Brighter Futures
Brighter Futures is a Mentoring Program designed for children ages 4 – 15, who have a parent, guardian or influential relative who is incarcerated at the state or federal prison level. Children are enrolled in the program while the parent is still incarcerated, but can remain in the program when the parent is released, until the age of 16.
Brighter Futures matches volunteer mentors with children for a period of one year or longer. Mentors are committed, consistent and have undergone a training and clearance procedure to insure the well being of children involved in the program. Mentors do not take the place of parents, but rather, provide support for the child via a trusting, special, healthy relationship. Mentors make a difference in a child’s capacity to become competent, confident, happy and successful by providing tutoring, skill building, nurturing, coaching and consistency.
“It takes a village to raise the child” is an old saying that we truly believe. We all have a responsibility to our children to increase their potential and broaden their horizons.
If you are interested in becoming a mentor or know of children eligible for the Brighter Futures Program in Los Angeles or San Francisco, please contact us.
In Los Angeles:
Walter Taylor
Program Manager
213-741-3724
In San Francisco:
Careem Conley
Program Manager
415-355-2559
You may apply on line in either Los Angeles or San Francisco
YOUTH EDUCATING AND ADVOCATING FOR HEALTH (YEAH)
Most South LA youth have more opportunities to sell drugs, have kids or join gangs than to have a safe space to learn and teach younger youth about prevention. YEAH trains and prepares elementary, junior high and high school students to lead the movement of prevention in their communities to ensure an end to the cycle of incarceration.
Youth Education and Advocating for Health (YEAH!) is an evidence-based after school substance abuse and sexually transmitted disease prevention program set in the faith based community. Walden House has partnered with two great faith based organizations: All Peoples Christian Center- serving the Latino community (www.allpeoplescc.org) and Los Angeles Metropolitan Churches- serving the African American Community (www.lametro.org ) in Los Angeles. YEAH provides a unique set of peer driven services. The program is aimed at children of parents/guardians involved with the criminal justice system.
YEAH follows a 3-tiered asset based approach. YEAH recruits ex-offenders in the community and provides intensive 40-hour training to them so that they may serve as Community Trainers (Tier 1). The Community Trainers, along with the staff, recruit and train youth (12-15 years old) to become Peer Educators (Tier 2). It is the job of the Peer Educators to recruit and train children (8-11 years old) to serve as Children Advocates for Prevention (Tier 3). At the end of the program we all work together to re-educate the community on substance abuse and STD prevention as well as the cycle of incarceration through a large community health fair. The above trainings utilized empirically tested curriculum proven effective in the prevention of substance abuse and STDs.
Parents/Guardians involved in the YEAH program learn how to re-interact with their children. Ex-offenders are offered a second chance in preventing a child from involvement in Drugs, STDs and Prison. At the same time young people are given the space and proper training to prevent children from entering the world of drugs, sex and prison.