Youth Advocate Programs (YAP®), Inc. has been awarded two Amplifying Community Transformation (ACT) Grants as part of the Community Engagement Exchange (CEE) Program to support international projects that mirror the nonprofit’s mission in Jamaica and Hungary.
The CEE Program is sponsored by the U.S. Department of State with funding provided by the U.S. Government and implemented by IREX, a global provider that partners with businesses, nonprofits, government and other agencies to help cultivate leaders. The ACT Grant provides funding for ongoing collaboration and project implementation between international CEE fellows and their U.S. host. In 2026, YAP® hosted seven CEE fellows in programs in Philadelphia/Delaware, Chicago, Phoenix and Milwaukee, Wis.
YAP® Regional Director Renise Harris, who was also recognized as a CEE mentor by IREX – and oversees programs in Philadelphia, Delaware County, Pa., and Delaware – hosted CEE fellow Letesha Whyte from Jamaica this past spring/summer, when she assisted with videography, social media, graphics, and other marketing materials for local YAP® Philadelphia and Delaware programs.
“Letesha and I are honored to receive the grant,” Harris said. “I am especially honored because it’s an opportunity to assist someone else who will impact the lives of children in a country that is not my own, and that experience is one to cherish and appreciate. It also gives me a deeper appreciation for the work that we do here at YAP.”
Harris traveled to Trinidad and Tobago in 2024 through CEE’s Reciprocal Exchange funded through the U.S. Department of State to work with former YAP® Philadelphia fellow Nekisha Sorias on a project that empowered young women by providing them with basic self-defense skills to protect themselves when faced with adversity. Harris will travel to Jamaica Oct. 28 through Nov. 12 to assist Whyte in her project aimed at providing advocacy for high school students through soccer. Additional support for students will be provided through teamwork, collaboration, and family engagement.
“It ties in with YAP in that [Whyte] is looking to work with, connect or engage kids in Jamaica who are most likely to be involved in some level of the youth justice system,” Harris said. “While there, I will be connecting with people in the community and helping [Whyte] implement her project.”
YAP® Maricopa County, Ariz. Behavioral Health Assistant Director Haley Farley is currently in Hungary until Oct. 12 working alongside Unige Katay who the program hosted earlier this year in Phoenix. Katay helped create a video manual for onboarding Behavioral Health staff while in Arizona.
“I am learning a lot from the people I’ve met, while also getting to share some of the strategies and experiences we use at YAP,” Farley said. “I’m excited to continue the exchange over the remainder of my time here and think about what I can bring back to our team.”
Katay serves as a project coordinator for the non-profit organization, Pressley Ridge Hungary Foundation where Farley will assist her with strengthening community-based behavioral health, child welfare, and family engagement practices. Activities include site visits, professional networking, university engagement, and delivery of a workshop focused on supporting youth and families. Following the exchange, lessons learned will be incorporated into staff training and program development within YAP®.
Farley will also take an additional self-funded professional development visit to the Czech Republic to assist former YAP® Maricopa County fellow Nela Cervenkova with nonprofit leadership and community services. Cervenkova is studying social work and has worked and volunteered with children, families, and people with Alzheimer’s.
“It was such a meaningful experience having the fellows join our Arizona program,” Farley said. “I’m really looking forward to representing YAP and our Arizona Behavioral Health program, learning from our partners in Hungary, and finding meaningful ways to bring what I learn back to our work here.”
Reflecting on the ACT Grants and YAP®’s continued partnership with the CEE Program, IREX President and CEO Aleksander Dardeli said, ‘We are proud to congratulate YAP, Renise Harris, Haley Farley and their CEE partners on these well-deserved ACT Grants. Their projects in Jamaica and Hungary reflect the best of the Community Engagement Exchange Program: fellows, alumni, and U.S. hosts turning exchange experiences into practical collaboration that strengthens youth, families, and communities. Their work demonstrates the enduring value of international exchange and the power of local leaders from one another to create lasting impact.”
YAP® is a 51-year-old national nonprofit that partners with youth justice, child welfare, and other systems in communities to deliver family-centered, accountability-focused services as an alternative to correctional and residential care facilities. The agency’s unique service model offers wraparound support to young people and their families, including rehabilitative and behavioral health services.
“This exchange is another example of the innovative ways that the YAP global community is dedicated to creating safe communities, peacebuilding with peers, family, and neighbors as we cultivate resilience, develop youth leaders, and strengthen communities, one biography at a time,” said Diana Matteson, YAP® Vice President of Partnerships and International Development. “The Phoenix and Philadelphia teams were excellent hosts, and I am excited for Haley and Renise to represent YAP in Hungary, Czechia, and Jamaica. And for the learning they will bring home to their local programs and the YAP community in the U.S.”
The first cohort of CEE fellows YAP® hosted was in 2022. Learn more about the CEE Program on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, or the CEE website.
YAP® has an international footprint in Ireland, Guatemala, Sierra Leone and Queensland, Australia.
About YAP®
Founded by Tom Jeffers in 1975, YAP® collaborates with community and public systems backed by philanthropic funders to deliver four signature programs: Youth and Family Empowerment, Bringing Systems Change, Global Capacity Building, and Investing in Economic Mobility. YAP®’s decades of service include working with many young people whose histories include serious offenses, multiple arrests, and lengthy out-of-home placements. John Jay College of Criminal Justice research found 86% of YAP®’s youth justice participants remain arrest free, and six – 12 months after completing the program, nearly 90% of the youth still lived in their communities with less than 5% of participants in secure placement. For more information on YAP®, visit yapinc.org.
About IREX
IREX is a global development and education organization that partners with communities and institutions in the United States and around the world to cultivate leaders, expand access to education, and create economic opportunity. With a focus on practical, lasting solutions, IREX helps people, institutions, and communities thrive in a rapidly changing world. Learn more at irex.org.
