Current yds Initiatives
Out of School Time
Increasing Youth Driven Spaces in SE Michigan
In September 2021, with generous support from the Ralph C. Wilson Foundation, Neutral Zone began a second 3-year initiative to expand youth driven spaces across Southeast Michigan. This project will consist of several different components.
YDS Immersion Cohort 2023: A partnership between Neutral Zone and several community-based organizations across Southeast Michigan to increase teen engagement and voice in their programs and organizations. The objective is being achieved by helping organizations build or expand their youth advisory councils through adoption of other youth driven strategies.
YDS Conference: An annual professional development opportunity for youth and their adult allies to share practice, learn skills and network.
Wellness Capacity Building: In 2022 the Neutral Zone began providing capacity building support to 39 Detroit-based organizations funded by the Skillman Foundation to lead youth driven wellness projects.
Coaches Training: In 2020, a new cohort of youth and adults were invited to participate in a Youth Driven Spaces Coaches Training to help participants to develop their training capacities so that they could better support youth driven practice in their own organizations.
Expanding a YDS Network: Through quarterly meetings, YDS agencies and coaches convene to develop and implement a strategic plan to expand YDS practice in the region.
YDS in Schools
Currently Neutral Zone is partnering on the following school based initiatives:
Building Restorative School Cultures through Youth-Adult Partnerships: Working with our partners at Oak Park High School and the Early College Alliance @ EMU, Neutral Zone has helped build and train student advisory teams whose charge is to work on improving school climate and culture. Beginning in the 2020-21 academic year, student teams have implemented school climate projects and are helping to lead and support restorative practices as a way of doing business in school. A report of this work following year 2 of the partnership can be found here.
Whole Child Student Advisory: Working with our partners at Berrien County RESA, Neutral Zone has helped to build and support a cross-high school team of students whose role is to support the county Whole Child Initiative. The Whole Child Student Advisory is taking an active and meaningful role in the collaborative’s work to develop initiatives for the county based on needs uncovered in data and research.
