Green Up Clean Up

Meeting Jesus in the streets

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23. Defining long-term and short-term goals for your detached youth work program

Long-Term Goals

  1. Community Integration: Foster a sense of community amongst youth and integrate marginalised youths into the broader community. Aim for increased instances of youth participating in community events and programs.
  2. Personal Development: Facilitate personal development through education, mentorship, and life-skill workshops. Achieve measurable improvement in attendees’ academic and/or job-related skills within a set time frame.
  3. Crime Reduction: Collaborate with local authorities to lower crime rates involving young people. Set quantitative targets for reducing minor offences among the participant group.
  4. Health and Well-being: Improve physical and mental health services accessibility for the youth. Monitor health-related indices to observe positive trends in youth well-being over a 5-year period.
  5. Sustainability: Ensure the program’s continuity through diverse funding streams, community support, and policy advocacy. Aim to secure long-term funding commitments and establish a volunteer base.

Short-Term Goals

  1. Outreach Growth: Increase the number of youths engaged in the program quarterly. Use outreach initiatives and social media campaigns to raise awareness and attract participants.
  2. Mentorship Network: Establish a mentorship program with volunteers from different professions within 6 months. Pair youths with mentors to facilitate guidance and support.
  3. Skill Workshops: Organise monthly skill-building workshops. Track the attendance and feedback to tailor future workshops to the needs and interests of the youth.
  4. Partnerships : Create strategic partnerships with local businesses and educational institutions within the first year. Leverage these partnerships to provide work experience opportunities and educational grants.
  5. Feedback Mechanism: Implement a system for collecting feedback from youth participants and stakeholders. Use this feedback to make iterative improvements to the program every 3 months.

These defined goals should align with the values and mission of your youth work program, ensuring that each step contributes meaningfully to the development and integration of the young people in your program.

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