To address the mutual needs of homeless youth and the University District community of Seattle, a University District/University Partnership for Youth has formed. The Partnership includes University of Washington faculty, students in professional training, undergraduates involved in community service, representatives from service providers and merchants in the U District, volunteers from local congregations, planners and child advocates, and individuals from a variety of local government bodies.
The partnership represents a unique effort to bring together all the relevant University and U District entities with a special concern for homeless and runaway youth in the areas of education, health, mental health, legal and family concerns. In its first year of operation, the Partnership has embarked on several areas of activity. It is:
· serving as a forum where problems can be raised and resources identified,
· acting as a clearinghouse for information,
· engaging the energies and caring concern of students, faculty, service providers and neighborhood residents,
· contributing to the store of knowledge required for sound public policies,
· enabling people of good will (but often different perspectives) to work toward some mutually acceptable approaches to the need to move young people from the streets to more stable living arrangements,
· providing an opportunity for reality-based professional training for students in a wide array of disciplines (including law, urban planning, social work, adolescent medicine, community nursing, education),
· hoping to contribute to community healing and a more promising future for homeless youth and their families.
The Partnership for Youth meets every three weeks. Anyone interested in participating or learning more about the Partnership should call: 685-3168.
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