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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.
![IMG_2550.jpg](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/ef8a45_c1df5ea60cce42099e10893a9a16b3c9~mv2.jpg/v1/crop/x_109,y_50,w_427,h_362/fill/w_318,h_270,al_c,q_80,usm_0.66_1.00_0.01,enc_auto/IMG_2550.jpg)
![#youthmatter #teachthetruth #plantthesee](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/ef8a45_850282b50a4d48d18759f7fb77ef04fc~mv2.jpg/v1/crop/x_26,y_0,w_611,h_489/fill/w_333,h_267,al_c,q_80,usm_0.66_1.00_0.01,enc_auto/%23youthmatter%20%23teachthetruth%20%23plantthesee.jpg)
![Today at the Youth Town Hall in the Bron](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/ef8a45_d7336cc0605444dd82920fb2aeb2e00a~mv2.jpg/v1/crop/x_23,y_14,w_601,h_519/fill/w_309,h_267,al_c,q_80,usm_0.66_1.00_0.01,enc_auto/Today%20at%20the%20Youth%20Town%20Hall%20in%20the%20Bron.jpg)
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.