YEP youth gathered in Columbus at their annual August statewide meeting to discuss minimum wage, higher education, foster care and housing options for youth. (Click picture to enlarge)

YEP and OhioVOTES youth chant, 'Ohio needs a raise,' at Aug. 7, 2006 rally in Columbus to raise the minimum wage. (Click picture to enlarge)

Youth Empowerment Program (YEP)

Meeting the Needs of Homeless Children and Youth

Click here to download the 2009 Youth Leadership Award Application

Our Mission: YEP will empower youth by increasing opportunities for them to take control of their situations while building self-esteem and improving their quality of life through advocacy, leadership and education. There are more than 60,000 children and youth that will experience homelessness in Ohio this year. YEP is a statewide council of homeless youth (12- 21) who have joined together to improve the lives of these children.

Through YEP, homeless youth become active community members and productive citizens by participating in community service, leadership training, and advocacy activities. These youth put their own ideas into action and are able to make significant changes to local state and national policies.

Recent successes include: Changing policies in family shelters to admit teenagers, assisting a local shelter to build a safer building with improved services for children and teens, partnering with national organizations to increase homeless education funding, and participating in over 1,000 community services hours this year alone. Over the past three years, 11 YEP state council members have graduated from High School, and 4 have gotten their GED's. Of those, 6 have gone on to attend college. Two YEP youth have received National Awards for their individual contributions to the needs of homeless children.

Visit YEP website for more information or to order a YEP video. Or call Angela Lariviere, Youth Empowerment Director, 614-280-1984, Ext 17, or email her at angelal@cohhio.org or cohhioal@aol.com.