Current yds Initiatives

Out of School Time

Increasing Youth Driven Spaces in SE Michigan

In September 2021, with generous support from the Ralph C. Wilson Foundation, Neutral Zone began a second 3-year initiative to expand youth driven spaces across Southeast Michigan. This project will consist of several different components.

YDS Immersion Cohort 2024: A partnership between Neutral Zone and several community-based organizations across Southeast Michigan to increase teen engagement and voice in their programs and organizations.  The objective is being achieved by helping organizations build or expand their youth advisory councils through adoption of other youth driven strategies.  Interested? An Overview to the new 2024-25 program can be found at this link.

YDS Conference: An annual professional development opportunity for youth and their adult allies to share practice, learn skills and network.

Coaches Training: In 2023, a new cohort of youth and adults were invited to participate in a Youth Driven Spaces Coaches Training to help participants to develop their training capacities so that they could better support youth driven practice in their own organizations.

Expanding a YDS Network: Through quarterly meetings, YDS agencies and coaches convene to develop and implement a strategic plan to expand YDS practice in the region.

YDS in Schools

Currently Neutral Zone is partnering on the following school based initiatives:

Building Restorative School Cultures: Working with our partners at Hazel Park School, Neutral Zone is supporting a district-wide use of Restorative Practices. Beginning in the 2024-25 academic year, each school has a Building Implementation Team that is leading and supporting restorative practices as a way of doing business in school. 

Whole Child Student Advisory: Working with our partners at Berrien County RESA, Neutral Zone has helped to build and support a cross-high school team of students whose role is to support the county Whole Child Initiative. The Whole Child Student Advisory is taking an active and meaningful role in the collaborative’s work to develop initiatives for the county based on needs uncovered in data and research.