. In the end, the accomplishing feeling of finishing your movie and getting your magazine done makes one realize that if you set goals, you can achieve them with

enough commitment. When you’re in this program, there is no racism no profiling no richer or poorer kids, its all kids that are working together to achieve something bigger then themselves. In the beginning some kids may not see that but at the end who ever is committed to it, has the changed character. They achieve this, not just by learning from staff but also by being inspired by other youth in this program. There are those who can use the software like profes-sionals and some who aren’t as fortunate. It is great when you see those who help others outside their production groups. As teenag-ers we naturally avoid asking our peers for help. This program is more than just a class it is a second family. I love this program even though I was reluctant in the beginning. I started out as a kid who didn’t want to be a part of the group. I was so used to being on my own in projects but when other kids pulled their weight and helped, it inspired me to allow people into my comfort zone. Now I want to be the first homegrown staff at the Youth Institute of East Palo Alto. From what I see is that the staff who have been in the program can connect to the new class and ultimately understand what the YI is all about. Many know EPA for its very dangerous history and many believe the kids don’t have much to give to society but when they finish this program a lot of them start to act differently. They start to realize that it is not just about surviving in society but to also influence it. To those who read this and have been in the program you understand what I mean and for those who are learning about the program for the first time, I hope you have been motivated to help build this program.

- Luis P.YI EPA Alumni 2011

nationalyouth institute newsletter july 2012 issue 1lbymca.org/cd/sites/ · nationalyouth institute...

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