YAP, Inc.The Neighborhood Advocate

Preparing people who face employment barriers with job skills that will be sustainable in the future is important to Youth Advocate Programs (YAP®), Inc. National Vice President of Workforce and Economic Development Patrick Young.

“You can get a job right now but why put yourself in a situation where your position will be eliminated in the next few months,” Young said. 

YAP® is a national nonprofit that partners with public systems to provide community-based wraparound and behavioral health services as an alternative to youth incarceration and residential care. With government partnerships in communities in 32 states and Washington, DC. the national nonprofit applies principles of its evidence-based youth and family services model to also help cities reduce violence. 

“I like the idea that we’re able to prepare people who face employment barriers for jobs that are not going to be non-existent in the next year,” said Young, who joined YAP® last year and has been working to expand the organization’s workforce development programs by working with employers to match the training and experience opportunities to the businesses’ future needs. 

Through partnerships with community employers and volunteers, YAPWORX® provides a job skills and positive work habit curriculum designed for individuals who face barriers to employment. YAP® Supported Work matches program participants with employers, many of them small businesses in their neighborhoods, who give young people on-the-job work experiences. Through government and philanthropic partnerships, young people receive compensation from YAP for both YAPWORX® and YAP® Supported Work. 

Young is working with the Tools of Thought team at the University of Chicago’s Education Lab to develop a Work Readiness Credential that program participants and families will receive once they complete specific YAP® workforce training.

“Our next-generation YAP® Supported Work and YAPWORX will have a credential option from the University of Chicago that acknowledges the completion of the work readiness model,” Young said. 

The YAPWORX® curriculum will offer experiences for system involved youth, those with intellectual disabilities or autism, participants’ parents, and individuals returning from correctional facilities and others at the greatest risk for violence engagement.

• YAP® youth (ages 14-24) focused on career discovery, soft skills and identify formation
• YAP® (individuals with disabilities or barriers) Offices of Vocational Rehabilitation (OVR) focusing on accessibility, adaptive technology and self-advocacy
• YAP® (parents and adults) focusing on economic stability, digital literacy and balance
• YAP® Reentry and Community Violence Intervention (returning citizens and credible messengers) focuses on capital rebuilding and trauma-informed employment.

“I’ve done a lot of this work in local spaces in parts and pieces and I think what I like about YAP the most so far is that there’s not a lot of pushback on my ideas, I get an opportunity to explore some of my ideas,” Young said. “It’s the ability to innovate and be inclusive, that’s what I really like.”

Prior to joining YAP®, Young served as Director of Economic Empowerment at The First 72+ and also held leadership roles with the New Orleans Business Alliance and City of New Orleans’ Mayor’s Office of Gun Violence Prevention. He is Leaders of Color Fellow and has served as a W.K. Kellogg Foundation Global Fellow.  He is a graduate of the University of Chicago’s Community Violence Intervention Leadership Academy and Georgetown University’s New Strategies Rising Program.

For more information on YAP®, visit yapinc.org.

Cook County, Ill. – Navigating her teen years, GeeGee struggled as she searched for purpose, guidance and support. Today, she’s a business administration major at Chicago’s Roosevelt University with plans to be a leader in her community.

Through a partnership with the Illinois Department of Juvenile Justice, GeeGee received intensive wraparound services from Youth Advocate Programs (YAP®), Inc. Today, she is thriving in college with financial help from the nonprofit’s Tom Jeffers Endowment Fund for Continuing Education scholarship, funded primarily by donations from the nonprofit’s employees.

“As a young person navigating complex challenges…I often felt overwhelmed and misunderstood,” GeeGee wrote in her scholarship application. “YAP came into my life through a community referral, and from the start, it became more than just a program, it became a safe space where I was seen, heard, and supported.”

YAP® trains Advocates to help program participants and their families see and nurture their strengths and connect them with economic, educational and emotional tools that help set them up for success. GeeGee said her Advocate who provided her with guidance, and gave her a sense of community.

“…I began building real-life skills from goal setting to leadership,” GeeGee wrote. “The program helped me recognize that my story has power and that I could use my experiences to fuel positive change. YAP didn’t just help me survive; it helped me imagine a future where I could thrive and lead.”

