Youth Empowerment Portfolio
Three workshops help young people develop practical judgment as they move toward greater independence. Each workshop consists of six two-hour sessions (12 instructional hours), combining realistic scenarios, structured discussion, individual work and skills assessments.
Ready to Respond | Ages 12–14
Participants practice recognizing emergencies, communicating clearly with 911 dispatchers, and deciding when to seek adult or emergency assistance. They develop family emergency plans and practice evacuation, shelter and preparedness decisions.
Participant work: emergency contact wallet card, family safety plan and scenario decision record.
Ready for Life | Ages 15–18
Participants compare career pathways, practice workplace advocacy and communicate under pressure. Budget simulations introduce unexpected expenses, requiring students to evaluate tradeoffs, explain their decisions and revise their plans.
Participant work: career comparison matrix, emergency budget exercise and individual decision-making portfolio.
Campus Safety & Independence | Ages 17–19
Participants examine the transition to college or independent living through campus, housing and transportation scenarios. Activities address digital privacy, recognizing coercion, navigating unfamiliar environments and seeking appropriate help when a peer is in crisis.
Participant work: campus resource map exercise, personal safety plan and peer-support decision guide.
Bring a Workshop to Your Community Schools, recreation centers and community organizations can discuss hosting one workshop or offering the portfolio sequentially. Contact elevateteenworks@gmail.com or 301-549-6727. Scheduling and enrollment: Dates, locations, participant fees and registration arrangements are pending. Age ranges guide placement, with final eligibility determined for each offering.
Youth Mental Health & Crisis Response Academy (Proposed)
Elevate TeensWorks proposes the Youth Mental Health & Crisis Response Academy, a community-based capacity-building initiative designed to improve behavioral health awareness, early identification of mental health and substance use challenges, and crisis response among adolescents and the adults who serve them. The project will increase community capacity in Prince George's County, Maryland, with planned expansion into neighboring jurisdictions throughout Maryland and Washington, D.C. by equipping schools, youth-serving organizations, faith-based organizations, and community partners with the knowledge and skills needed to recognize behavioral health concerns and connect youth to appropriate services. The primary population of focus includes adolescents ages 12–18, particularly those attending public and charter schools, participating in community and faith-based programs, and living in underserved communities with limited access to behavioral health education; and educators, youth program staff, parents, volunteers, mentors, and other trusted adults who regularly interact with adolescents. The project will provide evidence-informed training that teaches participants to recognize signs and symptoms of common mental health and substance use disorders; respond safely to behavioral health crises and reduce stigma; apply trauma-informed communication techniques and understand suicide warning signs; distinguish when to contact 988 or 911 and connect youth to appropriate resources. Programming will also strengthen youth resilience, emotional regulation, leadership, communication, and help-seeking behaviors through interactive instruction and scenario-based learning. While Elevate TeensWorks does not provide clinical treatment, the project strengthens community capacity to identify concerns early and promote timely referral to qualified behavioral health providers.