St. Louis, MO — At age 17, Jeremiah is turning his life around in a positive direction. That means leaving mistakes he made as a youth behind while taking accountability and sticking to the plan he has designed for his future.
Jeremiah gives a lot of credit to Anthony Taylor for empowering him with tools to create the individualized service plan he helped develop to guide his choices. Taylor is an Advocate with St. Louis Youth Advocate Programs (YAP®), Inc.
“He came in guarded and already feeling like the world had given up on him,” Taylor said. “But I did not approach him with judgement. I led with the YAPWrap® model, starting with relationship building and trust. I showed up, stayed consistent, and made it clear that I saw something in him, even if he couldn’t see it yet.”
New to St. Louis but celebrating its 50th anniversary nationally, YAP® partners with local youth justice, child welfare, education, behavioral health, and public safety systems to deliver community-based services as an alternative to incarceration and other residential placements. YAP® applies principles of its evidence-based youth justice model to also help cities reduce neighborhood violence. The nonprofit hires staff from the neighborhoods it serves and trains them to help participants see and nurture their strengths while connecting them and their families with tools to help firm their foundation.
Jeremiah and Taylor are panelists for the 50th Anniversary YAP® Making Change Happen Summit in Philadelphia. Jeremiah looks forward to the event as an opportunity to help policy makers understand how with support from neighborhood-based Advocates, young people can overcome complex challenges, see their strengths and talents, and give back to communities.
During his six months with YAP®, Jeremiah worked with Anthony to prepare for job interviews and study for his general education development (GED) certificate. Through group trips to the St. Louis Museum of Illusions, St. Louis Art Museum, and special events like the NASCAR playoffs, Taylor connected Jeremiah with other program participants, encouraging them to be positive influences on one another.
“We’re working on setting up a peer-to-peer program where Jeremiah can help mentor other participants as the come through the program.”
Jeremiah is now off probation, working full time at a neighborhood cafe, and will soon take the GED exam.
“It’s not just about services it’s about transformation,” Taylor said. “And I’m proud to say I witnessed that transformation firsthand.”
Learn more about YAP® and register for the nonprofit’s 50th anniversary events at YAPInc.org.
