STRATEGIC PLAN

Executive Summary

We are a social service youth organization that will educate, inspire, and enrich the lives of at risk, troubled and under-privileged youth through life skills training and by traveling to historical, educational, and cultural sites locally, statewide, countrywide and abroad. This will provide opportunities to those youth who are deeply affected by life's challenges and find themselves struggling to succeed. We can work with local youth organizations on location to provide us with youth that fit into our mission. Our uniqueness and flexibility set us apart from any would be competitors. We want to be complimentary with other organizations; as a result, we do not see others as our competitors but as our allies.

Organization Description

OUR MISSION: To create opportunities for youth to build positive character and values by providing unique prosocial and life skills training and exposure to educational, cultural, and historical places through national and international travel.

OUR VISION: To sustain opportunities to enrich the lives of youth and help them realize their dreams.

OUR GUIDING PRINCIPLES: Through our partnership with the community, we may help the youth reduce the impact of a condition or problem. It is our intention and strategy that by using the basic logic model we may be able to assist our youth to make better decisions. "It takes a Village to raise a child" is an old African proverb that embodies community support, caring, teaching, and providing safety for the wellbeing of children.

It is an adage that is as relevant today as it was in the African villages and plantations during slavery in America's south, and among the immigrants that landed on Ellis Island. The adage denotes that everyone's survival is dependent on the cooperation of the whole community working together, sharing resources, and the wisdom of elders to the young. "It takes a village to raise a child" is a very profound statement because there are external influences outside the view of the immediate family. The community must work together to ensure a wholesome, safe, and positive environment for youth. The impact that the village philosophy has on the juvenile justice system is that community must work together to provide adequate schools, activities, reinforce positive behavior and give appropriate consequences for negative behavior. Being proactive is better than being reactive for everyone; thus, fostering pride in the community and reinforcing core values is the idea behind "It takes a Village to raise a child".

Background:

Village Coalition of Youth Activities, Inc. (VCOYA) is a valid 501(c)(3) non-profit youth organization that serves at risk underprivileged youth that lives in the Lincoln Park and the surrounding community of St. Lucie County.

VCOYA was started in 2013 as a committee of youth organizations that shared upcoming events in the community. In 2020 VCOYA was incorporated and was deemed a non-profit organization by the IRS in 2021. During 2022 VCOYA conducted an 8-week life skills class at Word of Faith Christian Academy helping at risk underprivileged youth change behavior, build positive character, value, self-esteem, confidence, empathy and to expand their world.

In March 2022 we held our First Annual Health Fair to get to know what services our youth have available when they are in crisis. We held our first Back to School Bash in August 2022 to provide them with the tools they need to return to classes which included haircuts, medical and mental health screenings, safety demonstrations, immunization, face painting, lunch and more. In December 2022 we partnered with several major stakeholders, Sunshine Health, Humana, and Lil Feet for our Heart and Sole Community Sneaker Giveaway. We know that students with new athletic shoes like their peers see improvement in school attendance, physical activity, and self-esteem, which all contribute to better health outcomes. New shoes help students attend school with dignity and joy, prepared to learn, play, and thrive.

In 2023 VCOYA will work with local youth organizations to get referrals for the program. Youth from these groups must complete the Life Skills portion of the program to be eligible to join the travel group. We plan to travel to various locations within the state as well as out of state.

Problem Analysis:

Our specific target audience are youths ages 12 to 18. We will reach out to inner city, underprivileged, underserved at risk youth living below the poverty line.

Fort Pierce, FL is home to the Lincoln Park Community, which is one of the poorest areas in the Nation. Nearly 80% of its resident’s struggle to make ends meet. This community is majority minority, and the median annual household income is less than $27,000 which is nearly half of the national average. Children, who are raised in low-income households, have only a 10% chance of graduating with their bachelor’s degree by the age of 25.

The poverty rate in Fort Pierce is 35.8%. One out of every 2.8 residents of Fort Pierce lives in poverty. Approximately 36.2% of the total population of Fort Pierce, Florida is black.

44.6% of Black residents of Fort Pierce, Florida lives below the poverty line. The Poverty Rate of these residents is dramatically higher than the national average of 25.2%.

Goal and Objectives:

Effect social change in at-risk youth

To improve participating youth's life skills, including self-confidence, communication; problem-solving, team building, and trust.
To provide activities that allow at-risk youth to be successful in building social and behavioral skills.
To provide at-risk youth with activities in a caring and supportive environment.
To provide at-risk youth with clear and attainable goals.

Develop leaders that have positive values and character

Decrease or eliminate delinquent behaviors.
Develop responsibility and respect/care about others.
Increase desire to contribute to one's own community; and
Develop leadership abilities.

Become Financially Sustainable

Establish Board Funding Committee
Diversify Funding
Expand donor base
Strengthen grant writing

Methodology

VCOYA believes that education is essential to the enrichment of one’s life and a healthy vibrant community; this is the basis of our mission and vision through “Empowerment and Affirmation”.

We concentrate on the Lincoln Park Community of Ft. Pierce and the surrounding communities. We enable youth to see that there are opportunities outside of their low-income neighborhood thru life skills and travel. We have the potential to serve a minimum of 60 youth per year in the year 2023, 2024 and 2025.

WHY LIFE SKILLS: The World Health Organization (WHO) describes life skills as the abilities and positive behaviors that enable individuals to deal effectively with the demands and challenges of everyday life. In a constantly changing environment, i.e., a fast-paced world, life skills have become essential in overcoming the roadblocks of daily life. From managing things better to processing emotions and interacting with others, the need for life skills becomes necessary with time.

WHY TRAVEL: The benefits of travel are absolutely endless – culture experiences, savory flavors, breathtaking landscapes, new adventures and tightened family bonds, just to name a few.

Some other reasons why raising a kid who loves to travel will benefit their development are:

1. Travel Opens Your Child’s Mind

2. It Teaches New Responsibilities

3. It Strengthens Families

4. Boosts School Grades

5. They’ll Practice Tolerance and Acceptance

6. Travel Promotes Incredible Socialization

7. They’ll Learn Self-Reliance and How to Combat Boredom

Evaluation

● Quarterly meeting for the board and executive team to check the progress of the entire strategic plan if updates need to be made.

● Annually meeting for the board to ensure that the strategic plan is still working and if updates need to be made.

Operations Plan