Leadership Program

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The “YEPP Leadership Program” will be a 7-month, paid leadership development program that creates opportunities for YEPP participants ages 18-30 to learn, develop, and practice leadership skills using YEPP’s unique model of community engagement and healing through creative expression. The focus of the program will be on providing in-depth training to YEPP participants in the following anti-oppression & liberation frameworks:

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• Harm Reduction

• Trauma Responsiveness

• Transformative Justice

• Restorative Justice

• Education for Liberation

 

Training will also consist of personal and professional development, as well as job readiness preparation. Following successful completion of the training course, Leadership Program participants will complete a YEPP internship where they will develop their own community organizing initiative utilizing the frameworks learned.

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The Leadership Program is divided into the following 2 parts:

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• First part of the program (Education)- it consists of a 4-month training series. The Leadership Program participants will build understanding around the history and application of the guiding frameworks employed by YEPP.

• Second part of the program (Internship)-  it consists of a 3-month internship. The internship consists of the development of group and/or individual projects that allow participants to cultivate community organizing initiatives in alignment with their personal dreams and goals, as well as to facilitate and foster community engagement and action around LGBTQI+ youth homelessness. During the internship portion, participants will also act as consultants for YEPP during its expansion efforts. 

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TIMEFRAME EACH YEAR

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The program starts each year during the first week of May, and ends the last week of November.  The program ends with a graduation ceremony that takes place during our Annual Community and Fundraising Gala "Rise Up" mid November. 

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MEMBER APPLICATION PROCESS

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Eligible participants will be asked to complete and submit an application demonstrating their interest in and commitment to YEPP’s Leadership Program. Applicants are expected to demonstrate high levels of readiness and commitment in order to participate in this program.  Applications open in March with individual interviews held in April each year.  If you are a young person interested in participating or a youth worker that would like to refer a young person, you can either Sign up for our Monthly Newsletter to learn when applications get open or email us at info@WeSayYEPP.com to ask for more information.