Impact Makers Building Skills For Life

Community safety

Pilot or new project, program, or initiative (testing or implementing a new idea)

Violence impacts the lives of everyone in LA county. On average 4 families in LA county lost a loved one due to homicide or suicide (LA office of Violence Prevention). Community safety can only be achieved by creating a safe and healthy environment for children and youth so they can learn, thrive and build positive relationships and develop coping skills. There are severe gaps in affordable and accessible services that take place in "non-threatening, informal community care settings." We believe our community has not invested enough in self-care, prevention, and education, creating exposure to high levels of trauma and self-harm. According to the Department of Health, youth aged 10-18 had the highest rates of self-harm ED visits and experienced the largest percent increase in self-harm ED visit rates at the height of the Covid-19 pandemic. Positive Behavioral Intervention Systems (PBIS) that focus on Social Emotional Learning (SEL) and mental health counseling is needed.

Our PBIS program is entitled Impact Makers - Building Skills For Life - shaped by local youth input that borrows successful methods used in group therapy to create a nurturing and compassionate “safe circle” for youth to share their struggles, raise awareness that they are not alone, build confidence, and empower them to effectively advocate for and improve their mental health. Each weekly session (2.5 hours) includes wellness activities, coping tools, guided reflections, and strength finder exercises like Clifton Strengths. Through guided volunteerism and peer-led debriefs, students have the opportunity to learn more about themselves, the world around them, and the resources that are available in their community. As the youth learn more about their strengths, they also get to select an area of civic service for their weekly 2 hour service-learning experience. Youth average 42 hours per semester of service-learning and social emotional wellness in a safe and welcoming environment. Through the 12-week immersive program youth will:
Describe at least 2 community issues in the local area and what is being done to address them.
Discover a deeper sense of their identities and the identities of others through exercises that are focused on
Justice, diversity, equity, and inclusion.
Practice leadership skills alongside peers in a cohort community
Demonstrate the use of at least 2 wellness resources and prepare recommendations for others to enhance their Social-emotional wellness.

Students who complete the Impact Makers cohort gain essential tools to overcome mental health challenges and systemic issues, empowering them to support their peers and become positive forces in their social spheres. By fostering early volunteerism, the program cultivates a new generation of leaders dedicated to strengthening and investing in the future of LA County. Research shows that "youth who volunteer are more likely to feel connected to their communities and, do better in school, and are less likely to engage in risky behaviors." We also aim to enhance the following long term outcomes:
Increase youth and community’s knowledge about depression, anxiety, and suicide in young people, and the tools that exist to address them.
Decrease Loneliness: Focus on youth and community support systems contributing to positive connectivity and a lifestyle of service.
Clinical and Social Interventions: Connect young people to direct services or supports that improve youth mental health.

We measure progress through a mixed method survey administered at the beginning and end of each cohort and facilitator notes. Data from our Spring 2024 cohort also shows, 22 students completed 933.75 hours at 100% completion rate (average 88%). This past year, 13 out of 15 students completed the fall cohort (87% completion rate). 22 students completed the Spring cohort with a 100% completion rate. 25 teens are participating in our new summer 2024 cohort. The program interest has grown exponentially with 45 applicants in the spring and over 50 applicants for the summer. The Volunteer Center will host multiple cohorts by next spring to meet the growing demand.
A sample of our data shows: when students were asked: On a scale of 1 to 5, how familiar are you with topics about Identity 3.15 (pre) 4.38 (post) Wellness/mental health/Self-care: 3.92(pre) 4.61(post) Justice diversity equity and inclusion: 3.61(pre) 4.23(post) Empathy for yourself and others: 3.84(pre) 4.61(post)