LIVE UNITED Y’All!

SoCiaL InNovAtiOn = YOUTH Leadership, Empowerment & Community Engagement!

Note: Voting has ended and winners will be announced on December 1st at Metro United Way’s Community Pep Rally!

Description of the innovation:

1. Summarized—Empowering youth and young adults through leadership development, community engagement and positive reinforcement of self-esteem, primarily in Metro Louisville, KY during 32 weeks of programming in JCPS middle and high schools.

2. What makes it unique—Our focus is on diversity and unification. Similar organizations focus solely on minority youth; however, we believe in order to impact positive change in the future, individuals must engage in diverse dialogues around ethnicity, socioeconomics and community during their adolescent years. Youth face high dropout rates, low higher education attainment levels and devastating social influences. Our program combats these difficulties by maintaining 100% graduation and pursuit of higher education through our civic education curriculum.

3. Project plan—In two years, The Steward’s Staff has served over 200 youth, awarded 5 scholarships & 2 computers, escorted 50 youth on a college tour in Tennessee, and our youth leadership program, The ETHICS Society, won a $1,000 Youth Venture grant. We accomplish our goals through: pre/ post assessments, following a detailed curriculum, facilitating leadership-based team building activities and facilitating group discussions. There are 32 weeks dedicated to curriculum content: leadership, organizational skills, crisis management, conflict resolution, healthy relationships, basic finance, college preparation and wise decision making. In addition to the three high schools we currently facilitate after-school programming for, starting the 2009—2010 academic year, The Steward’s Staff will also facilitate programming for two middle schools. With the continued growth, The Steward’s Staff is increasing its donor base and revenue stream from 2008’s diversified operating budget of $48, 329 (25% starting budget, 23% special events, 18% grants, 11% corporate contributions, 11% private donors, 7% Misc and 5% earned income).