A national nonprofit in 32 states and Washington, D.C., YAP® partners with public systems to provide evidence-based  YAPWrap® individual and family wraparound and behavioral health services as an alternative to placing young people in trouble or crisis in residential care and corrections facilities.

The unique Endowment Scholarship Fund helps with college tuition, job training, continuing education and fees. Recipients may also opt to receive a laptop computer or curriculum required supplies. Eligible current and former program participants and their parents/guardians may apply for and receive the scholarship annually.

“My long-term goal is to become a leader in my community, possibly even mayor, so I can advocate for justice, youth empowerment, and access to mental health support,” GeeGee wrote. “One of my biggest dreams is to open a business or a community center that supports underserved youth, giving them a place to feel safe, grow, and succeed.”

In GeeGee’s scholarship recommendation letter, her YAP® Advocate said that despite her personal challenges, she persevered, graduated high school on time, and stayed committed to her academic goals.

“Throughout the time I’ve worked with her, she has consistently demonstrated determination, maturity, and a deepening sense of purpose that make her a strong candidate for this opportunity,” GeeGee’s YAP® Advocate wrote. “This growth mindset has allowed her to build a solid foundation for success in higher education and beyond.”

GeeGee is thankful to supporters, YAP® and her Advocate.

“I’m grateful for the impact YAP has had on my life, and I’m committed to paying it forward every step of the way,” GeeGee added.

To donate to the Endowment Fund, click here or more information about YAP® can be found at yapinc.org.

Hundreds of youths and families facing basic needs and other complex challenges enjoyed a happy Thanksgiving, made possible by YAP^® staff donations and community partners, delivered by neighborhood-based Youth Advocate Programs (YAP^®), Inc. staff. Youth justice, behavioral health, child welfare, public safety and other local systems partner with YAP® to provide family/community-based services, often as an alternative to placing young people in corrections and residential care facilities.

Through philanthropic and partnerships and internal and external donations – many local YAP® program participants nationwide received Thanksgiving drives, deliveries, dinners, and giveaways.

Founded in 1975, YAP^® is the leading nonprofit provider of services that reduce the nation’s over reliance on youth incarceration, residential care, and group home foster placements. YAP^® partners with public systems to provide neighborhood-based wraparound and behavioral health services as an alternative to placing young people in trouble or crisis is residential care and corrections facilities. YAP^® also incorporates its time-tested model in its approach to deliver community violence intervention services.

YAP® Advocates are trained to deliver the nonprofit’s evidence-based YAPWrap® services model, which empowers program participants to see and nurture their strengths and connects them and their parents/ guardians, and other family members with tools to help them put their lives on a positive course. 

YAP® November Thanksgiving Review 2025

Essex/Union County, NJ

Because of the kindness of the community, 175 YAP® families received turkeys this Thanksgiving. YAP® New Jersey Lead Director Curtis Moore helped distribute the turkeys to families of YAP® program participants in Essex/Union County, New Jersey.

Dauphin County, PA

YAP’s® Dauphin County Outpatient Clinic hosted its annual Holiday Dinner Giveaway. Each year, program participants are able to sign up to receive a holiday dinner equipped with everything that they need to prepare a full course meal for themselves and their families, including a turkey, side dishes, vegetables, and dessert. YAP® staff traveled all over Harrisburg, PA (where the national nonprofit is headquartered) and surrounding areas to deliver meals to program participants and their families at home. Donations came from employees at YAP® – The Support Center (headquarters), and food distribution was coordinated by Chief Administration Officer Cliff Kubiak.

“Providing these meals allows us to build a better connection with our program participants, relieve some of their holiday stress, and give back to our community,” said YAP® Dauphin County, PA Director of Operations Keona Carter. “A very special thank you to Cliff Kubiak and his team for collecting and coordinating all of the donation boxes and many thanks to all of those that donated.”

Somerset County, PA

YAP® Somerset County, Pa. programs came together to raise funds to provide Thanksgiving meals for program participants and families. Thanks to their efforts, more than 30 families were able to enjoy a full holiday meal. Additionally, YAP® staff personally delivered the meals – that included turkey, mashed potatoes, gravy, stuff, corn, green beans, rolls pie and cranberry sauce – to each family.

“This act of kindness truly reflects the dedication and compassion of our staff, and we couldn’t be prouder of the impact they’ve made in the community,” said YAP® Somerset County, PA Program Coordinator Jennifer Holder.

