Current Environment:

The I-YAB's Mission Statement

The I-YAB mission is to engage a diverse group of youth as integral partners in the Massachusetts Area Prevention framework (MAP), BCH-TCRC’s new multidisciplinary approach to violence prevention. We do this by engaging 12 diverse youth (ages 15 to 17 years) living in Massachusetts in a monthly youth advisory board focused on youth extremist and targeted violence prevention. We believe that youth resilience building is fundamental to violence prevention through increasing sense of belonging, enhancing inter-ethnic group understanding, developing leadership and advocacy skills, and promoting civic engagement. We are committed to giving youth the opportunity to develop knowledge and skills needed to become leaders in youth violence prevention and enhance resilience in their community.

Meet our I-YAB!

If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more, and become more, you are a leader.

~ John Quincy Adams, sixth President of the United States ~

Coming soon!

Change will not come if we wait for some other person or some other time. We are the ones we've been waiting for. We are the change that we seek.

~ Barack Obama, 44th President of the United States ~

I alone cannot change the world, but I can cast a stone across the water to create many ripples.

~ Mother Teresa, Nobel Peace Prize Recipient ~

Commitment

I-YAB members must be able to make a commitment of approximately two years (until Sept. 30, 2022) and work an average of four hours per month on board-related activities that include:

  • online board meetings
  • extremism and targeted violence education
  • giving input on BCH-TCRC’s MAP initiative and corresponding projects
  • design, development, and implementation of youth violence prevention activities, programs, or events
  • program evaluation

Member guidelines

I-YAB members commit to:

  • approaching the I-YAB work with humility and openness
  • practicing mutual respect in their relationships
  • striving to communicate effectively and work together with other I-YAB members to achieve common goals

Benefits

I-YAB members receive the following benefits:

  • training: learn about extremism and targeted violence, community participatory action, leadership skills, and more
  • leadership development: actively participate in BCH-TCRC’s initiatives by sharing your expertise
  • networking: meet and collaborate with peer leaders across Massachusetts who are equally passionate about violence prevention and making a difference in their community

Leadership that brings peace is far more courageous than the one which opens fire.

~ Asma Jahangir, co-founder and chair of the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan ~

It’s been said in many ways and by many people and remains true... the future of America lies with its young people.

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