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Relationships are crucial to all of us--and especially to teenagers! Their ability to maintain healthy relationships is an important part of their lives today and a key to their future.

Casa de Esperanza's youth initiatives are a vehicle for students to support and educate one another. The goals of the after-school groups and in-school presentations are to

• increase students' knowledge about domestic violence
• teach strategies for violence-free living
• promote students' personal development.

After-school groups meet at sites in Minneapolis and St. Paul. Led by our Youth Initiatives Specialist, the groups seek to increase the students' ability to make good choices and resolve personal and family conflicts non-violently while increasing a sense of control in their lives. Topics of discussion are often based on the participants' interests and have included: dating violence, conflict resolution, domestic violence, and teen pregnancy.

In-school presentations center on domestic violence issues and causes, exposing youth to warning signs and healthy ways to confront and cope with violence in our society. Presentations create awareness that applies to students' home lives as well as their school environment.

Our research indicated that participation in youth groups is beneficial for Latino youth who have experienced domestic abuse. We also found that "cultural capital"--extended family and social networks and traditions, such as religion, language, respect for authority, and commitment to family--protects Latino youth from social problems.

We are especially proud of our film for youth, ¡Ubicate!^TM Students partnered with our staff throughout 2003 to develop this Spanish-language vehicle for promoting healthy relationships. A youth council of middle and high school students participated in all aspects of the production. These young Latinos are not only taking leadership in teaching non-violence but also building skills and competencies that will carry them into the future.

In 2002 Casa de Esperanza received funding from 3M to evaluate our youth education initiatives. Besides conducting research on Latino youth and evaluating current work, we are creating an integrated evaluation system to promote continual development of the work.

Latino youth are teaching one another to solve problems non-violently by participating in after-school groups and developing educational tools, such as the video on healthy relationships. They are equipping themselves now and shaping themselves for the future . . and our society.

If you wish to contact us about:

Our Youth Initiatives . . . write us at ourwork@casadeesperanza.org

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