Mecklenburg County, NC

The YAP® Alternatives to Violence (ATV) – Beatties Ford Road team in Charlotte, NC, in partnership with other nonprofits, helped make sure neighbors in the Beatties Ford Road corridor received a Thanksgiving meal.

Clinton County, NY

YAP® Clinton County, NY collaborated with the MHAB Life Skills Campus, Champlain Valley Family Center, Behavioral Health Services North, NAMI Champlain Valley, and United Way of the Adirondack Region, Inc to host Annual Recovery Community Thanksgiving Day dinner that fed approximately 1,500 people.

For more information on YAP®, visit yapinc.org.

Washington, D.C. – Youth Advocate Programs (YAP®), Inc. hosted YAP® Global Youth Voices Storytelling Salon on Nov. 4, 2025 in Washington, D.C. in celebration of the organization’s golden anniversary. The event brought together International and national leaders and community members; in addition to highlighting YAP®’s Global Art Exchange that included artwork and images by youth who have been serviced by the nonprofit.

This first ever Storytelling Salon was a joint effort between YAP® International, YAP®’s Philanthropy Department, and Sierra Leone Youth Advocate Program Executive Director Ajara Marie Bomah, said YAP® Vice President of International Development Diana Matteson.

“It was a wonderful opportunity to tell the YAP story spanning 50 years of making change happen,” Matteson said. “The global YAP story was shared with old and new YAP friends in the D.C. community with international delegates representing seven countries giving first hand accounts of impact and global collaboration.”

YAP® partners with organizations using the YAPWRAP® model in Australia – Life Without Barriers, Guatemala – Siembra Bien, YAP Programmes Ireland and Sierra Leone Youth Advocate Program SLYAP, helping to lay the groundwork for expanding the global reach of the organization.

“On behalf of the philanthropy team, I would like to recognize the collaboration of our partners, colleagues, and donors alike, for making this pilot event so successful,” said YAP® Major Gifts Officer Alexis Stone. “When passionate partners and generous donors unite, remarkable things happen.”

In addition to Bomah, YAP Programmes Ireland CEO Siobhán O’Dwyer, Siembra Bien Executive Director Gabriela Altman, along with YAP® International 2025 fellows Abdul Rahman Bangura and Ganda Bassie from Sierra Leone, Thomas Tamba Bundoo from Liberia, and Lillian Selmartin from Papua New Guinea were also in attendance. The 2025 fellows spent three months working with local YAP® youth justice programs in Texas and Illinois.

Founded in 1975, Youth Advocate Programs (YAP^®), Inc. is the leading nonprofit provider of services that reduce the nation’s over reliance on youth incarceration, residential care, and group home foster placements. YAP^® partners with public systems to provide neighborhood-based wraparound and behavioral health services as an alternative to placing young people in trouble or crisis is residential care and corrections facilities. YAP^® also incorporates its time-tested model in its approach to deliver community violence intervention services.

YAP® also hosted its Making Change Happen Summit and Gala on Nov. 6 in Philadelphia and YAP® Making Change Happen 5K and Food Truck Brunch in Harrisburg, Pa. on Nov. 8. For more information on YAP, visit yapinc.org.

Philadelphia, Pa. – Youth Advocate Programs (YAP®), Inc., celebrated five decades of serving as the nation’s premier nonprofit provider of community-based alternatives to youth incarceration and residential care with its YAP® Making Change Happen Awards Gala on Thursday, Nov. 6, at the Sheraton Philadelphia Downtown. 

The event featured Judge Glenda Hatchett, star of two-time Emmy-nominated “Judge Hatchett” and “The Verdict with Judge Hatchett,” and a former Chief Judge of the Fulton County Juvenile Court in Georgia. The evening brought together youth justice, child welfare, mental health, and public safety practitioners, researchers, and former YAP® program participants. It also honored YAP® pioneers and other American changemakers, including Baltimore Mayor Brandon M. Scott, whose work has led to stronger outcomes with safer and less costly justice, family, and public safety services. 

YAP® partners with youth justice, child welfare, education, developmental disabilities, behavioral health, and other youth and family services systems in communities in 32 states and Washington D.C. YAP®’s decades of service include working with many young people whose histories include serious offenses, multiple arrests, and lengthy out-of-home placements. For more information on YAP®, visit yapinc.org.

