Giving youth space to create, learn, and build a brighter future

By Gina Gallagher | Citizens Contributor

Skills transform lives and communities.

They can be the difference between poverty and financial security, or brighter or darker futures, for young people in marginalized groups.

Yet despite their importance, there’s a growing gap between the skills employers require to fill positions and the skills that workers, particularly those living in low-to-moderate income communities, possess.

As a large employer, Citizens understands how vital workplace skills are to the economic wellbeing of our communities. That’s the reason we recently expanded our signature Champions in Action program to New York and New Jersey, and in its inaugural year, recognized two nonprofit organizations that share our passion for workforce development.

These extraordinary nonprofits — Art Start of New York City and Rise of Central New Jersey —  were recognized for their innovative summer programming that enriches the lives of youth by helping them gain durable skills to build brighter futures. As Champions in Action, each organization will receive $35,000 in unrestricted funding as well as media coverage, promotion and employee volunteers.

Let’s look at the impact.

Art Start of New York

This New York, NY youth organization uses four bold words to describe its mission-based work to help young people: Imagine. Believe. Create. Become.

Reshard Riggins, MPA, Art Start’s Co-Executive Director/Chief Executive Officer, brings them to life when she describes the organization’s passion for using the creative process to nurture the voices, hearts and minds of the historically marginalized youth they serve.

She recounts the story of the young adult who attends Art Start’s program and will soon release their first album. “It’s amazing to see that young person perform at concerts and artistic institutions. They now have the opportunity to flourish and apply the skills they learned to develop their craft and live as an artist in Chicago.”

There’s another Art Start student who will participate in a year-long fellowship that will lead to full-time employment with a prominent auction house. “[The student] loves art and drawing, and just needed a chance to have someone who believed in them and could show them how valued artistic work is.”

There are many other stories of success and even more that have yet to be written for the often-marginalized youth who come to Art Start from transitional housing, residential facilities, public schools, foster care and non-secure detention centers. At Art Start, each will be given space to imagine, believe and represent their creative vision to build a brighter future.

“We found that young people who are able to express themselves in a creative environment tend to be more interested in going to work and pursuing a career,” Reshard says.

To provide that creative education, Art Start relies heavily on partnerships with community organizations that align with its mission to help skill and upskill youth, including one of its newest partners, Citizens. The organization will use the Champions in Action funding and volunteer support to help promote financial literacy and to show students how to budget, save and apply for college.

“We’re not just helping young people create beautiful works of art; but also helping provide career pathways in the creative economy that can help them build a successful career in art,” says Reshard.

Rise of New Jersey

As Executive Director of a neighborhood social service organization, Leslie Koppel has learned a lot from working with young people, including one very telling fact.

“You can’t tell them where to go. They go where they feel like they belong, where the energy is.”

For dozens of diverse teenagers from the local community in Mercer County NJ, that place has been Rise. 

The social services organization, formerly known as the Community Action Service Center, was founded in the 1960s to help those living in poverty. Its mission, however, has grown to respond to the changing needs of the community, including those involving youth who have struggled with mental health challenges over the last few years.

“After the pandemic, kids were walking around wondering where they belong,” adds Leslie.

Through a youth summer camp and empowerment group, Rise has not just given youth a space where they belong, but a creative avenue to help them find meaning and purpose in their lives: social entrepreneurship. 

“The generation of kids ages 16-24 is really attracted to social entrepreneurship and figuring out how they can make their lives meaningful,” she adds. “They’re really dedicated to changing the environment.”

It’s no wonder Rise has seen an uptick in demand for its services.

“We used to get 10 kids at our youth group, now we’re getting 40 or 50 kids. They’re willingly coming to meetings in the evening and bringing friends.”

Through summer camp and the youth group, students are gaining the skills they need to create and manage businesses. For example, they created Valentine’s Day cards to sell at the Rise Thrift Store. A portion of the profits went back to their youth empowerment group to fund future projects and another portion went to a charity of their choice. 

“They’re learning social entrepreneurship by working to support themselves with seed money from their business endeavors while helping support the community,” enthuses Leslie. “Their ideas are getting bigger and bigger and they’re learning how to use their passions and skills to be even more successful.”

Like Art Start, Rise relies on community partnerships and will take full advantage of the benefits that come with being a Champion in Action. “The financial support from Citizens will really make a difference, but it’s the volunteers and people that will bring our program to life,” Leslie shares.

Volunteers from Citizens will support Rise’s financial literacy efforts by teaching youth how to save and manage money and write a business plan, and most importantly how to build a brighter future.

Ready to learn more about the good work of our Champions?

Since 2002, Citizens Champions in Action has provided more than $10 million in unrestricted funds to more than 370 deserving nonprofits that help strengthen our communities. Learn more about Champions in Action and other ways Citizens is committed to helping nonprofit organizations.