Background

We are proud to have served over 2,000 unique underserved young people in the Northeast Ohio area since our inception in 2013. Of these 2,000 Cleveland youth, about 99% of students identified as African American. Our programming pathway includes the YDJ: Youth Discussing Justice program (6th-12th grade where young people learn to become self valued leaders, then next the EYEJ Youth Council, where young people (age 15 to 25) together, focus on a systemic injustice and implement change towards it. From here, a young person can join the Millennial Task Force (age 18-30) where from a Millennial voice help to empower EYEJ programming.

EYEJ successes are young people called Changemakers; as 75 persons have graduated from the programming pathway from YDJ to the EYEJ Youth Council. A Changemaker, as defi ned by EYEJ, is someone who has graduated from the EYEJ Youth Council and demonstrates positive change to help better their community by therefore impacting our underserved youth in a positive way.

Our Work

EYEJ is able to continue work through devoted volunteers, donors, and staff, it’s keynote programs affect the lives of thousands and create or plant the seeds for change all across the Cleveland community.

• EYEJ has impacted 2,000+ underserved youth, 29 schools and nine recreation centers.

• EYEJ has helped develop over 75 changemakers, with a goal of 95.

• EYEJ has gained the support of more than 1,400 persons and organizations in the form of partners, funders and team members.

• EYEJ has had more than 150 interns from Baldwin Wallace University, Case Western Reserve University, Emory University, John Carroll University, Kent State University, Northwestern University, The Ohio University, UCLA and others.

• EYEJ developed a contact list including more than 600 names and email addresses of relevant government officials and media to raise awareness of the “Digital Divide.”

• Nationally recognized and award-winning programming as winners of the 2021 and 2022 Anthem Awards for the Empowering Changemakers event and National Townhall series

Youth Discussing Justice (YDJ):

EYEJ Youth Discussing Justice (YDJ), a research-based youth discussion series, addresses real[1]life, ongoing issues and realities that youth are facing in a safe, intimate and judgment-free environment. Through the program, students in grades six through 12 meet regularly with trained professionals to learn how to set goals, become self-valued social justice leaders and make decisions that positively impact their communities. During the discussions, guests – which may include local community members, peers or any one of 750 other volunteers – engage with students and encourage honesty on difficult subjects such as violence, power and privilege, toxic stress and digital literacy.

• 65% of students learned about social justice topics for the first time, want to learn more, and value helping others.

• 82.7% agreed that the Youth Discussion Series help them during school.

• 74.1% of the students felt valued and appreciated by others.

• 93% of young people have been identified as self-valued leaders and potential changemakers.

• Since 2013, more than 1,600 young people have participated in YDJ.

Youth Council

First convened in 2017, the EYEJ Youth Council gives young people a place to assemble and brainstorm solutions to the injustices, challenges, and other obstructions they and their communities face every day. The Youth Council, made up of youth ages 15–25, is committed to using policy, social policy, community organizing, research, youth voice and programming as tools to make positive systemic change. In fact, it has a history of working with policy makers to have its programming recommendations transform into policy.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, specifically, the Youth Council launched its bridging of the “Digital Divide” initiative to help minority families gain access to the high-speed internet needed to attend school and compete on the job market. To increase awareness, EYEJ and the EYEJ Youth Council engaged 216 high-profile attendees in a virtual town hall. The Council also held a live 90-minute online protest where attendees – which included Phillip Althouse of the Legal Aid Society and Bill Callahan of the National Digital Inclusion Alliance – spoke out in solidarity, demanding accessible internet and e-learning devices for all.

Other recent achievements include:

• Giving testimony at the Ohio Statehouse against Substitute House Bill 13, which Youth Council members felt did not justly distribute funding to all potential broadband providers and solutions

• Presenting to 35 professionals at McKinsey and Hyland Software on the urgency to close the Digital Divide

• Serving as keynote speakers for the annual NEO Conflict Resolution Youth Symposium hosted by Tri-C

• Executing a campaign that raised $20,000 over one weekend involving 400+ donors

• Working up to 10 hours a week in 2020 organizing and fundraising for connectivity in Cleveland With 75 participants to date, the EYEJ Youth Council has core locations in Cleveland, Columbus, Chicago, California, Pittsburgh and Atlanta. Member locations can be found in Cleveland, New Jersey and Pennsylvania.

Empowering Youth, Exploring Justice

Small But Mighty