Neighborhood Leaders In Action
As a team of thought partners, we invest in the development of young people to become effective leaders. All lessons are paired with structured opportunities to practice leadership. This provides a great opportunity for students to develop, nurture and grow as leaders, and apply the necessary strategies in an increasingly complex and competitive environment that overincarcerates youth.
Overall, the project reflects the mission and values of Neighborhood Benches by our commitment to working towards replacing criminalization and incarceration with an alternative approach to address violence through community-based solutions that engage young people as capable actors and advocates; rooting our work directly within the community’s place of residence and its cultures; engaging communities of color; supporting a holistic approach that addresses young people’s needs from various perspectives; promoting collective leadership and collaboration; and including people of all generations to strengthen the community’s fabric and tap into the experiences of all generations in our efforts to build a more supportive and just society.
