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Angela Liao
Third Year Psychology and Early Childhood Education Major Pronouns: she, her, hers Contact: al82101@uga.edu How did I get involved with IMPACT?
My freshman RA was a Site Leader (she actually ended up becoming my trip’s Site Leader that year to Baltimore for Veteran’s Awareness and Advocacy) and encouraged me to go to the open house. I was looking for opportunities to become more involved on campus as well as opportunities to help others so IMPACT seemed like the perfect organization. I’m so thankful she did because that was the most eye-opening week I spent. I learned about service, about social justice, about bringing together a community, about myself in the span of a week, and I knew that I wanted to stay a part of this wonderful network of people. Why Youth Empowerment?
Kids are amazing. They really are. As an aspiring elementary school teacher, I’ve had many opportunities to work with children and every day I am astounded by their carefree spirit, their unending enthusiasm and energy, their constant curiosity towards life. I believe that setting a stable foundation where youths are able to pursue their goals and find their voices are crucially important and can determine their path to success later in adulthood. Lack of resources, harsh home environments, and external difficulties should not hinder a child from developing good self-esteem and self-concept. The Dalai Lama once said that “just as ripples spread out when a single pebble is dropped into water, the actions of individuals can have far reaching consequences”; by learning how to encourage and help youths become independent, we help them gain the ability to create further ripples in their ponds. Fun Fact:
According to my sisters, I look like a quokka when I smile, and I take that as a compliment of the highest regard. |
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How did I get involved with IMPACT?
As a first-year, I knew I wanted to become more involved at UGA through service and social justice. As I was walking to Park Hall one day, I saw site leaders passing out stickers for Open House and heard “social justice” and perked up! Later that night, I went to a study abroad panel and followed a fellow student to an event relating to social justice. As fate would have it, that event turned out to be the IMPACT Open House! The buzzing excitement that filled Tate Breezeway filled me with energy as I flew around the room to learn more about the trips. I decided to become a site leader because my first trip gifted me with knowledge about social justice and a close-knit group of friends who share similar values as me. I’m excited to share my experience with my participants this year! Why am I interested in my trip focus?
I enjoy spending time with children and through my interactions with them see the spark in their eyes when they speak about their passions and dreams of creating change in the world. These small moments become grand when I think about how children are the leaders of our future. Youth empowerment is all about boosting the confidence of children. I’m excited for this trip because it is a great way for me to learn more about the social issues affecting children and how we can do our part to help them grow and become the best versions of themselves! Fun fact?
I take pleasure in waking up with the sun and singing my heart out! (be prepared to sing with me on this trip - I’ve got my speakers ready!) |
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What does Youth Empowerment look like in the US?
Four big factors affect youth today: child abuse/neglect, poverty, education access, and healthcare access.
In a given year, about 3.6 million referrals of child abuse are filed, which averages to a report every 10 seconds. It kills about 5 children every day. The largest sub-category of abuse is neglect, and many children suffer more than one type of maltreatment.
About 15 million children in the United States – 21% of all children – live in families with incomes below the federal poverty threshold. About a quarter of all children in the United States live with their single mother, and 36% of single-mother families live in poverty. With poverty comes lack of access to resources and support for youth to flourish physically, socially, emotionally, and cognitively.
In the 2015-2016 academic year, the high school graduation rate was 84%, with Native American, Black, and Hispanic populations persistently graduating under the national average.
In terms of healthcare access, approximately 27% of U.S. children live with chronic health conditions that can affect their daily lives and normal activities. About 1 in 5 children are diagnosed with a mental illness. Only about 20% receive care from a specialized provider. Furthermore, 9 out of 10 children receive regular care from a primary provider, but only 1 in 3 pediatricians report that they have sufficient training to deal with mental disorders. On a broader scope, people in low-income families spend longer times uninsured (The Commonwealth Fund reports that 35% of low-income families spend more than 2 year uninsured).
As a result, a child’s environment growing up can be heavily impacted by all of these factors. Youth empowerment aims to have children address the situation they are in, and through support and resources, take steps to become active members of their community so that they can form healthy self-concepts and lead productive lives.
In a given year, about 3.6 million referrals of child abuse are filed, which averages to a report every 10 seconds. It kills about 5 children every day. The largest sub-category of abuse is neglect, and many children suffer more than one type of maltreatment.
About 15 million children in the United States – 21% of all children – live in families with incomes below the federal poverty threshold. About a quarter of all children in the United States live with their single mother, and 36% of single-mother families live in poverty. With poverty comes lack of access to resources and support for youth to flourish physically, socially, emotionally, and cognitively.
In the 2015-2016 academic year, the high school graduation rate was 84%, with Native American, Black, and Hispanic populations persistently graduating under the national average.