Photos and video by Keystone Productions.

Philadelphia, Pa. – Youth Advocate Programs (YAP®), Inc., hosted its YAP® Making Change Happen Summit on Thursday, Nov. 8 in downtown Philadelphia to honor its golden anniversary. The half day Summit allowed for attendees to learn from young people, families, and best practices, from leading experts, practitioners, researchers, and policy makers in child welfare, behavioral health, community safety, education, and youth justice.

Additionally, guests were able to network with individuals who are a part of the continuum of care that is the foundation of how YAP® delivers community-based services as a safer, more effective and less costly alternative to placing young people in trouble or crisis in correctional or residential care facilities. Emmy-nominated actor Richard Cabral served as the Lunch Plenary Featured Speaker.

Founded in 1975, Youth Advocate Programs (YAP^®), Inc. is the leading nonprofit provider of services that reduce the nation’s overreliance on youth incarceration, residential care, and group home foster placements. YAP^® partners with public systems to provide neighborhood-based wraparound and behavioral health services as an alternative to placing young people in trouble or crisis is residential care and corrections facilities. YAP^® also incorporates its time-tested model in its approach to deliver community violence intervention services. The agency’s unique YAPWrap^® service model, capacity building, and policy work make us an innovator in transforming systems. For more information on YAP, visit yapinc.org.

Photos and video by Keystone Productions.

Harrisburg, Pa. – On Saturday, Nov. 8, Youth Advocate Programs (YAP^®), Inc. hosted its inaugural YAP^® Making Change Happen 5k, Walk and Food Truck Brunch in Harrisburg, Pa., where the nonprofit is headquartered. The anniversary event raised awareness of YAP^® as a national change leader and raised general operating funds to support the nonprofit’s work.

After the early morning 5K at City Island, Pa., the event concluded with a conversation at YAP® headquarters with YAP® Board Member William Wachob who shared his memories of the organization’s early years. A YAP® board member since 2017, Wachob was one of the agency’s first employees. Former YAP® Philadelphia program participant and Board Member Ellana Watson also shared her story about receiving services from the nonprofit after she was arrested on assault charges as a youth. Attendees enjoyed food and family fun along with tasty breakfast and lunch choices from truck vendors including Blue Bear BBQ and Mumma’s Eats & Treats. 

YAP® partners with public systems to provide community-based rehabilitative, restorative, behavioral health, intellectual/developmental disabilities, and other services that give communities alternatives to placing young people in group care and correctional facilities. Neighborhood-based YAP® Advocates and behavioral health professionals are trained to deliver individual and family support guided by principles of the nonprofit’s unique wraparound services model. The evidence-based YAPWRAP®  model helps young people see and nurture their strengths and connects them and their families with individualized resources and support. For more information on YAP, visit yapinc.org.

All photos by Keystone Productions.

Ben Struhl, Executive Director of the University of Pennsylvania Crime and Justice Policy Lab, will serve as a panelist at Youth Advocate Programs (YAP®), Inc.’s Nov. 6 50th Anniversary YAP® Making Change Happen Summit in Philadelphia. The Crime and Justice Policy Lab is a national and international organization working across the US and Latin America and the Caribbean. Struhl’s work involves promoting research and research-backed policies that can make communities safer and healthier.

Struhl led the team that designed and helped deliver the City of Baltimore’s Group Violence Reduction Strategy, which reduced violence in the city’s Western District by 30%, while not increasing arrests. Several years into UPenn’s partnership with the City of Baltimore, the city achieved its lowest violence periods on record over the last 50 years.

Founded in Harrisburg, PA in 1975 by Tom Jeffers, YAP® is a national nonprofit that delivers a unique unconditional caring “no reject; no eject” evidence-based service model as an alternative to incarcerating or placing young people in trouble, in crisis, or otherwise facing complex challenges in residential facilities. Neighborhood-based Advocates, outreach workers, life coaches, mental health, and other staff deliver individual and family rehabilitative and restorative services that help program participants see and nurture their strengths and connect them to individualized economic, educational, and emotional needs tools. YAP® partners with youth justice, child welfare, education, and in the past decade, public safety systems to help improve outcomes and safety and save taxpayer dollars. YAP® is one of the two City of Baltimore Group Violence Reduction Strategy nonprofit service delivery partners.

