MAYOR DALEY'S YOUTHNET

The goal of Mayor Daley's YouthNet is to create partnerships and mobilize resources to improve the quality, variety and number of after school activities available to young people throughout the 4th police District. Through involvement of youth, schools and collaborating organizations, YouthNet will increase access to services for youth in the southeast side communities of South Chicago, the East Side, Hegewisch, South Deering, Calumet Heights, South Shore, Burnside, and Avalon Park.

Metropolitan Family Services is partnering in the project with Youth Guidance. Outreach coordinator, Lucia E. Suarez, is based at Bowen High School.

YouthNet activities include networking with other community organizations, hosting community outreach programs and a quarterly youth forum, gathering information about youth activities available in the area and referring youth for participation in activities available throughout District 4. Referrals include; counseling, employment, education, social services, youth developments, and other service and program referrals. We also offer opportunities for students to obtain service learning hours to fulfill graduation requirements.

YouthNet has employed a peer outreach worker from
Bowen High School who will assist in the coordination of outreach activities, programming and special events.. YouthNet has also employed 10 youth between the ages of 14 to 18 for the summer to identify community resources
and programs that are in place for youth. A YouthNet Council has also been developed which will help improve the leadership skills of youth in the 4th District. They will be involved in writing a Youth Empowerment Grant,
presenting Youth forums, organizing a youth directory of recreational and educational programs in the community, and representing the 4th District youth at city events.

YouthNet has many purposes and goals, but the main purpose is to give the youth of the community an opportunity to be heard and make changes for and with their peers.

Crisis Intervention Program

The Crisis Intervention Program in partnership with the State of Illinois Dept. of Human Services (CCBYS) serve students at Bowen who are in the midst of crisis. The program receives referrals from several different sources, including school personnel, the community, the Juvenile Justice System, parents, and the students themselves.

Crisis Intervention workers provide the following services:

o Short term individual, family and group counseling

o Immediate response to child abuse and neglect allegations

o Developing programs based on clients/school needs

o Participate in and provide in-service training to the school and community

o Association with community and school committees/boards

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