Innovative Groups

Our programs are supported by innovative groups that are offered to the youth who participate in our services.  By having access to study help, employment support, and other relationship-building activities, our youth have more success in achieving their goals.

Women Educating Women (WEW) When young women (10-17) come to The Link, case managers find they do not have many female friends, and there is a lack of positive activities available to them. Many of the young women we serve don't have opportunities to engage in social activities without worrying about rides, walking home alone or waiting for the bus at night. Often, the young women we serve only have negative peer relationships with other females and this fuels their lack of a support system and low self-worth. WEW provides a safe place to engage in positive and challenging activities with other young women.

Men's Group When young men (10-17) come to The Link, case managers find they are in need of positive role models and safe, engaging activities geared toward teenage young men. Many of them are looking for acceptance and belonging. Because they have few, if any positive male role models, they are prone toward making poor choices such as engaging in criminal activity or joining a gang. Men's group provides recreational, social and cognitive activities that help build relationships between participants and positive adult male role models, as well as, providing engaging and challenging out of school time opportunities.

Tutor Link is a tutoring program that offers volunteer tutoring support to our truant youth who may have fallen behind in their studies. This program is new, yet has already helped youth to improve their grades!

Youth for Justice keeps at-risk youth positively involved during summer months as they plan and perform community service projects while enhancing their critical thinking, teamwork, communications, planning and administrative skills. This program was carried out over the summer of 2008 with a record 30 individuals, ages 13 to 18, creating, planning and carrying out nine service projects that took on issues of food equality, violence, arts and neighborhood beautification, and other social justice issues.

Health Realization 101 facilitates action-planning to apply the resiliency principles of the Health Realization Community Empowerment Model.  This group also teaches cultural competency and empathy.  Group topics include:  Inner Health, Ways of Thinking, Thought Cycles, Separate Realities, Moods and Emotions, Role Playing, and Action Planning. 

Recreational Activities create opportunities for cultural, recreational and athletic social engagement outings that provide ways to develop positive peer relationships and community connections. 

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