It's Your Place

NEW HAVEN — Local businesses, professionals, Yale students, and New Haven teens have come together to create an alternative to gangs at Your Place: Youth Center, a new after-school program for teens affected by street violence. The community will come together to help kick off the Spring Session of Your Place: Youth Center at 5:30 p.m. on Feb. 23.
More than 35 Yale students and New Haven professionals will begin tutoring, mentoring, and leading the Career Group, Singing Group, Women’s and Men’s Group, and PeaceJam Group. Michele Porchia of Inner Dimensions will provide career skills training. Subway will provide several dinners, and employees from Diversified Employment have taken time out of their day to make dinner for kick-off day. The Shubert, Yale Repertory Theater, and Alisa’s House of Salsa, are some of the businesses coming together to provide cultural activities on Friday nights for teens.
The mission at Your Place is to end violence by creating an alternative to gangs. Your Place seeks to empower and build leadership among New Haven teens so they can become positive leaders in the community. Teens attend weekly groups, work with mentors and tutors, as well as attend conferences, seminars, and fun cultural activities on Friday nights.
In every activity, Your Place teaches teens about peaceful alternatives to street violence. Your Place launched on July 7, 2008 and could not have been run without the dedication and commitment of the New Haven community.
For more information or to volunteer, call Jane Jeuland, program director and co-founder at (203) 507-4155.