Skip Navigation
acfbanner  
ACF
Department of Health and Human Services Administration for Children and Families
          
ACF Home   |   Services   |   Working with ACF   |   Policy/Planning   |   About ACF   |   ACF News   |   HHS Home

  Questions?  |  Privacy  |  Site Index  |  Contact Us  |  Download Reader™Download Reader  |  Print Print      

Administration on Developmental Disabilitiesskip to primary page content

Family Support

Youth Information, Training and Resources Centers Fact Sheet

Purpose: These youth grantees are undertaking projects which enable them to design and demonstrate youth information, training and resource centers for youth and emerging leaders with developmental disabilities.

Collaborations: The youth grantees are encouraged to collaborate with entities that have the best interest of individuals with developmental disabilities at heart, including Developmental Disabilities Councils, Protection and Advocacy Agencies and University Centers of Excellence in Developmental Disabilities. All youth grantees have local collaborators which serve as members of their advisory committees.

Goals: These grantees assist youth (ages 13 – 17) and emerging leaders (ages 18 – 30) with developmental disabilities with transition, empowerment and advocacy issues.

In FY 2005, over 777 youth and emerging leaders with developmental disabilities were part of trainings, community activities and advisory boards. Over 136 other youth and emerging leaders received I&R from the 15 grantees. Three of the 15 grantees are considered national centers serving youth and emerging leaders in a variety of states and communities.

Results/Examples:

  • Inclusion Research Institute (IRI) – The DC Self-Advocacy Empowerment Center has established three Empowerment groups that have been meeting and working on advocacy efforts: The Sharpe Health School - 14 youth; the College Student and Young Professionals Group - 11 emerging leaders; and the National Children’s Center group - 7 emerging leaders. A fourth Empowerment group is being established at the Cesar Chavez Public Policy Charter High School.
  • Institute for Educational Leadership – National Consortium on Leadership and Disability-Youth (NCLD- Youth) – NCLD-Youth has been developing and revising their various workbooks and curricula, a legislative guide and submitted their draft curriculum on disability culture/history to a group of youth reviewers. They continue to work with a graphic designer/web master who is developing a selection of clip art with disability themes. IEL continues to collaborate with various youth groups and programs for youth across various states.
  • IA- Department of Human Services – Self Advocacy and Leadership for Youth with Disabilities (SALYD) - The website is up and running at http://www.salyd.org. The “side” SALYD a potential program branch of the organization to conduct outreach, host social events and other activities to increase youth participation and youth knowledge about programs and opportunities is being considered.
  • The Maryland Developmental Disabilities Council – Youth Empowerment Alliance (YEA) The website has been completed at www.mdyea.org. The YEA project has completed three modules for their trainings. Prince Georges County is considered the pilot site for the youth leadership advisory committee meeting.
  • Independence, Productivity, Self-Determination, Integration and Inclusion’s (IPSII Inc.) IPSII, Pathways: The Road to Leadership – IPSII has developed youth-friendly web-based materials in English and in Spanish. They have the unique opportunity to work with the Family Support 360 implementation grantee within the same neighborhood. They are seeking to expand collaboration. The emerging leaders are now taking more active leadership roles in the advisory meetings. Pathways have developed a leadership training program for non-readers.
  • WA Protection and Advocacy System (WPAS) - School to Work – WPAS is working with five school districts, each having weekly advocacy clubs that are student led. They continue to receive requests from school districts.

Youth Information, Training and Resource Centers:

In 2004, ADD awarded funding to 15 youth grantees to design and implement Youth Information, Training and Resource Centers. A year later, Enterprise Services and Technologies, Inc. (EST) was awarded the contract to provide technical assistance to the youth grantees. EST staff coordinates the annual Technical Assistance Institute, facilitates grantee conference calls, maintains a database of experts and addresses technical assistance needs. Through this contract, a technical assistance web site has also been developed and may be viewed at: www.addyic.org.

To view Youth Programs by state/territory, please click here.