TYPES
What are Youth Safe Spaces, Centers, and After-school Programs?
Programs linked to YSS/YC/ASPs can take place in schools, churches, community centers, or other locations appropriate for youth. They can have their own dedicated space or building in the community or utilize a pre-existing one (e.g., schools, churches).
If you plan to host programs in a school- or community-based setting, consider this:
After-school programs and safe spaces in schools are implemented through partnerships with schools, typically secondary schools, technical and vocational training colleges, and universities.[1] They may be run by the school or be a partnership between the school and one or more community-based service providers. Their advantage is that they can meet young people where they already are and reduce costs associated with managing a separate facility.
If you are creating a special interest program focused on girls/women’s empowerment or other similar topics, consider this:
Safe spaces and empowerment programs for specific populations are focused on a special interest group, target population, or topic, such as a girls’ coding club or a mental health support group for refugee youth. Community-based girls groups (CBGGs), also known as safe space groups, are one model of this type of program that has become increasingly common in recent years. CBGGs are widely shown to have a consistent positive effect across countries and contexts on changes that are “internal to girls—for example, attitudes toward child marriage, demand for health services, self-esteem, and literacy.”[2] These programs may also include benefits in education-related outcomes, such as numeracy and school enrollment; and increases in girls economic and psychosocial assets.[3]
See List of Sample Models and Programs here.
[1] Youth Development Centers and Programs in the Middle East and North Africa Region Report - USAID 2020
[2] Temin, Miriam & Heck, Craig J. “Close to Home: Evidence on the Impact of Community-Based Girl Groups.” Global Health: Science and Practice June 2020, 8(2):300-324.
[3] Temin, Miriam & Heck, Craig J. “Close to Home: Evidence on the Impact of Community-Based Girl Groups.” Global Health: Science and Practice June 2020, 8(2):300-324.
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