What is Youths 4 Advocacy?
Y4A empowers youths with developmental disabilities to transition successfully into their communities.
Y4A’s goals are to:
(1) Provide training/technical assistance to schools for students in the Occupational Course of Study (OCS) to become strong self-advocates & leaders.
- Using the Speak-Up! Action Manual for Peer Leader Teams students can create peer leader teams and train other students in self-advocacy and leadership tools.
(2) Develop a model of successful strategies at demonstration-site schools.
- The Y4A demonstration site is Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools. High schools will recruit peer leader teams to practice self-advocacy activities, enact scenes, and lead activities and scenes for other students. Teams will identify resources and opportunities to actively participate in their communities. By Year II, other school districts can begin to learn from this Y4A demonstration site.
(3) Build a strong network among 12 agencies to expand/sustain transition opportunities across North Carolina.
- Y4A will build collaboration among 12 distinct projects and agencies. With a strong network among these committed partners, opportunities for community inclusion will increase across the state. Successful transition for NC youths with disabilities will be maintained beyond this project. Y4A Partnering Agencies include:
- Association of Self-Advocates of North Carolina
- ECAC (Exceptional Children Assistance Center)
- NC Council on Developmental Disabilities
- Disability Rights North Carolina
- NC Department of Public Instruction
- NC Division of Vocational Rehabilitation
- Carolina Health & Transition (CHAT)
- Alliance for Disability Advocates – Centers for Independent Living
- Aging & Disability Resource Center (ADRC)
- NC Commission on Community Service and Volunteerism
- Family Support Network
- Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools
Y4A is funded for three (3) years
by the
US Administration on Developmental Disabilities
as a Project of National Significance
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