It is with heavy hearts that the Steering Committee has decided to disband Healthy Youth Partnership (HYP). We have enjoyed bringing you learning opportunities to further enhance the work that you do with the clients and communities you serve.
Our decision comes out of the diminished availability from current Steering Committee members and unfruitful recruitment efforts. We know that many of you value the free workshops and resources we offer, so please keep Austin Oaks Hospital in mind as they provide free monthly CEU workshops.
As a Steering Committee, we have identified 3 local youth-serving organizations to donate the funds that HYP possesses. They include Youth Rise Texas, Out Youth, and African American Youth Harvest Foundation.
If you have any questions, please feel free to email us at info@hypaustin.org. HYP will be disbanded by the end of September 2022.
On behalf of the entire HYP Steering Committee, thank you! We appreciate the important work you do with youth and wish you all the very best.
Commitment to racial justice
HYP was created to support youth-serving professionals in Central Texas to address issues that directly impact our youth. It is paramount that our efforts specifically include Black youth-serving professionals and issues that impact Black youth. This directly translates to our public, firm stance against police brutality and the unjust, racist, violent, and deadly treatment of Black folx, including Black Trans folx, in Austin and beyond.
As an organization, we acknowledge that we have not been intentional about creating an inclusive space for Black youth-serving professionals. When inclusion is not done purposefully, our spaces have tended to lean heavily white, straight, and cisgender women. While the youth-serving professions in Austin are made up of mostly the aforementioned group, our city also greatly benefits from the work done by queer, gender diverse professionals of color.
The professional development and community-building that HYP facilitates must and will, from now on, be inclusive to all of the identities that make up our network. We commit to doing this within the organization’s leadership, with our members and participants, and for the youth of Austin. We will hold ourselves accountable to this work and invite any and all to hold us accountable, as well.
We are committed to elevating the voices and work of Black folx in our community.
We will feature Black speakers at our monthly workshops.
Starting in July 2020, we will launch donation-based registration. 100% of these funds will be put into a pool used for speaker stipends. We hope this will build a sustainable foundation for community support and learning.
Later this year, we will introduce community affinity groups, prioritizing spaces for Black youth-serving professionals. We will provide a platform for youth-serving professionals to connect with local colleagues. These groups will meet virtually until they can safely meet in-person at public venues.
Intentional efforts to be inclusive and respectful of all people in all HYP spaces
Make intentional efforts to support and elevate Black-led organizations and organizations that support Black youth in Central Texas
HYP offers professional development opportunities that include monthly workshops, leadership trainings, and our newsletter. HYP serves as a model of collaboration, offering opportunities to network, combine resources, and get involved in community-led efforts. HYP connects youth-serving professionals with the latest research and best practices around working with youth.
We Believe That Professionals Do their best work when they are supported, well-Trained, Practice Self-Care and are Connected to Community Resources.