RAP's youth policy fellows have started off strong with their self-directed advocacy projects, and we want to continue their development by supporting them at a weekend leadership retreat! Part of a successful advocacy strategy is building community with those around you to make your voices more powerful -- funding this microproject will give these 6 fellows an amazing opportunity outside of the city to develop community and teamwork together through outdoor, experiential learning.
Growing up in under-resourced communities in Brooklyn, Manhattan, and the Bronx, most of our fellows have never been outside of the city. The only time they are all able to come together as a group is during their two-hour sessions on Thursday afternoons. This micro-project will allow them to step outside of their environments to gain perspective and clarity in their visions for social change.
A weekend retreat at Wide Angle Vision will give the fellows an opportunity to see the possibility of their true potential through experiential learning. Through participating in activities like rock climbing or kayaking, these young people will have the chance to share in a powerful experience of supporting both themselves and each other! At the same time, they will be gaining necessary skills that will support them in completing successful advocacy campaigns!
From this retreat, this group of six low-income youth of color will emerge as a coherent team that has had space and time to engage in outdoor activities that spur creative thinking. They will undertake policy research and advocacy to make government and community systems more responsive to the needs of New York City's most vulnerable youth and capable of responding to those most historically marginalized from system-change initiatives.
