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