In terms of healthcare access, approximately 27% of U.S. children live with chronic health conditions that can affect their daily lives and normal activities. About 1 in 5 children are diagnosed with a mental illness. Only about 20% receive care from a specialized provider. Furthermore, 9 out of 10 children receive regular care from a primary provider, but only 1 in 3 pediatricians report that they have sufficient training to deal with mental disorders. On a broader scope, people in low-income families spend longer times uninsured (The Commonwealth Fund reports that 35% of low-income families spend more than 2 year uninsured).
As a result, a child’s environment growing up can be heavily impacted by all of these factors. Youth empowerment aims to have children address the situation they are in, and through support and resources, take steps to become active members of their community so that they can form healthy self-concepts and lead productive lives.
Key Terms
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Youth empowerment: refers to the process in which young people are encouraged to make positive changes in their lives and in their communities by making informed decisions. Youth empowerment is structural and begins with the individual’s beliefs, values, and attitudes.
Self-concept: a child’s image of themself that is cultivated through their beliefs of what their personality and physical characteristics are as well as what they think others view them as Self-esteem: the way a child perceives their own self-worth or abilities. These perceptions may differ from reality. Self-efficacy: refers to a child’s belief in their capability to achieve specific goals or to perform specific tasks Youth activism: youth participation in community organizing for social change. Youth activism focuses more on the social issue than on partisanship Learned helplessness: a condition in which an individual begins to feel powerless because of continuous failure. They may begin to believe that the situation they are in is unchangeable. Systemic oppression: the way a person is discriminated against based on their social identity. This marginalization is supported and enforced by institutions such as the law or education system. Safe space/Brave space: a place or environment that is free of discrimination, criticism, harassment, or other emotional or physical harm. Safe/brave spaces allow individuals to speak with confidence there will be no bias or judgement against them Intersectionality: a phrase coined by legal scholar Kimberle Crenshaw refers to the complex and cumulative way that the effects of different forms of discrimination (such as racism, sexism, and classism) combine, overlap, and intersect—especially in the experiences of marginalized people or groups. Role model/mentorship: a relationship in which a more experienced people guides another individual to cultivate specific skills and knowledge. The mentee can view the mentor as someone they look up to Inclusion: refers to a state within a community wherein the inherent worth and dignity of all people are recognized, regardless of background, identities, values, and beliefs. Social Exclusion: also known as social marginalization; refers to the social disadvantage and relegation of certain groups through discrimination Stereotype: refers to any generalization about specific types of individuals or certain behaviors intended to represent the entire group of those individuals These beliefs may or may not accurately reflect reality. Access: refers to the ability to deliver public services, facilities, and amenities to intended populations Equity: fairness in the way people are treated; specifically access to networks, resources, and supports needed depending on what certain groups or individuals need in order to reach full potential |
Child Welfare: protection of children from violence, abuse, exploitation, and neglect
Child Abuse: physical, sexual, psychological neglect or maltreatment of a child, especially by a caretaker Child Neglect: form of child abuse, and is a deficit in meeting a child's basic needs, including the failure to provide adequate health care, supervision, clothing, nutrition, housing as well as their physical, emotional, social, educational and safety needs. Poverty Line: the estimated minimum level of income needed to secure the basic necessities of life in a country Household Structure: describes the makeup of the nuclear family Chronically Homeless: as defined by the HUD, “either (1) an unaccompanied homeless individual with a disabling condition who has been continuously homeless for a year or more, OR (2) an unaccompanied individual with a disabling condition who has had at least four episodes of homelessness in the past three years.” Achievement Gap: the persistent disparity in academic performance among subgroups of American students, usually along socio-economic, racial, and gender lines. School-to-prison pipeline: a national trend in the United States where minors and young adults from disadvantaged backgrounds tend to become incarcerated because of school policies that criminalize these youth and put them in contact with law enforcement. Tracking: also known as ability grouping, refers to the practice of dividing children together according to overall academic achievement Title I School: schools that receive financial assistance from the government because they have high percentages of students from low-income backgrounds Health: a state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being, and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity Chronic condition: disease that is persistent or otherwise long-lasting in its effects, usually over 3 months Socialization of disabilities: norms, cultures, and language that influence the way people with disabilities are treated. It is different from the medicalization model because the focus is on society rather than on the individual. The socialization model also identifies systemic barriers and negative attitudes. Medicalization of disabilities: refers to how people with disabilities have been viewed as “ill” |
Educational Materials
Intersectionality
Youth Empowerment is a multifaceted social justice focus that intersects with other social justice foci. Children and young adults all have different racial and gender identities as well as varying degrees of access to education and other resources.
Youth and Homelessness:
Youth and Food Insecurity:
Youth and LGBTQ+:
Youth and Education:
Youth and Homelessness:
Youth and Food Insecurity:
- https://www.aypf.org/blog/food-for-thought-how-food-insecurity-affects-a-childs-education/
- https://www.childtrends.org/indicators/food-insecurity
Youth and LGBTQ+:
- https://www.losangelesblade.com/2018/10/24/trans-youth-facing-public-health-and-human-rights-crises-in-america/
- https://truecolorsfund.org/our-issue/
Youth and Education:
