| Proposal Description |
The YWCA YW Teen Program offers 5th and 6th grade, at-risk girls within the Coastal Bend community opportunities that will lead them toward a more constructive path of success. Preventive in nature, the program aims to reach our participants before they make life-altering decisions. Today’s youth is presented with negative obstacles that can easily factor into violence and juvenile crime, but this program breaks the cycle of despair through activities that create strong, healthy self-images and build the much needed skills to overcome socioeconomic disadvantages. The result is confident girls, making constructive decisions that will shape their lives as future, productive citizens, parents and leaders of our Coastal Bend community. Currently, the YW Teen Program serves about 1,400 5th and 6th, at-risk girls enrolled in Title I schools; however, surrounding school districts continuously request the YW Teen Program because of our success. Compared to the state of Texas, citizens in this geographic area experience poverty at a rate that is 27% higher; youth are much more vulnerable to teen pregnancy and substance abuse; and children are more likely to be victims of abuse and antisocial behavior or neglect. Additionally, several counties in our reach had a juvenile crime rate that far exceeded the states’ rate. These patterns of risk for crime and destructive lifestyles highlight the community need for YWCA’s prevention program. Providing the YW Teen program services to one group of girls (about 20) costs $68.00 per week. With a generous contribution of $3,672.00, the YWCA will be able to provide program services to two groups for an entire 27-week school year, which will prevent a greater number of at-risk girls from turning to crime.
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