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Name: Muhsin Chaudhry 
How did I get involved in IMPACT?
  • My experience with IMPACT started when my older sister urged me to apply for a trip after she had such a memorable experience. My first trip was to Birmingham, AL centered around Human Trafficking Awareness and Advocacy. It was a much needed week on introspection and growth toward the end of my freshman year. The site leaders for my trip were so amazing that I did not even hesitate to apply to become one. To my surprise I got the gig! I had the privilege of Co leading a trip to Charlotte, NC with the focus of Education Access. My first trip as a participant set a strong foundation for continued learning through IMPACT. Leading a trip was a valuable experience that really allowed me to grow internally in various areas. 
Why am I interested in my trip focus? 
  • The most exciting aspect of Youth Empowerment is that it is not limited to a specific area. The trip can be magnified to fit a specific idea or broadened to address various intersections. This also poses a challenge as it can be hard to know where to start or where to stop. But it’s a problem I am glad to face because it forces me to think outside the box and not be limited to my scope as much as other trips. As I continue to learn more about Youth Empowerment I look forward to pushing my boundaries of thought and intentionality. 
Fun Fact
  •  I can solve a Rubik's cube in under a minute!
Contact info
he/him/his
Email: mc49482@uga.edu
Major: Management Information Systems
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Contact Info
she/her/hers
Email: ​al64905@uga.edu
Major: Psychology 
Name: Alondra Lopez
How did I get involved in IMPACT?
  • ​I got involved with IMPACT my freshman year. My roommate and I went to an involvement fair and we had heard great things about Impact from older friends. We made sure to visit the IMPACT table and after leaving we knew it was something we had to do if nothing else. I knew it’d be a great experience and a good way to meet new people but I also just fell in love with the program and what it stands for. I loved the idea of actively learning about social justice issues while doing service because it allows you to develop a deep, real understanding of the issue. What you learn on your trip stays with you and can serve as a catalyst to continue to enact change within your community.
Why am I interested in my trip focus?
  • I am interested in youth empowerment because I believe that all kids regardless of their living circumstances, socioeconomic background, etc, should have the support and tools they need to flourish. Childhood is such a critical time in someone’s life and it really does set the stage for the rest of someone's life. Although there are things in a child’s life that they have no control over , it is important to teach children that they are infinitely valuable and capable of doing whatever it is that they desire. I believe that by supporting children, we contribute to the future of our world and help more individuals realize their full potential regardless of the circumstances they grew up in. 
Favorite memory from an IMPACT trip?
  • One of my favorite memories from my impact trip was the conversations I had with other participants during car rides, while making dinner or during service. It’s hard to believe that you can become so comfortable and open with a bunch of “strangers” over the course of a week but it makes more sense when you think about what unites everyone: a genuine interest to serve and learn! I learned so much about myself, the trip focus, and others on my trip and the people I met and conversations I had are something that I’ll cherish forever. ​

ABOUT YOUTH EMPOWERMENT

It is important that all youth feel seen and understood so that they may realize their full potential. Youth who are marginalized due to inequity in public education, poverty, exposure to violence, etc have a great need for support. One of the common misperceptions is that all youth have the same needs; however, a child's needs are different based on their socio-economic background as well as their home situation. There are a lot of factors that determine the most beneficial way for a child to feel empowered. For example, youth empowerment is not going to look the same for a child from an affluent neighborhood who lives in a two parent household and a child who lives below the poverty line and lives in a one parent household. Therefore, the approach to youth empowerment is heavily based on the community being served and even then it may look different from child to child. 
TERMS TO KNOW:
  • Disempowerment: factors that cause an individual to feel weak, inadequate, unimportant and deprive them of power, authority or influence. 
  • Empowerment: refers to things that are meant to encourage autonomy and self-determination in people and in their communities. This helps individuals realize their full potential and explore their interests. 
  • Equity: Access to fair and equal treatment under the law, regardless of race, social class, or gender. 
  • Intersectionality: recognizing that there are many factors that shape an individual's life and their experiences in society. It acknowledges how an individual’s experience is affected by multiple axes of oppression and privilege. 
  • Neoliberal framework: when organizations or groups center values that distinguish self-sufficiency and self-reliance as signals of success. When entrepreneurial values shape empowerment programs, they become inherently residual and apply the idea that some individuals are more ‘deserving’ than others. 
  • Oppression: the subjection of a group to burden with unjust imposition, a harsh exercise of authority or power. Youth oppression can look like the exclusion of youth from spaces of discourse about policies that affect them but it can also be anything that places youth as being ‘subordinate’ to adults. 
  • Personal Identity: the concept an individual develops about themselves based on factors like gender, socioeconomic status, age, sexual orientation, race, ethnicity, religion, etc. 
  • Relational perspective: an approach to youth empowerment that recognizes that youth are marginalized across various social and economic factors which include: race, class, gender, education, etc. 
  • Residual perspective: an approach to youth empowerment that ignores the structural factors that lead to impoverishment which include: raced, classed, gendered biases, stereotypes and inequalities. They frame poverty as caused by poor choices and a lack of personal responsibility. 
  • Self confidence: A positive self-image or a high sense of self-esteem. This a primary focus for empowerment because it can help youth discover their capabilities and worth. 
  • Self-efficacy: an optimistic view and belief in one's ability to successfully accomplish a task. This influences how people feel, think, motivate themselves, and how they carry themselves throughout life. 
  • Silencing: the conscious or unconscious processes that prevent individuals of a given social identity or group from having a voice or participating in community dialogue. 
  • Social toxicity: the extent to which someone's social environment is detrimental and threatens the development of their identity, competence, moral reasoning, or any other positive development. These are barriers to youth’s ability to realize their full potential and become empowered. 
  • Trauma: an individual’s subjective experience of psychological distress in response to an extraordinarily stressful event. This can be short or long-term; nonetheless, youth who have experienced or are experiencing trauma are particularly in need of support and the tools to become empowered. 
  • Youth advocacy: empowering youth in their everyday lives. Deliberately attempts to provide support to young people in all areas that affect, be it education, housing, employment, unemployment, health, social security, recreation and human relationships. 
  • Youth mentorship: pairing mentors with youth who need or want support. This can be academic or emotional support; moreover, it can take the form of tutoring, teaching life skills, etc. 
  • Youth empowerment: Giving youth the skills, resources, and support necessary to form a positive self-image and to effect change in their lives and communities. 

MORE ABOUT ​​YOUTH EMPOWERMENT

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