History
WE APPRECIATE YOUR PATIENCE DURING WEBSITE RECONSTRUCTION 3-15-14
Youth Count was founded in November 2005.
A challenge grant from the Indiana Association of United Ways, funded by the Lilly Endowment, was met and surpassed by seven community partners
- Horseshoe (formerly Caesars) Foundation of Floyd County
- Community Foundation of Southern Indiana
- Floyd County Step Ahead Council
- Floyd Memorial Hospital and Health Services
- Hope, Inc. (formerly Interfaith Community Council)
- Metro United Way of Floyd County
- Your Community Bank.
Extensive planning, including both community-wide and youth forums and input from various local planning and funding organizations, revealed that positive youth development is necessary to address the root cause of many community needs: high school graduation, self-sufficiency, life-skills, workforce development and more.
Youth Count was organized as a community initiative to create a community where youth are valued, investments are made in their well-being and all youth have the opportunity to succeed.
The primary tool for accomplishing this goal is the 40 Developmental Assets.
Principles of this community initiative include focusing on:
- Strengths instead of risks or deficits
- Engagement with youth instead of simply providing services for youth
- Relationships instead of programs
- Unleashing the power of asset building instead of trying to control or direct it
- Adults and youth in the entire community instead of relying on only professionals and parents
- Long-term objectives instead of looking for a quick fix
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