In addition to his City of Baltimore work, Struhl collaborates with a range of public safety partners in the City of Philadelphia, in an effort to use research, data, and management practices to build the capacities necessary for Philadelphia to sustain and extend the city’s violence reduction progress. Aside from Baltimore and Philadelphia, Struhl has provided advice to government leaders or conducted research studies in over twenty cities and states and in ten other countries.

Learn more about YAP® and its 50th anniversary events at YAPInc.org.

Philadelphia, PA — When Natassia was 14, she finally got a chance to put an end to something that had been haunting her for five years.

“When I was nine, I was falsely accused of assaulting my cousin,” she said. “I was going through a hard time. I ended up taking a plea deal.”

Natassia could have been sent away to a youth correctional facility. Instead, a judge assigned her to Philadelphia Youth Advocate Programs (YAP®), Inc., where she began working with an Advocate named Valentiña Landrine.

Celebrating its 50^th year in 2025, YAP® is a national nonprofit in 32 states and Washington, D.C. that delivers community-based rehabilitative, restorative, behavioral health, and other services as an alternative to placing youth in trouble, crisis, or facing other complex challenges in corrections or residential care facilities. Natassia will be a part of the 50^th Anniversary YAP® Making Change Happen Summit luncheon program on Nov. 6 in Philadelphia. She is also a member of the YAP® Alumni Ambassadors, former program participants and family members who share their experiences as a way to give back and raise awareness of YAP®.

Working with Landrine, Natassia began to see herself differently, more positively.

“I’m very creative and outgoing, and I love art and science,” she said.

YAP® Advocates, most of whom are from the neighborhoods served by the nonprofit, are trained to help program participants see and nurture their strengths and connect them and their parents, guardians, and other loved ones with tools that firm their family foundation.

“I freehand draw and I’m a visual learner,” Natassia said, adding that her skills include tattoo design. She also enjoys cooking and will soon begin culinary school. She credits Landrine for helping her remain positive as she builds on her natural talents and interests.

“Valentiña has been much more to me than an Advocate,” Natassia said. “She planned my prom and everything.”

YAP® will always be a part of her life. In addition to remaining close to Landrine, Natassia and another former YAP® participant whom she developed a close friendship with five years ago, are planning a family. She looks forward to her future and is proud to be a part of YAP®’s 50^th Anniversary Summit, especially the luncheon.

“I’m excited to be introducing your speaker!” she said.

Learn more about YAP® and the nonprofit’s 50^th anniversary program at www.yapinc.org.

Cook County, Ill. – As a program participant with Youth Advocate Programs (YAP®), Inc., in Cook County, Ill., Jesse stayed out of trouble, found a part-time job and completed truck driving school. He made a complete turnaround from where he was a year earlier.

“Jesse has made significant strides in making responsible decisions and following through on opportunities,” Jesse’s YAP® Advocate said. “Over the past three months, he has been working part-time, demonstrating responsibility and commitment.”

In its 50^th year, YAP® is a national nonprofit in 32 states and Washington, D.C. that works with youth justice, child welfare, behavioral health, and other public systems to provide community-based services as an alternative to placing young people in trouble, in crisis, or facing other complex challenges outside of their homes in residential care or corrections facilities. YAP® Advocates are trained to deliver the nonprofit’s YAPWrap® services model, which is designed to help program participants see and nurture their strengths and connect them and their parents/ guardians, and other family members with tools, including basic needs resources, to help them put their lives on a positive course.

YAP® provided services to Jesse as part of an Illinois youth justice aftercare program. Now 19, he had spent six months in a youth justice facility after being convicted of armed robbery. Jesse said the time could have been triple that had he not completed a substance use program and earned his GED while in a state facility. As part of his services, the nonprofit connected Jesse to a YAP® Supported Work job, where he received a paycheck as he sharpening his skills and work ethic.

“I benefited from the program by being able to participate in the supportive work program which helped me get back on my feet,” Jesse said, adding that his YAP® Advocate helped him with “all aspects, helping me get my life together, apply for jobs, going out for food and having good talks while updating him about my progress.”

Jesse said guidance from his Advocate guided him to make better choices.

“He was always there when I needed him,” he added. “He has been a positive influence in my life and engages with me in positive activities and talks about things with me if I feel I have no one else. He has helped me change a lot and help me understand a lot of things in life.”

The YAP® Supported Work job led to Jesse applying for and landing employment with a national package delivery company. Meantime, Jesse’s Advocate said he worked to meet other goals, like rebuilding his relationship with his family.

As a YAP® program participant, Jesse enrolled in commercial driver’s license school and received a laptop computer as a recipient of the nonprofit’s Tom Jeffers Endowment Fund Scholarship for Continuing Education. Named after YAP®’s founder, the Tom Jeffers Fund scholarship is funded nearly 100% by employee donations. Recipients can receive the scholarship as $1,200 award for tuition, job training/supplies fees, or in the form of a laptop computer. 

“This scholarship will help me pursue my career which is truck driving,” Jesse wrote in his scholarship application essay. “I see this as my way to keep doing positive and never look back. It will help me finally have stability and financial freedom, as well a working many hours to stay away from distractions and focus on building my future.”

Jesse wants to a role model to his peers.

“I am constantly impressed by his perseverance and dedication, and I am incredibly proud of him for overcoming obstacles to stay on track,” his Advocate wrote in recommending Jesse for the scholarship. “[Jesse’s] future is bright, and I strongly believe that this scholarship will provide him with the opportunity he needs to continue his path to success.”

Watch Jesse’s interview with YAP®’s Chief Marketing and Communications Kelly Williams here. To learn more about YAP®, visit yapinc.org.

At age 16, everything in Saran’s life changed and it wasn’t easy.

She and her father returned to New Jersey from Ghana where they had been living with his family since she was a toddler. She struggled to adjust to cultural differences at school and had a tough time at home getting to know her biological mother.

“She spoke very little English,” Saran said. “It was hard to adjust. The only way to communicate was through my dad and that meant making my mother feel left out.”

Referred by a friend, Saran became a participant in Youth Advocate Programs (YAP®), Inc.’s New Jersey Community-based Violence Prevention Program. She will share her story as a panelist at the Nov. 6, 2025, 50th anniversary YAP® Making Change Happen Summit in Philadelphia. YAP® is a national nonprofit that partners with youth justice, child welfare, behavioral health, education, and public safety systems to deliver community-based alternatives to placing young people in trouble, in crisis, or who face other complex challenges in residential care or corrections facilities. The state-funded anti-violence program uses principles of YAP®’s evidence-based alternatives-to-placement model to serve young people in five counties identified as being at the greatest risk of being engaged as a perpetrator or victim in violence.

The violence prevention approach, also known as YAP Pursuing Excellence®, offers cognitive behavioral therapy and elements of the nonprofit’s YAPWrap® youth and family wraparound services model. Especially meaningful to Saran was YAP® Supported Work. Focusing on program participants’ strengths, YAP® Advocates place participants in jobs in their communities where they receive paid work experience. Saran was beyond excited to learn she would be able to work at Newark’s Source of Knowledge bookstore.

“Eight to ten minutes into my interview, I already felt a sense of belonging,” Saran said. “Ms. Masani [the bookstore’s co-owner] is from Ghana. I left with a smile.”

Saran continued to smile when she went to work at the bookstore. Meantime, things calmed down at home and at school. She said she was sad when her time with YAP® and Source of Knowledge ended, but that Ms. Masani told her she can always come back if she needs something.

Today, Saran is a college student with plans to become a nurse. In her free time, she goes back to visit with her friends at the bookstore, volunteering at in-store events and community fairs, feeding homeless neighbors, and sharing her love of reading.

Learn more about YAP® and the nonprofit’s 50th anniversary events at yapinc.org/50th.

Story and photos by Nateyah McLeod 

YAP Houston, Texas Youth Give Back Through Community Service

Harris County, Texas –Students from the Youth Advocate Programs (YAP®), Inc. Harris County, Texas Evening Reporting Center (ERC) recently participated in a community service project at Bread of Life, Inc.  where they organized and distributed food to families, prepared care packages, assisted with inventory, and helped staff with daily operations.

“These students showed incredible compassion and a willingness to step up and give back,” said YAP® Harris County Assistant Director Nateyah McLeod. “They learned firsthand that serving others not only benefits the community, but also strengthens personal growth, empathy, and leadership skills.”

Now in its 50th year, YAP® is a national nonprofit is in 32 states and Washington, D.C. that works with youth justice, child welfare, behavioral health, and other local and regional governments to provide community-based services as an alternative to placing young people outside of their homes in residential care or corrections facilities.

