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COMMITTEES:

Alternative Youth Activities
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Training Youth Activity Workers
Religious Institutions
Youth Board
Parents
Media

Executive Committee Members
Advisory Board
Task Forces

Erie County Youth Activities Survey Project

40 Developmental Assets®

OUR MISSION

OUR VISION

HISTORY

In 1994, Erie County conducted a community assessment through the Communities that Care (CTC) process and identified family management problems, extreme economic deprivation and early and persistent anti-social behavior as the major risk factors for youth in Erie County. The CTC Prevention Board in Erie County has been sustained over the years in the form of the collaborative board, the Erie County Policy and Planning Council for Children and Families (ECPPC). The council conducted ongoing assessments of the community through the Mercyhurst Civic Institute, determined that one link to the identified risk factors was our high rate of teen pregnancy, and wrote a prevention plan that began the Teen Pregnancy Prevention Advisory Board in 1997.

In 2002, the ECPPC adopted a recommendation to promote comprehensive healthy youth development as the best way to address teenage pregnancy prevention. At this time the Healthy Youth Development Advisory Board was created as a committee of ECPPC.

The 40 Developmental Assets were first introduced to Erie County in 2000 by Sister Maura Smith and C.A.L.L. (Congregational Action to Lift Lives). In 2001 Sister Maura Smith, and C.A.L.L. formed the Healthy Communities/Healthy Youth Initiative of Erie County. In 2003 the Healthy Communities/Healthy Youth Initiative joined forces with the Healthy Youth Development Advisory Board.

The Healthy Youth Development Board has 7 task forces, each addressing a different way in which the community impacts the development of our youth. These task forces are: Parents, Religious Institutions, Media, Schools/Risky Behaviors, Alternative Youth Activities, Training Youth Activity Workers, and the Youth Board. It is with this structure that the Healthy Youth Development Board has become the primary catalyst to promote the 40 Developmental Assets to the youth and adults of Erie County.  In 2007, the HYD Advisory Board received a 3 year grant from United Way to promote the Assets throughout Erie County. Linked with Union City Healthy Youth Development, the Nurturing Children and Developing Youth Impact Council of United Way, The Central City Initiative (starting with the inner-city youth services of the Booker T. Washington Center,) many youth serving and civic organizations, and with a Coordinator provided by the United Way monies, Healthy Youth Development of Erie County is fulfilling the vision of eliminating the risk factors for youth in Erie County which were identified in 1994.