Youth & Family Advocacy Program

We support families in the Committee on Special Education process with disciplinary proceedings, in resolving conflicts with school staff, and in navigating challenges with extra-curricular activities and transportation.  We also advocate for families within related systems to public education such as housing, health insurance, public benefits, SSI/SSD, child welfare, child care and others.  

During the COVID-19 shutdown, we began supporting our families with meeting basic needs through weekly distribution of food and household supplies while facilitating connection to other existing support services. While our families are still experiencing significant need for these items, we have continued our weekly food delivery and monthly household good distribution through a partnership with Friendship Donation Network and several strong faith-based communities, including St. Paul’s Methodist Church, FUSIT, and First Baptist. 

The Stolen Joy Project was created to provide a safe opportunity for people of color to share their experiences of oppression in public school. It began as an Instagram project, which we transformed into a 15-minute film, directed by two Village youth participants. This past academic year, we partnered with the Ithaca College Park Scholars to create the next chapter in the Stolen Joy project – a documentary feature called “Restoring Joy” which premiered on March 21, 2024 at the Roy H. Park Auditorium at Ithaca College with more screenings coming soon. 

To enhance our responsive, student-centered approach, a group of young people at The Village created our Youth Action Board in 2023. This student-led advocacy group meets regularly to discuss different issues facing Tompkins County, and more broadly, that young people of color face across the country. The Board is open to any interested young person who feels called to advocate for marginalized youth in our community, and Village staff facilitate participation through outreach, transportation, and access to food.

The Village Market is an opportunity for Village Youth to flex their entrepeneurial muscles. We have sold the work of jewelers, candle makers, personal care product makers, clothing designers and cooks and bakers in our markets. While we occasionally hold pop up markets in our own Village parking lot, our markets have been in partnership with Black Hands Universal, YEM, holiday markets, and the Artist Market.

We provide early employment opportunities to BIPOC youth and those with barriers to employment (disability, justice-involvement, homelessness, pregnancy, or parenting) by partnering with Tompkins County Workforce and other local agencies to offer a supportive work environment that allows young people to be their authentic selves while developing the soft skills necessary for employment in the wider workforce.