Context
Southside Community Collaborative (SCC) Teen leadership Academy (TLA) , created in 2013, is a community based group operating at Barack Community Recreation Center, on Columbus’s south side. The SCC was the outgrowth of community conversation, conducted by Franklin County National Alliance of Mental Illness (NAMI), Columbus Recreation and Parks, Columbus Public Health Department, Maryhaven Gambling Intervention Program, Nationwide Children Hospital, and community residents. The conversation showed there to be four pressing needs, that if alleviated would strengthen the community and reduce violence. These are: 1. youth employment, 2. access to mental health services, 3. getting outside of the neighborhood, and 4. community service.
Youth Characteristics and Recruitment
The youth are recruited from the recreation center and two local high schools. The group is open to youth 14 – 18, who are willing to follow the basic tenants of respect for self and others.
Collective Participation
The SCC had 35 youth in 2015. Meetings are Saturdays, 3:00 -5:00 pm, with an average of 12 youth. We always meet in a circle to show equality. Disrespect is discussed and worked through. Most youth are in their first year and we have four youth from the 2014 summer internship. The youth are required to sign in every week.
Adult Involvement
There are three primary leaders for the group, consisting of staff from Columbus Recreation and Parks, Maryhaven Gambling intervention Program and Columbus Public Health. The adult leader’s primary responsibility has been to facilitate the group, provide encouragement to youth, arrange speakers, and provide adult supervision. As we transition more into youth led these roles will change to more encouragement and consultant roles. The community provides support by use of the Barack Recreation Center and access to the recreation department vehicles. Recreation Department staff is also available to the group and meals are provided after the meetings. We have been awarded four grants; three from United Way of Central Ohio and one from ADAMH Broad.
Group Structures
The overall group structure was developed by the adult leaders in 2014. The daily group activities are chosen through a consensus of all the members, youth and adult. Generally an adult will introduce a topic and the youth will discuss and come to conclusion with the adult support and encouragement. We open our session with a check in, which usually lead to group discussions on certain issues. The youth from the institute act as youth leaders for the center. They have interacted with City Council members, made presentations at area commission meetings and represented the Barack Community at forums and focus groups. Our goal is to train the 15 summer interns in the “Youth Led” process.
Group Climate
Group cohesion, a very important group value, is fostered through open discussion and mutual respect to promote a genuine care for each other. Collective efficacy is fostered by personal example and honest sharing of our struggles while working on group projects. We intentionally put our youth in positions to succeed; when failure happens we discuss the situation as well as explore ways to do it better the next time. The strength of the SCC is the honest dialogue we have developed between youth and adults. Adult leaders are committed advocates for the youth. We talk honestly with them, their hope and desires, and the efforts and hard work they will need to demonstrate to reach their goals.