YEP marks 20 with fundraiser

Twenty years of progress sounds like “Please” and “Thank you,” “Good Morning” and the swing of a door being held open for you.

At the Youth Empowerment Project in Fat Hogs Bay on Tuesday, there was none of the herding and babysitting that often comes with childcare. Instead, visitors received a warm welcome from Virgin Islands children who were spending part of their holiday break at the youth centre.

In rooms branching from a single narrow hall, YEP members — known as YEPpies — were engaged in various activities. Some cooked for themselves in a well equipped kitchen. Others painted picture frames to give as gifts. Another group created PowerPoint presentations on Mac desktops.

In a small office crowded by stacks of boxes, long-time YEP Executive Director Stacy Mather explained the goal of the project and the role of the adults facilitating it.

“The youth centre belongs to the children,” said Mr. Mather, who is also an at-large representative in the House of Assembly. “YEP is heavily driven towards children enrolling themselves and children having choices. [There are] some elements where you ask them to do something because it is for their betterment and development, but for the most part it’s child-centered, because they take ownership of their decisions, which means they’ll take ownership of their mistakes.”

Fundraiser

The fruit of the Youth Empowerment Foundation founded by Dr. Henry Jarecki in 2004, YEP is overseen by five board members: Dr. Jarecki, his son An drew Jarecki, Financial Services and Economic Development Junior Minister Lorna Smith, Noni Georges, and Mr. Mather.

On Tuesday, YEP launched a fundraiser called “YEP’s Next 20 – Give a Gift to the Future,” commemorating the organisation’s 20th anniversary.

Funds raised will support daily programming, staff development, community outreach, and expansions including the planned opening of a Virgin Gorda centre in 2026, according to the organisation.

In conjunction with the fundraiser, YEP, which currently has about 135 active members, released a video highlighting the experiences of alumni.

The video states that the project has provided more than one million hours of programming and that 95 percent of YEP members have gone on to graduate high school.

Group activities

At one point on Tuesday, YEP Deputy Director Bianca Dougan noticed an aimless-looking boy in the hallway at the centre and asked him for the name of his group, which determined which activity he should be in.

He responded by naming one of the teams based on the ideals YEP promotes — grit, zest, gratitude and self-control.

Ms. Dougan checked a chart on the wall at the entrance of the facility, and she saw he was right.

Outside the centre is a basketball court and shaded picnic area dubbed “The Shed,” where a mural created by YEP members and the arts organisation AWOL adorns a storage container with bold colours and dancing figures.

“We just need the community to show that they care, be cause when children see that adults care, it makes them believe that our community is better than what we think it is,” Mr. Mather said. “The biggest value is the value that you receive, and then you want to pass it on.”