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The Youth Advocacy Council is made up of high-school students from Grayson, Fannin and Cooke counties.
For teens in Grayson, Fannin and Cooke counties interested in helping area youth have a voice, Youth Advocacy Council (YAC) is accepting applications. YAC involves area youth who desire to take an active role in representing the voice of teens in the area. The group is sponsored by North Texas Youth Connection (NTYC). YAC members also represent North Texas Youth Connection as ambassadors to the community. YAC meets regularly to provide feedback about NTYC programs, lead activities in the emergency youth shelter, offer support to the agency, and create a forum for youth to have a voice in the community.
The group is member-driven, meaning that YAC members all have a voice in determining which activities the group undertakes. Involved in a wide range of activities, members have served as peer leaders, volunteer their time for local programs such as Cinco de Mayo, the Salvation Army Christmas drive, Adopt-a-Highway, coat drives, and Youth Advocacy Day summer program in Austin, Texas.
“The students involved in YAC are really some of the best leaders in our local schools,” stated Faye Roberson, Outreach Director at NTYC. “We see that they truly care about youth in the community. I am always impressed about how much they know about our organization and the services offered, as well as how well they seem to have a good grasp of the pulse of our local youth community. They each really want to make a difference, make life better for youth in our area.”
Membership involves an application and selection process. The most important criteria for selection is passion for youth issues and willingness to make a difference. Students selected to participate must be willing to devote one hour per month for the required meeting, plus additional volunteerism as required by the different projects selected by the group.
“Applications are accepted year-round, but we begin a majority of our activities in the summer; so the group is actively seeking new members right now,” said Roberson.
Applications are available from the agency’s website at http://www.ntxyouthconnection.org/YAC.htm, and then click on the link for the application.
North Texas Youth Connection, formerly Grayson County Juvenile Alternatives, is located in Sherman. The organization offers community outreach services, free counseling for youth ages 0-17 and their families, and an emergency shelter for homeless, runaway and abused youth ages 10-17. For more information about the organization or any of its programs, visit the website listed, or contact the office at (903) 893-4717 or the toll-free, 24-hour crisis line at 1-800-568-7776.