Frequently Asked Questions
Q) What is it exactly that Youth Passageways does?
A) Youth Passageways primarily does a few key things. First, we are gathering information, resources, and best practices from throughout the diverse body of practitioners and communities doing youth and youth initiation work across the world. We share communication and dialog among this body towards more informed research and proliferation of these ideas.
Second, we bi-annually gather a group of our partners and practitioners to meet and engage current issues and ideas in the field and to address the Youth Passageways mission.
And finally, we are building a public database of these practitioners and communities, both to aid in communication and collaboration within the field and to also streamline public access to this work, so that anyone, anywhere can use Youth Passageways as a tool to find, engage, support, or begin this work where they are. Visit our database.
Q) Is Youth Passageways affiliated with a particular culture, religion, or political belief system?
A) No, Youth Passageways is dedicated to supporting and connecting ALL intentional transitions and support systems for youth wherever and whomever they may be provided by. We make it a point to build inclusion and diversity of all kinds into our approach. Learn more about our values and ethics.
Q) Does it cost money?
A) No, Youth Passageways is not fee-based; we offer our database, resources, and access to partner events and information freely. That said, this work requires vast time, dedication, and resources and we can use all the help we can get. We welcome you to get involved or to make a financial contribution HERE.
Q) What does it mean to be a partner?
A) Becoming a Youth Passageways Partner is for practitioners and communities doing this work who share our vision for broadening the scope and reach of this work. Partners both invest in our broader mission and provide their knowledge and resources to the collective pool. Some partners create listings for our database, whereas others simply aid in the ongoing development of our community. Sign up to become a partner HERE.
Q) Where do I fit? Can I be involved without being a partner?
A) Those interested in getting involved in general can sign up for updates, engage in our resource section, help spread the word about our efforts, join us on Facebook and stay appraised of our annual gatherings.
GLOSSARY OF TERMS
TYPES
Community – A formal or impromptu gathering of people brought together by place, heritage or ideology that have youth or youth development as part of their culture.
Organization – Work that takes the form of a 501(c)3 not-for-profit, NGO, School, or private organization that has a board of directors [or alternative equivalent], and multiple programs or locations included in its operation.
Program – Work that takes the form of a clearly defined business [or alternative equivalent] with a clearly defined group of staff members, objectives, and mission.
Individual Practitioner – Work that is offered solely by an individual in the form of client-contract relationships or collaborative offerings.
MODALITIES
Arts Based – Work that utilizes art as a central part of its programming or practice.
Church/Religious Institution – Work that operates as or under the umbrella of a church or religious institution.
Community-Based – Work based within or directly informed by a gathering of people brought together by place or ideology. The isn’t necessarily offered only to that gathering but focused on it and includes some method of ongoing support or maintenance [regenerative design] within its framework.
Correctional – Work that operates within or is directly related to a correctional institution or corollary program or organization.
Online – Work that is internet based.
Other Modalities – Work that isn’t adequately defined by the provided categories, please use this blank to describe further.
Parent and Family Involvement – Work based in or directly related to working with parents of families.
Publication – Work that is or is directly related to a publication of some kind whether physical or internet based.
School-Based – Work based within or directly informed by a school of some kind.
Therapeutic and Trauma-Related – Work based in or directly related to working with people who have sustained trauma of some kind.
Training and Vocational – Work that utilizes job training or potential job opportunities within its programming.
Wilderness – Work based in or directly informed by the natural world or natural settings.
AREA OF WORK
Anti-Gang Violence/Prevention – Work based in or directly informed by the prevention of gang activity and violence.
Bullying/Emotional Safety – Work based in or directly informed by the prevention of bullying and towards emotionally safe environments for all youth.
Diversity – Work based in or directly informed by fostering positive and sustainable diversity of any kind such as race, sexual preference, etc.
Drugs & Alcohol – Work based in or directly informed by helping people deal with drug and alcohol abuse or addiction.
Eating Disorders – Work based in or directly informed by helping people work through eating disorders or conditions of all kinds.
Education – Work based in or directly informed by education, whether directly teaching, aiding in the educational process, etc.
Global Citizenship – Work based in or directly informed by expanding perspectives to include a ‘whole’ world mentality, whether based in actual travel or cultural knowledge building/diffusion.
Grief – Your work is based in or directly informed by aiding in the facing/processing of and healing from grief of all kinds.
Intergenerational – Work based in or directly informed by bringing multi-generational participants together, for instance: Elders and adolescents, etc.
LGBTQ2IA+ – Work based in or directly informed by the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer communities.
Love and Sexuality/Healthy Relationships – Work based in or directly informed by aiding in the development of healthy intimacy, sexual health or working through unhealthy relationships or their effects.
Non-Binary Gender Roles – Work based in or directly informed by the gender variant, gender non-conforming, gender diverse, intersex, and gender atypical communities [this may be transgender, or otherwise variant in their gender expression].
Other Areas – Work that isn’t adequately defined by the provided categories, please use this blank to describe further.
Preservation of Indigenous Knowledge/Culture – Work based in or directly informed by keeping culturally specific knowledge, traditions, and wisdom alive and passed on along generations.
Homelessness/Refugee-Resettlement Work – Work based in addressing disenfranchisement and resettlement/reincorporation.
Service Learning – Work based in or is directly informed by working with people through the service to others be that volunteering, charity work, mentor-mentorship, etc.
Skill-Building – Work based in or directly informed by aiding people in the development and acquisition of skills whether primitive or otherwise.
Spirituality – Work based in or directly informed by aiding people in understanding their relationship to spirituality or spiritual belief.
Suicide – Work based in or directly informed by aiding people in dealing with suicidal thoughts or tendencies or the loss of someone they know from suicide.
Values Formation/Clarification – Work based in or directly informed by aiding people in thinking about, working through and clarifying their individual, familial, or cultural values.
TYPES OF ACCESS AND EQUITY
Accommodations for Differently Abled – Work that is accessible to people of all kinds regardless of disability [physical, mental, etc]
Low-Cost/Sliding-Scale/Scholarships Available – Work that allows for those who may not be able to afford standard costs to pay what they can based on a scale of low to high.
Other Accessibility/Equity – Work that offers accessibility/equity that isn’t adequately defined by the provided categories, please use this blank to describe further.
Queer-Friendly – Work that is open and supportive of the entire LGBTQ2IA+ community.