YAP® Harris County works closely with the Harris County Juvenile Probation Department, which refers youth and young adults to the program where they are offered vocational rehabilitation classes. The YAP® Evening Reporting Center is located inside of Houston’s Opportunity Center where behavioral health, vocational training/work readiness, community support and the nonprofit’s YAPWrap® or wraparound support, is offered to youth and their families connecting them to tools and resources setting them up for success. YAP® neighborhood-based Advocates and staff provide individualized, strength-based approaches that give students the opportunity to develop academic progress, personal growth, leadership, and career readiness.

Program participants committed two hours per week to volunteering at Bread of Life, Inc. that provides service to vulnerable individuals, in addition to helping address health access, housing support and hunger relief.

“At Bread of Life, Inc, we value every act of volunteerism, however, we hold a special place for young people who stand as the next generation of leaders and influencers,” said Dr. Monique Williams, Chief Operating Officer at Bread of Life, Inc. “Our deepest hope is that through their experiences with us, they learn to lead with empathy, center the needs of the community and envision a life and career devoted to serving the most vulnerable families and individuals in our global community.”

McLeod echoed Williams’ statements, adding that through participation, YAP® program participates gained insight into the value of helping others along with the satisfaction that comes from making a difference.

“The YAP Evening Reporting Center remains committed to providing and exposing students to activities that teach youth the importance of civic engagement, community service, and personal development,” McLeod said.

For more information on YAP®, visit yapinc.org.

Four international fellows are working with Youth Advocate Programs™, Inc. (YAP®) this fall to gain real world experience in ways the national nonprofit sets youth and families facing society’s most complex challenges up for success.

The fellows working with YAP® Cook County, Ill. are Abdul Rahman Bangura from Sierra Leone and Thomas Tamba Bundoo from Liberia. YAP® Harris County, Texas fellows include Ganda Bassie from Sierra Leone and Lillian Selmartin from Papua New Guinea. The 2025 fellows will work with the local YAP® youth justice programs for three months.

YAP® is a national nonprofit in 32 states and Washington, D.C., providing services that reduce the nation’s overreliance on youth incarceration, residential care, group homes and other out-of-home placements. Celebrating its 50th anniversary in 2025, YAP® partners with public systems to provide community-based wraparound and behavioral health services as an alternative to residential care and incarceration. Principles of the nonprofit’s evidence-based model are also helping cities reduce violence. YAP has an international footprint with affiliates in Australia, Ireland, Sierra Leone and Guatemala.

“By the fellows being able to see YAP in action and the positive impact the organization has on communities and individuals for half a century, we hope to both inspire and fortify the fellows to return to their home countries with fresh perspectives, skills, and knowledge,” said Diana Matteson YAP® Vice President for International Development. “I am confident that Bassie, Lillian, Thomas, and Abdul will have that experience and I am so excited for what they will teach us as part of the reciprocal learning that hosting global fellows creates.”

This is the fifth cohort of fellows that YAP® is hosting; the second cohort from the Community Solutions Program (CSP) fellows and the third cohort of Community Engagement Exchange (CEE) fellows. Previously, YAP® had hosted 13 fellows as a sponsor organization and has partnered with IREX, to host both CSP and CEE fellows from 11 countries at YAP® at sites in Florida, Texas, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Illinois, and California.

The Community Solutions Program (CSP) strengthens American communities by placing skilled international professionals with U.S. organizations for four months to tackle local challenges in key areas like energy, security, and human rights. The Community Engagement Exchange (CEE) Program is a transformational leadership development experience that equips emerging civil society leaders, ages 21-27, to harness the power of networks and technology to develop multi-sector approaches and build thriving communities in the U.S. and their home countries. CSP and the CEE Program are sponsored by the U.S. Department of State with funding provided by the U.S. Government and supported in its implementation by IREX. 

“YAP is fully committed to ensuring a supportive and engaging practicum experience,” said Patrick Young, YAP® Vice President of Workforce and Economic Development who was in Houston to welcome fellows at the beginning of their tenure. “We will make sure fellows feel welcomed, supported and set up for success from day one.”

At the end of their tenure, fellows will also complete a capstone project to present the collective impact the program has had on each of them as well as YAP®.

