WE ARE YOUTH EMPOWERED!
OUR MISSION
The mission of Youth Empowered, Inc. is to develop a dynamic generation of future leaders through various youth centered, faith-based, educational, and/or other social development activities. Youth Empowered, Inc. is a registered Indiana nonprofit committed to supporting the needs of disserviced youth, in grades six (6) through twelve (12), in Marion County and surrounding areas.
LEARN ABOUT OUR PROGRAMS
YOUTH EMPOWERED TO EXPLORE (Y.E.E.)
Underdeveloped neighborhoods in urban communities often have minimal green spaces, leaving a *nature gap* wherein youth often do not have the opportunity to engage with nature outside of athleticism. The Youth Empowered to Explore (YEE) program will work to remove those cultural barriers by providing welcoming, safe spaces to experience the joy of being in nature. The YEE program will increase access for youth to encounter biodiverse green and blue spaces where they can develop intellectually, socially, emotionally, and physically. YEE will build brains, body, and character by:
Utilizing STEM and literacy focused curriculum that encourages experimentation, discovery, and problem-solving through introduction to natural sciences such as botany, zoology, ornithology, ecology, hydrology etc.
Interacting with nature to stimulate creativity that can be expressed through art and writing
Engaging with other children in natural environments to improve collaborative social skills
Immersing in nature to increase children's mental health and physical wellness
Learning about environmental justice and sustainability and understanding communal responsibility and stewardship
INDIANAPOLIS YOUTH SET SAIL FOR CHICAGO
During the summer of 2021, our Youth Empowered to Explore program participated in the Jackson Park Yacht Club (JPYC) Foundation's Open Horizons Youth Sailing Program in Hyde Park, Chicago, IL. Prior to attendance youth received basic swimming and water safety lessons from the YMCA and were trained and certified in CPR. During this 2-week sailing camp, our youth were taught by US Sailing certified instructors and US Sailing REACH/Stem instructors. YEE youth were also introduced to members of the members of the Chicago area Black Sailors Club, the largest group of Black sailors of both men and women in the country - cruising and racing. In addition, youth explored careers in sailing and also experienced a sustained boost in STEM knowledge, which helped to mitigate summer learning learning loss. Youth also visited the beach, zoo, and STEM museums. We're looking forward to our next annual exploratory trip in Summer 2022! Stay tuned!
NEWS
Where We've Been! Where We're Headed!
Stay in the know with Youth Empowered!
SAIL AWAY....
MEET OUR FOUNDER
CHARITY LEWIS, M.J., M.P.A.
Executive Director
My mother named me after reading 1 Corinthians 13 with the understanding that Charity means love. In Swahili, my name means “kindness.” In Arabic, it is expressed as “help to the poor” or “benevolence.” In Hebrew, it translates as “justice.” I have been a lifelong advocate for marginalized persons. I live by the prophetic words, “Learn to do right; seek justice. Defend the oppressed. Take up the cause of the fatherless; plead the case of the widow” (Isaiah 1:17). This is why I stand up with our youth.
I am fully equipped to serve Central Indiana community children. I hold dual Masters degrees in Law and Public Affairs and am enrolled in a hybrid Ph.D. for Transformative Social Change program. I bring nearly twenty years of youth engagement and leadership as a former program coordinator for nonprofits and a church youth leader, who facilitated mentoring within Indianapolis Public Schools and the Marion County Juvenile Detention Center. All of my life experience has culminated in this present work.
I am also the proud wife of a member of the Indianapolis Fire Department and we are parents to three beautiful children, who are the true inspiration for Youth Empowered, Inc. In my free time, I enjoy bird watching, spending time in the water, or reading a good book.
Connect with Charity!
Charity shares about her faith, advocacy work, and Youth Empowered on No Ordinary People
Charity discusses Youth Empowered on the Teacher’s Lounge (52 min. mark)
Charity discusses the state of education and how it effects our youth on Charity Speaks
SUPPORT OUR YOUTH
The mission of Youth Empowered, Inc. is to develop a dynamic generation of future leaders through various youth centered, faith-based, educational, and/or other social development activities. Youth Empowered, Inc. is a registered Indiana nonprofit. By giving towards this cause, you will help vulnerable youth to reach new horizons in life. Click the link below to donate today!