TOLEDO, Ohio — With violence on the rise during a global pandemic, many organizations want to give kids the tools they need to break the cycle of violence and the tools to lead others.
Today, the Toledo Lucas County Public Library began their new “Youth Ambassadors Program”. The program is designed to create connections with teens in the community.
The program uses virtual activities and programs to guide young people to becoming leaders.
“We wanted to be able to continue to build relationships with the youth within the community and we thought that having a youth advisory group, especially now with the pandemic and everything like that, it’s a great time to start this new thing,” said Joyce Souva, teen services librarian.
According the the library's website the Youth Ambassadors Program "brings together students and adult mentors from the Toledo area as youth advisory to promote mutual understanding, increase leadership, and prepare youth to make difference in their communities."
Souva is one of the persons behind the program.
The program, however, isn’t just for bettering the lives of teens, it’s also about bettering the community.
“Whatever ideas they have is the starting point of how we are able to achieve any of our goals here,” said Souva.
The hope is that it isn’t just the kids that develop, but the library that develops too.
“What are we missing? What can we work towards as a goal for the year? and you’ll just be a recurring group that we can kind of mine ideas out of to make happen,” said Souva.
Today's event was just the beginning of the program. The next event is set for March 26th. You can register for the program at the Toledo Lucas County Public Library's website.
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