Safe, secure, and loving environments for youth
About Us
Why DC needs FAN: |
American youth are primarily depicted by the news media and in the popular imagination in negative terms:
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| In keeping with these negative perceptions, the driving force behind public policy is a sense that youth are at risk for negative outcomes and must be protected from danger and dangerous influences. Youth serving systems in this country - child welfare, public schools, juvenile justice, as well as the non-profit sector and community based organizations have traditionally approached young people from a negative perspective, where adolescents are conceived as “problems.” Adolescence is a unique transitional period, however, where youth can develop their tremendous potential given the opportunity. FAN is committed to changing the ways in which communities and youth serving systems interface with young people by modeling alternatives that capitalize on the unique strengths of youth and support adolescents through the transition to adulthood. Positive youth development programs are one such alternative that seeks to support youth in developing competencies, and to capitalize on the distinctive strengths of youth, dramatically altering this traditionally negative focus. FAN will also integrate action-research in the form of rigorous, carefully designed evaluation of all of its efforts. |
Our Core Values: Youth as Capable and Competent. Teamwork. Creativity. Relationship Building. Collective Responsibility. Social Change. |
1 The Center for Media and Public Affairs 2 1997 Gallup Poll 3 1997 Gallup Poll 4 The Frameworks Institute |