Just as I Am Youth Empowerment Inc

   

Just As I Am Youth Empowerment, Inc. (JAIA YOUth) supports youth aged 16 to 21 from marginalized communities by helping them shift from trauma & low self-esteem to self-efficacy & leadership.

Our mission is to promote healthy communities through transformative youth personal and leadership development.

Our vision is to develop conscious, confident leaders nationally and globally through youth-led and adult-supported programs created in NYC.

OUR PILLARS: All JAIA's programs offer youth training and experience in ...

MENTAL HEALTH LITERACY/ADVOCACY

MINDFULNESS PRACTICE   

ETHICAL LEADERSHIP 

Why You Should Support JAIA:

1. Empowering the Next Generation: JAIA YOUth fosters personal development and leadership skills among teens and young adults. By donating to JAIA, you are directly contributing to the empowerment of young leaders who are equipped to create positive change in their communities.
2. Transformative Programs: Our programs, such as the Mindful Leaders Institute, which includes the Youth Leadership Council, provide essential training in mindfulness, mental health literacy, and ethical decision-making. Participants engage in experiential learning that enhances their social-emotional skills, enabling them to navigate challenges like anxiety and stigma while developing a strong sense of self-worth and purpose.
3. Community Impact: JAIA is about community transformation. Through our Healthy Minds, Healthy Vibes: Mental Wellness and Healing Justice Internships, youth leaders, a.k.a. "JAIAnts," address systemic issues such as racism and poverty, fostering healthier, more inclusive communities. Your support helps us expand these initiatives, reach more youth, and create a ripple effect of positive change.
4. A Proven Track Record: Now in its 11th year, JAIA YOUth has successfully co-created with youth to promote mindfulness and mental health literacy. Our youth-directed, co-led programs and retreats have demonstrated a significant impact, helping participants gain inner awareness, confidence, and the skills to lead meaningful lives. By donating, you invest in a proven model that has already changed countless lives.
   

Join us in making a difference by providing stipend programs, scholarships, resources, and educational and professional opportunities for a future of conscious youth to thrive.  

Impact:

In fiscal year 2025,

• The JAIA YOUth Leadership Council designed a curriculum for and served two new Brooklyn school communities and parent programs with youth-led workshops!
• Our YOUth Council Co-Chairs presented to over 300 youth and adults at Rutgers University's Community Mental Health Summit, and at the B-Swell Mental Health Summit in conjunction with the Society for the Prevention of Teen Suicide.
• Volunteers contributed more than 1,300 hours!
• We provided over 75 hours of peer educator training! 
• JAIA employed 12 YOUth in our Healthy Minds, Healthy Vibes Summer Youth Workspace!