Below is more information about each fellow:

Ganda Bassie

Bassie focuses on improving educational access for vulnerable children in Bo, Sierra Leone. In 2015, Bassie founded the Child Welfare and Development Project (CWADeP) to address the significant barriers to education faced by local children, including financial constraints related to school fees, books, and basic necessities. Under his leadership, CWADeP has successfully supported 40 children annually with comprehensive educational resources and reached over 100 more through outreach initiatives.

Lillian Selmartin

Selmartin is a community development officer who helps oversee child protection and welfare services, sports for development, women empowerment, youth non-governmental organizations, churches, community governance and more. She has been instrumental in completing outreach programs in rural communities.

Thomas Tamba Bundoo

Bundoo is a youth mentor, developer and activist. He is the founder and executive director of Hope for Young People Inc., in Monrovia, Liberia, a nonprofit organization dedicated to helping youth unlock opportunities and resources in education, healthcare, civil liberties, and advocacy. His passion is to help communities thrive so that all individuals, especially youth, can have access to opportunities that empower them and contribute to societal progress.

 Abdul Rahman Bangura

Rahman is a lawyer and community leader who has worked in legal practice, youth empowerment and grassroots development. He specializes in educational access, drug abuse prevention and mentorship initiatives for youths. Additionally, he has managed projects that tackle critical issues in his community and beyond.

“YAP’s history of working in partnership with the community from a strength-based perspective and the commitment of local YAP teams have made a lasting impression on all the fellows we have hosted,” Matteson added.

For more information on YAP, visit yapinc.org.

Research for this (book, article, video, etc.) was supported in part by the Community Engagement Exchange Program, a program of the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA) of the United States Department of State, implemented by IREX. The views expressed are the author’s own and do not represent the Community Engagement Exchange Program, the U.S. Department of State, or IREX.

Photos and Story by Nateyah McLeod 

Harris County, Texas – This past June, Youth Advocate Programs (YAP®), Inc. Harris County, Texas Evening Reporting Center (ERC) program participants Denzel and Jose earned their General Education Development (GED) certificates with their Advocate Nateyah McLeod, cheering them on.

“These two students exemplified outstanding leadership and showed a remarkable willingness to stay optimistic and engaged with everything our team brought to them,” said McLeod, who also serves as the YAP® Harris County Assistant Director. “Throughout their time in YAP, they faced significant personal and academic challenges yet never wavered in their determination.”

Now in its 50th year, YAP® is a national nonprofit is in 32 states and Washington, D.C. that works with youth justice, child welfare, behavioral health, and other local and regional governments to provide community-based services as an alternative to placing young people outside of their homes in residential care or corrections facilities.

YAP® Harris County works closely with the Harris County Juvenile Probation Department, which refers youth and young adults to the program where they are offered vocational rehabilitation classes. The YAP® Evening Reporting Center is located inside of Houston’s Opportunity Center where behavioral health, vocational training/work readiness, community support and YAPWrap® or wraparound support, is offered to youth and their families connecting them to tools and resources setting them up for success. YAP® neighborhood-based Advocates and staff provide individualized, strength-based approaches that give students the opportunity to develop academic progress, personal growth, leadership, and career readiness.

“They maintained a strong level of attendance, participated fully in program activities, and consistently demonstrated commitment to their future goals,” McLeod said about Denzel and Jose. “Their perseverance and growth are a testament to the power of advocacy, mentorship, and hard work. We are excited to see them continue to excel in their education, careers, and in making a positive difference in their communities.”

YAP® Harris County engages in a variety of transformative experiences, including the Peaceful Alternatives to Tough Situations (PATTS) curriculum, which helps youth learn conflict resolution, communication, and problem-solving skills. Additionally, participants learned about essential tools for independence, responsibility, and preparation for adulthood.

In addition to an academic and vocational rehab curriculum, McLeod said students in the program had the opportunity to take part in hands-on activities that included attending college tours, learning how to open a bank account, painting in the park, and art therapy sessions.

“They also enjoyed fun, team-building outings at (miniature golf), bowling, and Topgolf, where they were able to bond with peers, build social skills, and celebrate their progress in a positive and engaging environment,” McLeod. “These experiences encouraged self-expression, financial literacy, exposure to higher education, and community connection; further supporting their journey toward independence and success.”

For more information on YAP®, visit yapinc.org.