The Creative GRP, LLC Announces 2011 Youth Empowerment Retreat to Celebrate "The Year of the Youth"
Online, October 29, 2010 (Newswire.com) - (Baltimore, MD)-2011 has officially been declared "The Year of the Youth", and to celebrate, The Creative GRP, LLC is planning an innovative 2011 Youth Empowerment RETREAT-a year-long slate of activities designed to empower, motivate, encourage, enlighten and energize our youth and parents through knowledge, education and opportunity.
Through a four-phrase program occurring in the winter, spring, summer and fall of 2011, 100-150 at-risk youth ages 8-18 in the Baltimore area will participate in a series of activities, workshops, community service initiatives, mentoring programs and training opportunities designed to provide both youth and parents with the knowledge they need, the opportunity they've been seeking and a chance to do more for themselves and their community.
Why a year-long "Youth Empowerment RETREAT"? According to Dr. Tekemia Dorsey, a tireless advocate for youth and education who has spent her time and efforts educating, empowering and advocating for youth and their parents, the "2011 Youth Empowerment RETREAT" is the next logical step in addressing the chronic problems that youth and their parents have been facing. "There are many examples of traditional workshops, trainings and programs that youth are encouraged to participate in that are designed to address issues facing our youth-delinquency, low academics, gang violence, peer pressure, inner city problems, etc.," said Dorsey, "but there aren't any avenues that address issues of truly empowering our youth to take on leadership positions and then provide them with actual opportunities to apply their new-found knowledge."
Based on Dr. Dorsey's model of Leadership Training and Education and The Leadership Institute for Elementary and Middle School-Aged Youth she found, the 2011 Youth Empowerment RETREAT is comprised of FOUR phases: 1) a winter literacy-mentorship reading book program and a leadership workshop (2) a one-day empowerment retreat in the spring which provides both parents and youth with the opportunity to participate in workshops and training sessions to prepare them for the next phase; 3) an application phase where youth are paired with community agencies and assigned mentors to enable them to apply the knowledge they've acquired by participating in community service initiatives and 4) a one-day empowerment retreat in the fall consisting of workshops, a keynote speaker and awards program.
Even though the initiative is in the initial planning stages, it's already secured partnerships with Morgan State University's Entrepreneurial Development and Assistance Center, The Creative Grp, LLC, and KARS Consulting Group, LLC. Organizers are seeking sponsorships, partnerships, participation from community organizations and will be announcing selection procedures for youth participants and their parents in the upcoming weeks. Those interested in participating in the initiative or lending their support should contact Dr. Tekemia Dorsey at 410-391-3880 or 2011yer@thecreativegrp.org for additional information.