The Youth Community Coalition is actively working with community partners to provide the promise of an effective education to every student in Columbia.  Check out our Effective Education page to learn more.

National Safe Place week is March 17-23.  This annual week highlights the Safe Place program, which brings together businesses and volunteers to provide immediate help and safety to young people facing abuse, neglect, bullying or other crisis situations. It is a time to raise awareness of Safe Place as an immediate option for youth in crisis and to recognize many valued Safe Place partners that strengthen the national safety net for youth.

To find out more about the Safe Place program in Columbia, click here.

A lot of times we get the question, “What exactly does the Youth Community Coalition do?”  For such a simple question, at times, it can be hard to give a simple answer.  This is because the work of the Youth Community Coalition covers such a broad spectrum.  The Coalition addresses substance abuse, education, public safety, mental heath, teen pregnancy, and so much more.  While the Coalition cares about specific issues, what lies at the heart of what we do is a passion for Positive Youth Development.  This is the idea that kids aren’t divided up by what issues they struggle with, they are whole people, in need of support in every area of their live.  Further, it is not about issues, it’s about solutions.  It’s not about what makes a child weak, it’s about what makes them strong.

So, to answer the question, maybe a picture would help…