Our Mission is to Create Lifetime Humanitarians
VISION
Youthlinc invests in the service ethic of youth in order to foster individuals in our society who understand local and global needs, and who are deeply committed to work to relieve those needs through personal service, partnership, and good will.
STRATEGIES
Student Leadership
We expect students to take leaderships roles in our Service Year, both locally and internationally. We honor student leadership through our Young Humanitarian Award, recognizing role models of youth service leadership. Our Service Year students take leadership roles in our Real Life peer mentoring program to provide a life skills curriculum that benefits refugee and other under-served youth and our Youthlinc students.
Hands on, sustained service
Service learning research shows us that when a person becomes a relied upon volunteer, with direct and meaningful contact with those in need, an emotional bond forms and a deep commitment to service develops.
Hands on service is central to our Service Year. Service sites included in our Local Service Directory must provide hands on service opportunities to youth.
Mentoring
Adult professionals are critically needed mentors in our Service Year. They are role models of service and guides to developing the leadership skills of encouragement, delegation, cooperation, and focus on the common good.
Project Based Learning
Though our formal educational system in the United States values memorization and testing of isolated information, the natural way for humans to learn is to employ interdisciplinary skills through projects.
Our Service Year emphasizes the planning of projects – locally and internationally. Our Real Life curriculum includes life skills, health and hygiene, financial literacy, cultural exchange, English language practice and provides a perfect setting for project based learning.
Cooperative Learning
When there is a meaningful project to accomplish, the most effective way to reach the goal is to work together. Our Service Year participants work together to accomplish projects locally, and in committees to complete the projects needed at the international site. These projects have been determined with the villagers who work with us to accomplish these goals at our international sites.