Youth initiatives
The core programming of Carolina Youth Action Project centers youth power, campaign work, and political education. As an organization, we’re always redeveloping our youth initiatives with the intention to meet the needs of our communities and uplift our Core Values. As the needs of Charleston youth shift over time, so will CYAP’s offerings and support. You can see all of our current and past youth initiatives below!
CURRENT YOUTH INITIATIVES
JESSAMINE
JESSAMINE is Carolina Youth Action Project’s most recently introduced youth initiative that bring young folks throughout South Carolina together to create and contribute towards a zine. A ‘zine’ is defined as a small-circulation self-published work of original or appropriated texts and images and has been a longstanding element of creative resistance and mobilizing folks within organizing spaces. This program provided a much-needed framework to connect girls, trans youth, and gendernoncomforming youth from the Lowcountry region of South Carolina through their creativity, essays, art, and political education.
Below are some pages from the first edition of the zine!
You can read more about the zine and check for our calls for submissions here!
Youth Leader Institute
The Youth Leader Institute (YLI) aims to build skills for girls, trans youth, and gender nonconforming youth ages 14-18 to support, critically analyze, and lead a movement for radical and lasting change in South Carolina. This program acts as a digital organizing school, equipping our young people with the tools to effectively build and sustain a base of folks who support and are invested in our campaign work by utilizing virtual and in-person direct action.
YLI Youth Leaders are trained up as organizers to build strategy and mobilize work around our two youth-led campaigns: Safer Schools Without SROs & Sex Education Beyond Abstinence! These campaigns are updated as incoming Youth Leaders see fit.
PAST YOUTH INITIATIVES
Youth Action Alliance
From 2017 to 2021, Youth Action Alliance (YAA) was a political education intensive focusing on transformative justice, prison abolition, and popular education for girls, trans youth, and gender nonconforming youth ages 14-21. YAA took place between February and May of each year and is made up of three distinct cohorts: Activate, Build, and Transform.
The Activate Cohort learned about restorative justice, transformative justice, interdependence, and community accountability. Our Build Cohort discussed issues of power, conflict, punishment, disposability, the prison industrial complex, and abolitionist resistance. Youth Leaders in the Transform Cohort deepened their understanding of popular education and were trained up as community facilitators. Youth leaders in each of our three cohorts received stipends for their time and participation in our discussions.
Talking Circles
Talking circles, a practice rooted in transformative justice and community care, provide space for young people to build relationships and discuss critical issues. We utilize talking circles to build and deepen community partnerships with local organizations and support girls, trans youth, and gender nonconforming youth who might not otherwise be involved with CYAP’s initiatives. Talking Circles will be on pause while CYAP is practicing quarantine and social distancing during COVID-19 until further notice.
