Empower
Growth
Creating Positive Change in Communities on a Local, County and State Level
Since 2016 the organization has engaged youth in digital communication strategies for social justice initiatives and trained interconnected networks of youth to cultivate collective power for civic action. The organizations Social Impact program for high school youth aims to create positive change in communities on a local, county and/or state level. Instead of viewing a potential solution in terms of financial returns or personal gain, Club Stride leaders learn to consider the effect that their actions have on the surrounding community. This is a project-based program that provides teens with knowledge and skills to utilize participatory action research to assess and answer critical questions about community issues currently affecting themselves and their families; and a safe platform to act to problem-solve. In addition, the program deepens youth engagement efforts through media technology and civic leadership opportunities.
Youth-Led Change for a Prosperous Tomorrow: Be Part of It
The Club Stride social justice youth development approach
is based on a healing-centered, mindfulness-based,
social emotional learning curriculum that
models effective problem solving and
utilizes media technology as a framework
for advancing health equity. Our civic
leadership curriculum focuses on areas to
advance racial and health equity such as
transportation and STI prevention. Each
program is strength-based and grounded
in leadership development activities that
build hope, highlights media technology
and creativity as problem solving tools,
and develops spaces where
re-traumatization is managed through
trauma informed practices.
Club Stride has adopted the Prevention Institute Recommendations Roadmap for Proposition 64 to ensure social justice youth development that is culturally responsive, racially just, healing and trauma centered.
Youth-led community advocates, Action In Movement (AIM), was fostered from similar community engagement. The group operates as a Club Stride advisory committee to reduce substance use in Solano County and is the impetus for prioritizing peer-led supports for substance use prevention, by youth at all levels of the organization.