Youth Council

Join us at our 4th Annual "Dressed Up, Not Messed Up" Fashion Show on Saturday, February 11th at 6 PM!

REMINDER to parents who signed up their child to pick out an outfit at TJ MAXX - this will take place on Tuesday, February 7th from 3-6:30 PM. If you still want to sign up your child you need to email here by Friday, February 3rd!

The theme of our show for the fourth year will be "Dressed Up, Not Messed Up". Through this event we plan to raise awareness about underage drinking and help teens become better informed about the dangers of alcohol so they can make healthy decisions throughout life. We also hope this event will increase youth self-esteem and attitudes toward their body image. Each year the show gets better and better, with more youth participating and community involvement! TJ Maxx will be providing the outfits and BVT Cosmetology students will be doing the hair and make-up for the kids!

The event will be $3 per person or $10 per family. All proceeds go towards youth programming at the Youth Center.

If you have any questions, please contact jenward24@gmail.com

Location

Join us for an informational and sign-up meeting for our 4th Annual "Dressed Up, Not Messed Up"  Fashion Show. The meeting will be on Tuesday, January 24th from 6:30pm-7:30pm at the Milford Youth Center. Please bring a signed copy of photo release form  and sign up form to meeting. At the meeting, youth and their families, will sign up for hair and/or make-up and outfit times. The date of the fashion show is Saturday, February 11th at 6 PM. 

The theme of our show for the fourth year will be “Dressed Up, Not Messed Up”. Through this event we plan to raise awareness about underage drinking and help teens become better informed about the dangers of alcohol so they can make healthy decisions throughout life. We also hope this event will increase youth self-esteem and attitudes toward their body image.  Each year the show gets better and better, with more youth participating and community involvement!

If you have any questions, please contact jenward24@gmail.com

Location

Our next meeting will be Wednesday, January 4th, 2012! Have a Happy Holidays! Attached are the meeting minutes from the December 21st meeting!

What are Developmental Assess?
Youth development research indicates youth need opportunities to contribute to their communities in safe, meaningful, and healthy ways. Research also tells us that if youth have an underlying background of family and community support they will be more likely to make good choices about unsafe behavior.

The Search Institute -a nonprofit organization that conducts practical research benefiting children and youth - has identified the building blocks of young people’s successful growth and development. These 40 “developmental assets” provide a common framework by which parents, caregivers, schools and the community can support youth. The Search Institute bases their work on the fact that all children and youth need support, opportunities, boundaries, expectations, and structure.

Research by the Search Institute confirms that strengthening developmental assets promotes academic achievement and reduces high risk behaviors. Community leaders and youth serving providers in Milford have embraced this framework as a way to nurture and mold the commitments, values, skills, and positive identity children need in order to grow up healthy and responsible.

The Attitudes and Behaviors Survey
Over 2 million youth ages 12-18 in urban, suburban and rural communities have answered questions about their thoughts on school climate, parent and school expectations, their use of structured and unstructured time and their behaviors in general, to help adults better understand the youth experience in their communities. The Attitudes and Behaviors Survey (A&B) assesses risks and “assets” to help kids succeed in school and in life. The more of these 40 developmental assets young people possess the less likely they are to get involved in problem behaviors such as substance use, early sexual activity and violence. Along the same lines, young people with many assets are much more likely to make positive choices, exhibit leadership qualities, maintain good health, value diversity, and succeed in school.

Community Support
The leading supporter of the Developmental Assets Framework in Milford is The Juvenile Advocacy Group (JAG) comprised of most youth serving organizations in the community. JAG was instrumental in conducting training in September 2011 through CHNA 6 on Developmental Assets Across the Age Spectrum. JAG has piloted the Attitudes and Behaviors Survey to 100 youth at the Milford Youth Center’s Find Yourself Friday Program. Find Yourself Fridays is an example of Developmental Assets in action. JAG has also invited the Director of Youth Ambassadors Program from South Boston Community Health Center to speak on Engaging Youth through Promoting Developmental Assets this December.

Taking Action
Parents and schools play a key role in building assets in a young person’s life. Whatever the age of the child, it is never too early or too late to start building the foundation a young person needs to succeed. All of us are engaged in many of the asset-building activities already. One goal is to match the areas where youth require more support with activities and evidence- based programs that promote these assets. For example, engaging kids in collecting emergency supplies for storm victims, collecting food for the local food pantry, participating in community clean- ups or creating art installation are some of the ways to promote assets. Schools can engage students in ways to promote achievement and connection through strong linkages with caring adults at school, promoting school pride and club participation to name a few. Parents can promote homework time with their children and participate themselves on civic and school projects. A full list of examples is on the Search Institute website http://www.search-institute.org/content/40-developmental-assets-adolesce...

