Teen Leaders from the Community Improvement Through Youth (CITY) Project in Broome County marched to the Broome County Court House with CITY Project community partners and other community leaders to shine a light on youth issues and take part in the annual Stand for Children event on June 5. The program started with a march from the Mental Health Association of the Southern Tier to the courthouse lawn, followed by guest speakers, music, and dance performances by youth groups. Nearly 200 young people, parents, youth advocates, and community leaders participated.
President of the Children and Youth Services Council of Broome County, Amy Humphrey said, "These young people are really here to show people that they have a voice that they want to be heard, that they can make a difference and everyone here is supporting that vision.”Stand for Children is an annual event celebrated in communities nationwide. The first Stand for Children took place in Washington, D.C. in 1996. The Stand for Children event calls attention to youth issues and celebrates young people's many contributions to the community. The Children and Youth Services Council of Broome County has sponsored a local Stand for Children each year since in Binghamton.
The Community Improvement Through Youth (CITY) Project uses Cornell Cooperative Extension's 4-H Signature Program, Youth Community Action as a model for promoting civic engagement, workforce preparation, and asset development among at-risk youth (13-18 years old). The CITY Project is a project of Cornell University, Department of Human Development; Cornell Cooperative Extension of Broome County; and Cornell University Cooperative Extension of New York City. The CITY Project is funded by the Children, Youth and Families At Risk (CYFAR) Program, and is supported by Smith Lever funds from the Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture. The CITY Project gratefully acknowledges the support of a number of community partners and collaborators including Binghamton University Liberty Partnership Program; OASIS After School Program, Endicott; Broome County Youth Bureau; City of Binghamton Youth Bureau. Any opinions, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this publication are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the view of the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
For More Information
June P. Mead, CITY Project Director, jm62@cornell.edu.