At UMYH, providing the highest level of care to the young people we serve doesn’t just rely on our staff’s direct services; it starts with our leadership and extends throughout the entire organization. This year, our External Affairs Committee committed to this principle by dedicating a learning series for our closest advocates—our Board of Directors and Ambassadors.
The “Advocacy Lunch & Learn” was the practical capstone of the series, putting everything we learned into tangible scenarios. Over a local favorite—Pizza King strombolis—attendees settled in to hear from our Staff Panel. A few of our staff shared a vital behind-the-scenes look at challenges and triumphs on campus, answering essential questions like:
“What are some of the most common reasons or events that lead youth to being placed here?”
“What specialized support do the youth and family receive in those first 72 hours that sets us apart?”
The panel also shared powerful stories of impact and gave specific examples of our unique approach, like our “wrap-around care” model.
We then brought the power of advocacy to life with an interactive exercise, showing how our collective efforts directly translate into better resources and opportunities for our young people. Following this, a “mission mad lib” session helped our advocates reinforce what advocacy is by giving them the tools to formulate, in their own words, a powerful and personal pitch for UMYH.
To end the session, we reviewed crucial do’s and don’ts of sharing UMYH information. We emphasized that effective advocacy must always prioritize our youth’s privacy and dignity. This includes giving the youth autonomy in determining what parts of their personal story, if any, are shared. As advocates, we are the professional gatekeepers of a youth’s story, and it is of utmost importance that we protect, support, and uplift with everything we do, including how we share—even indirectly—a youth’s journey.
By investing in the continuous education of our leaders, we are investing directly in the future of our youth. At UMYH, we want to ensure that every person representing us is equipped with knowledge, passion, and, above all, a focus on the well-being and respectful treatment of the young people who depend on us.