Youth Empowered Solutions (YES!) is a nonprofit organization that empowers youth, in partnership with adults, to create community change. We do this by hiring and training a youth staff as advocates who, in turn, train other youth to be advocates. We equip high school-aged youth and their adult allies with the tools they need to positively impact adolescent health.

YES! provides training and support so that our partners gain a heightened awareness of their issue of interest and learn how to take advantage of opportunities to engage in local, national, and international advocacy work. Youth become competent community advocates by receiving training in such areas as public speaking, media literacy, community assessment, gathering community support and working with policy makers.

About YES!

YES! Youth Empowerment Model

The YES! Youth Empowerment Model is a three-pronged approach that effectively engages young people in work that challenges them to develop skills, gain critical awareness, and participate in opportunities that are necessary for creating community change.

Our support extends to adults and organizations by offering training and technical assistance to help them be better allies to empowered youth. We provide networking opportunities, encourage partnerships, and assess organizations’ youth empowerment capacity and application of the YES! Youth Empowerment Model.

Our advocacy work is centered on strategies that empower youth to address critical issues facing their communities: teen tobacco use, childhood obesity, substance abuse and access to healthcare.

YES! Youth Empowerment Model

Youth Empowered Solutions (YES!)4418 Louisburg Road, Suite 131 | Raleigh, NC 27616

919-878-8777

www.youthempoweredsolutions.org skill development. critical awareness. opportunities

Current Advocacy Campaigns Creation of a youth food council of youth from across North Carolina to advocate for policies impacting access to local food (2011)

Redesign of lunchroom at Myers Park High School in Charlotte, N.C. The project aims to make healthy lunch options more accessible and appealing to students (2012).

Creation of a healthy vending policy for Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools in North Carolina (2012)

Creation of a second chance breakfast option for students of Asheville High School in Asheville, N.C. (2012)

Campaign to reclassify alcopops in North Carolina law (2012). Alcopops are alcoholic beverages that mimic soda, juice and energy drinks. Reclassification will make

these harmful products less accessible to youth and help prevent underage drinking.

YES! has trained more than 4,720 youth and 3,280 adults since 2008.

Our Policy ImpactNorth Carolina prohibits tobacco use in public schools (2008), restaurants and bars (2010). Joint efforts have led to 62,000 fewer high-school aged smokers and state smoking rates at historic lows. North Carolina faith-based communities adopt five Eat Smart, Move More North Carolina nutrition and physical activity policies and create a community garden on church grounds (2009-10). Buncombe County, N.C. passage of a smoke-free policy in public parks (2010) Seventy-five Georgia school districts trained by YES! adopt 100% tobacco-free school policies (2010). North Carolina Alcoholic Beverage Control (ABC) Commission denies the City of Raleigh’s request to give namingrights of its amphitheater to Bud Light (2010). Savannah, Ga. adopts a smoke-free ordinance that eliminates smoking in all public places in the city (2010).

Seven Georgia counties adopt 100% tobacco-free policies at parks and recreation facilities (2009-2012).

The City of Asheville, N.C. bans tobacco sponsorship at Bele Chere, its annual festival (2012).

YES! Trainings and Technical Assistance We offer a number of custom services to help support your youth-adult partnerships and health-related advocacy efforts. With the YES! Youth Empowerment Model at its core, YES! trainings are interactive and action-oriented.

Youth Leader TrainingsDevelops skills and enhance critical awareness to be an effective youth advocate. Led by YES! youth staff.

Adult Leader TrainingsTeaches adults techniques to help them work more effectively with youth. Led by YES! adult staff

Learning CollaborativeExpands organizational capacity for implementing community change strategies through youth empowerment

YES! AppraisalMeasures the capacity of an organization to create and sustain youth empowerment at the organizational level

For more information about YES! trainings, or other ways YES! can work with you, contact Emily Clabaugh at 919-741-6124 or emily@youthempoweredsolutions.org.

www.youthempoweredsolutions.org skill development. critical awareness. opportunities