There Is So Much To Say..

There is so much that i can say about what my friends and i experienced on Wednesday October 28, 2009. First off, i will tell you where we went; we made a journey to Square One to visit the youth center. The Square One Youth Center is located inside of the large mall. I went to the Square One Youth Center (SOYC) to learn how to develop our campaign. For those who are unaware of our campaign it is called Silence The Sirens. Silence The Sirens is a non- profit campaign that targets the issue of youth violence. This campaign was created by 3 students; Sophia Nguyen, Darren Rowe and myself. Our goal is to bring awareness about youth violence as well as decrease the amount of violence and help those who need it get on the right track to creating a successful future.

If you want to learn more about our campaign please visit www.silencethesirens.webnode.com for more information on Silence The Sirens.

On that day, i had very high expectations about what was going to happen. There was a mixture of excitement and anxiousness in my stomach. But what i was worried about was.. what would i ask the people who managed the youth center? I wanted to get some good answers that could benefit my group when building up our campaign. When we arrived at the youth center, excitement and anxiousness began to build up again. Walking into the doors of the center, i saw about 5 youth in the room simply playing video games, cards or on the computer. The atmosphere felt very chill and laid back. Me, along with my group member observed the area and took some pictures that we could document on our experience. It was nice to have that time to really see what a youth center could look like. Afterwards, we spoke with a very nice gentlemen named Tim, who volunteers full-time at the youth center. He was great help in answering the tough questions we threw at him. Listening to what he had to say really empowered the group and myself. He made us feel that our goals and dreams can to achieve; with a little hard work of course.

The Square One Youth Center is a place where youth can be safe. Apart of they're goal is to get youth of the street and provide services that will help these kids provide a stronger future. Services include, housing, career and educational postings. This center is for youth between the ages of 12- 24 who can get information on community resources. There are many activities to be involved in and their is also counselling and support on any issues. There is internet access, resume assistance, volunteer opportunities, tutoring and social groups as well. Square One Youth Center takes in approximately 35 youth each day. Many youth come in and out from shelters that require them not to stay during the day. One of the questions that our group asked was, "How do you get them( youth) to come back?" Tim answered, "By accepting everyone. Just being myself, a regular person, to make them feel comfortable. As well as using my past experiences to empower those who are going through it right now." He dresses very casual rather than in a suit or a tie because he wants to be himself and dress like them. He doesn't want to come across as higher authority over these youth. Dressing as himself helps him to connect with the youth in the best way possible and make them feel that they are on the same level as him.

How do they measure progress? Through the amount of lives that they can touch as well as the amount of relationships that can be built. The level of trust is very important. The volunteers keep in touch with the youths education by looking at their report cards. Now funding was a big question mark that i needed to know about. The youth center is funded by PCC and Nexis. I was really enjoying the meeting up to this point; but i suddenly realized the colleague of different people on the wall. When the question about the wall came up i finally understood the meaning. It was not just a wall of pictures, it was a wall of empowerment and inspirations. People such as, Mother Theresa, Princess Diana, Bob Marley and President Barrack Obama; people who have overcome and achieved a lot for themselves and others. After the meeting, i took one last look at the Youth Center and took my final pictures. Leaving, i realized how successful the meeting was and how much i learned. I definitely felt determined and confident about our campaign and our goals. There is so much to say about our experience and i dont think there are an words to explain it.