We welcome your participation! For further information or to become involved with Milford’s efforts please contact Amy Leone at Community Impact communityimpactinc@gmail.com

Attached are the meeting minutes/agenda from the JAG Youth Council meeting from 11/30/2011.

The front end loader (image to the left) has been sold to the Slattery family in memory of James "Slatts" Slattery. A plaque will be put on the loader in his memory!

If you are interested in purchasing a item in support of the Milford Playground to be built at Fino Field please email Tamara Palmer.

The next Milford Play Initiative meeting on Monday, December 19th at 1PM at the Milford Town Library.

You can also make a tax deductible donation to the Milford Play Initiative by clicking here.

The JAG Youth Council and Milford Youth Center will host their third Find Yourself Friday Youth Event on Friday, November 18th from 6:30 to 9:30 PM at the Milford Youth Center. This event will be $3/person or $10 a family. There will be $1 off entrance fee if you bring an item to donate to the Milford Daily Bread Food Pantry.

The youth have chosen to show their support to the community during the Holiday season by hosting a small Family Thanksgiving Dinner and Youth Dance! The JAG Youth Council, with their parent organization, the Juvenile Advocacy Group, are working together to promote the importance of building Developmental Assets to help improve the lives of our children and the community as a whole. Developmental Assets represent the relationships, opportunities, and personal qualities that young people need to avoid risks and to thrive. The idea is that the more assets young people have, the less likely they are to engage in a wide range of high-risk behaviors. This month we are looking at support which includes 6 assets:

1. Family Support
2. Positive Family Communication
3. Other Adult Relationships
4. Caring Neighborhood
5. Caring School Climate
6. Parent Involvement in Schooling

The event will include a small turkey dinner with turkey subs and all your traditional side dishes! The event will also include music, dancing and a movie! We encourage all youth and their families to come and enjoy this community event and support our local food pantry by bringing an item to donate!

The Pantry is in need of:

• Toiletry items (toothbrushes, toothpaste, deodorant, etc.)
• Ramen Noodles
• Canned Ravioli
• Coffee, Tea and hot chocolate
• Hearty Soups
• Beef Stew
• Small Christmas gifts

For more information, or if you would like to volunteer at the event, please contact Youth Council co-coordinator Jen Ward at jenward24@gmail.com or 508-473-1756.

Funding for "Find Yourself Fridays" is supported by the United Way of Tri-County Youth Venture Program and CHNA-6.

Location

Over 185 youth attended the second "Find Yourself Friday" youth event of the new school year! This free event was held at the Milford Youth Center on Friday, October 28th from after school until 6 PM and included music, dancing, raffles, special Halloween games, fun snacks, a jumpy, face and pumpkin painting and a movie!

The JAG Youth Council decided to host a Halloween Party themed event this month, with a special focus on anti-bullying, in support of National Anti-Bullying Month. Every youth that entered were asked to read an Anti-Bullying Pledge created by the members of the Council and if they agreed with it could sign the MYC and JAG Anti-Bullying Banner that will be hung up at the Center. All youth who signed the banner were then given a bracelet that said "Find Yourself" and "Let others do the same" to encourage youth to have the confidence to be themselves and to respect their peers.

Thank you to everyone who attended and supported the event including The Juvenile Advocacy Group, JAG Youth Council, the Milford Youth Center, CHNA-6, United Way of Tri-County, Sals Pizza for donating pizza for, Garden Pizza, Pizza Palace, Hannafords of Milford, Taylor Rental, Steve Cassinelli and Musician Resource Center, Milford High School National Art Honor Society and to the many volunteers and families that donated decorations and made Halloween snacks for the event!

For more information, or if you would like to volunteer at the next event, scheduled for Friday, November 18th, please contact Youth Council Coordinator Jen Ward at jenward24@gmail.com or 508-473-1756.

Funding for "Find Yourself Fridays" is supported by the United Way of Tri-County Youth Venture Program and CHNA-6. 

Our event and efforts were also highlighted in recent article in the Milford Daily News, in concern to trend data on bullying.

For photos of event, click here.