Youth Programs

Essential Youth Services

Empower Yolo provides services to help assure that every youth has the opportunity for a safe, nurturing, and stimulating environment to develop and grow their potential.

ASSETS Program located at Woodland Senior High

After School Safety and Enrichment for Teens (ASSETs) program partners with schools and communities to provide academic support and safe, constructive alternatives for high school students. More than just an after school program, Woodland ASSETs team creates genuine connections with high school youth and families and provides unique opportunities for the development of life and leadership skills. We also provide family literacy services to the parents of our high school students. Our program operates after school, weekends, summer, intersession, and vacation periods.

Child Abuse Treatment Program

Empower Yolo provides counseling services for children who have been victimized by violence, sexual abuse, neglect, school or community violence, parental substance abuse, who have witnessed violence in their home, or have experienced any other child maltreatment.

Prevention Education

Empower Yolo’s Teen Education Program is focused on promoting healthy relationships and preventing abuse in teen relationships. This is done through one-time student/community presentations as well as weekly My Strength and Be Strong groups in local schools. Presentations cover a range of issues including types of abuse, date rape, predatory drugs, gender socialization, teen dating violence, healthy relationships, and bystander intervention.

My Strength

My Strength a program for young men operates under the motto “My Strength Is not for hurting”. My Strength groups are facilitated in local high schools by Empower Yolo’s Prevention Education Coordinator. The group meets weekly throughout the school year and addresses positive and negative forms of masculinity – with a goal of educating young men on how to use their strength in a positive way. This group aims to prevent violence against women before it starts by engaging young men as allies to fight against sexual violence and domestic/teen dating violence.

Be Strong

Be Strong is an asset-based, development program for young women which builds on concepts of womanhood, respect, and positive relationships as a strategy for health promotion and violence prevention. Be Strong groups are facilitated in local high schools by Empower Yolo’s Prevention Team. The group meets weekly throughout the school year – with each module guiding Be Strong participants to develop their own positive, unique voices.

Resources

See Resources to Guide Discussions About Consent, Sexual Harassment and Misconduct.

Play School Experience

Empower Yolo recognizes the importance and benefits of early play based experiences for children 0 to 5 years old. Its Play School Experience program, funded by First 5 Yolo, is giving parents, caregivers and children from birth to 5 years old the opportunity for meaningful interaction through play. There are many great benefits from this program.

Parents learn strategies to strengthen their relationships with their children; children develop their neurological, psychological and social skills; parents exchange parenting tips and concerns, and share their milestones.

Empower Yolo offers Play School Experience online:  Spanish group Tuesdays, 10-11 a.m. Register by emailing [email protected].

Crisis Nursery Support

Crisis Nursery referral available visit: yolocrisisnursery.org.