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Sunday, April 27, 2025 | Special Advertising Section 28Youth need spaces where they canbe themselves. They need to be seen,heard and valued for who they are, without having to explain their identity, says Meisha Wangerin, programdirector for Y-We. That way they canbuild their skills and also heal and feellike they belong at the same time.When you speak to mentors and staffat Y-WE, they tell you about youngpeople they have met who have changed them. They say they wish they had a place like Y-WE when theywere young.Y-WE offers free programs to BIPOC,gender-expansive and LGBTQIA+ youthdesigned to validate them and offerguidance on how to navigate whateverchallenges they face. These programsaddress the core themes of belonging,wellness and thriving. They includewriting skills, creating art, farming,connecting with nature, horse camp, swimming and more. Besides offeringthese programs at no charge, thenonprofit also provides transportationand food in case those present barriersto the youth interested in participating.On the topic of wellness and thriving,Y-WE has launched the Healing JusticeCollective which will connect BIPOCtherapists with youth. They have alsoadded more affinity programming, including Black/Nonbinary camps andT-Parties for queer youth as well asMuslim Girls Wellness, all in responseto youth demand.%u201cAt Y-WE, empowerment isn%u2019t abuzzword %u2014 it%u2019s a lived experience, built through shared learning, radicaljoy and intergenerational community,%u201dsays Wangerin.Their mentors teach, but they alsoparticipate with the youth, revealing their own stories, which may includecreativity and vulnerabilities, she says.Meeting young people where theyare, nurturing their leadership andwalking alongside them as theyshape the future helps them grow intosuccessful leaders.%u201cThere is no formulaic way to becomea leader, it%u2019s done by changing each young person%u2019s experience andself-belief of what%u2019s possible,%u201d saysGiannattasio.When other young people engagewith diverse youth, that also helps withhealing. Seeing successful confidenceSPONSORED CONTENTPROVIDED BY YOUNG WOMEN EMPOWEREDTamarah N. Taylor followed her loveof science fiction/fantasy books into anew world where she discovered herown secret powers. When she had tochoose a mentorship program to lead, she was drawn to the sci-fi/fantasywriting track, though she%u2019d never written anything herself.%u201cWalking into that room, surroundedby young writers %u2014 some seasoned,some just beginning %u2014 I expectedto be a mentor, she says. %u201cInstead, Ibecame a student, too. The energyin that space was full of creativity, vulnerability, and courage.%u201dBIPOC, gender-expansive andLGBTQIA+ young people facemany challenges in their everyday lives. Environmental racism, school shootings, attacks on bodily autonomy, trans rights, and the systemic devaluingof Black lives profoundly affects youth and their families, says SilviaGiannattasio, co-executive director ofYoung Women Empowered.She says that to nurture and grow, young women and gender-expansiveyouth need places where they belong, can heal and are preparing forleadership. The mentorship programTaylor led, offered by Y-WE, is one suchplace.Support for identity and creativity helps young people find their pathY-WE, led by women of color with a majority BIPOC staf and board, creates the community and programs we needed as teens. Our lived experiencehelps us listen, understand young women%u2019s needs, and advocate for theirvoices and aspirations. Learn more at youngwomenempowered.org.Y-WE Grow participants show off their produce on Harvest Day at Marra Farms. (Munoz Motions photo)Campers attend the Y-WE Bike Camp. (Munoz Motions photo)building at work in others spreadsthat impetus to try the exercises.Giannattasio says some of the youthhave gone on to sell their art orperform at schools. But it%u2019s more aboutthe process and the power in takingcreative risks.Y-WE supports youth in rejectingoppressive systems and buildingfutures rooted in equity, creativityand justice, by creating spaces ofbelonging and empowerment, says Giannattasio.Taylor experienced this liberationfirsthand. %u201cI watched these youngpeople fearlessly put their ideas intowords, unafraid to explore new worldsand stories. Their boldness made merealize that my own hesitation wasn%u2019tabout ability %u2014 it was about fear. Bythe end of the week, I did something Inever thought I would: I wrote a shortstory. But more than that, I learned thatY-WE isn%u2019t just about empowering youth%u2014 it%u2019s about creating a communitywhere we all grow, challenge ourselvesand step into our power.%u201d