 |  |  |  |  |
About Social Enterprise
Social Enterprises are businesses that operate for a community benefit. Youth Strategies’ enterprises exist to
provide jobs and job training opportunities for young people with high risk factors, or barriers, and little to no work
experience.
We operate our enterprises with the goal of being financially self-sustaining, helping youth become ready to work in
mainstream jobs and/or pursue higher education, as well as create a work environment where values and
character can be developed and exercised.
All businesses operate with an anticipated Return on Investment (ROI). With Social Enterprises there is an
additional ROI referred to as the Social Return on Investment (SROI). We are interested in both outcomes.
Youth Strategies Believes:
Low-income youth want and need to earn their way. Our training programs are successful enterprises that pay
the youth in our programs for their work. A paycheck is critical for our at-risk youth clients who are often living on
their own or contributing to the basic living expenses of their families.
Hands-on training in a real world setting exponentially enhances their classroom learning experience. Our
youth play a central role in the day-to-day operations of our enterprises. They learn the basic skills related to their
assigned job while gaining important workplace skills often called ‘soft skills’. These skills include
communication, teamwork, accountability and conflict management. They are a part of the decision making
process. Our goal is to pass on to them the entrepreneurial skills they can someday use in their own business.
Businesses as “Program”. For-profit businesses are not as well positioned to tackle some of the barriers that
can exist when employing and training at-risk youth. Even rarer, is allowing at-risk youth the opportunity to be a part
of the decision-making process and learning from that experience. Working with at-risk youth is our mission and
they need more than a paycheck. The environment we create through our Social Enterprises, which includes our
mentoring process, workshops, and adventure activities are critical to our clients’ successful transition into
adulthood.
A diverse funding mix results in greater sustainability. Revenues from our social enterprises contribute to the
cost of our programs. Profits are re-invested to grow and improve our programs. Funding from individual donors,
foundations, churches, and government grants cover costs that are not covered by our enterprises.
Our collaborative approach. We are very committed to partnerships with other agencies, businesses, and the
community. Too many agencies try to “go it alone” when trying to meet the needs of at-risk youth. We do not believe
any one agency has a patent on youth rehabilitation. We will actively pursue partnerships with other agencies,
churches, governmental entities to help our youth achieve their desired goals.
provide jobs and job training opportunities for young people with high risk factors, or barriers, and little to no work
experience.
We operate our enterprises with the goal of being financially self-sustaining, helping youth become ready to work in
mainstream jobs and/or pursue higher education, as well as create a work environment where values and
character can be developed and exercised.
All businesses operate with an anticipated Return on Investment (ROI). With Social Enterprises there is an
additional ROI referred to as the Social Return on Investment (SROI). We are interested in both outcomes.
Youth Strategies Believes:
Low-income youth want and need to earn their way. Our training programs are successful enterprises that pay
the youth in our programs for their work. A paycheck is critical for our at-risk youth clients who are often living on
their own or contributing to the basic living expenses of their families.
Hands-on training in a real world setting exponentially enhances their classroom learning experience. Our
youth play a central role in the day-to-day operations of our enterprises. They learn the basic skills related to their
assigned job while gaining important workplace skills often called ‘soft skills’. These skills include
communication, teamwork, accountability and conflict management. They are a part of the decision making
process. Our goal is to pass on to them the entrepreneurial skills they can someday use in their own business.
Businesses as “Program”. For-profit businesses are not as well positioned to tackle some of the barriers that
can exist when employing and training at-risk youth. Even rarer, is allowing at-risk youth the opportunity to be a part
of the decision-making process and learning from that experience. Working with at-risk youth is our mission and
they need more than a paycheck. The environment we create through our Social Enterprises, which includes our
mentoring process, workshops, and adventure activities are critical to our clients’ successful transition into
adulthood.
A diverse funding mix results in greater sustainability. Revenues from our social enterprises contribute to the
cost of our programs. Profits are re-invested to grow and improve our programs. Funding from individual donors,
foundations, churches, and government grants cover costs that are not covered by our enterprises.
Our collaborative approach. We are very committed to partnerships with other agencies, businesses, and the
community. Too many agencies try to “go it alone” when trying to meet the needs of at-risk youth. We do not believe
any one agency has a patent on youth rehabilitation. We will actively pursue partnerships with other agencies,
churches, governmental entities to help our youth achieve their desired goals.
| Copyright 2005-2010 Youth Strategies, PO Box 107, Springdale AR 72765 |