Youth Services
Children and young adults are not spared from the realities and impact of domestic and sexual violence. They are witnessing and experiencing it in their homes, in their first romantic relationships, and in their circle of friends. This crucial time for exploration and growth is marred by the trauma and confusion that violence brings, oftentimes having residual effects for years to come.
Difficulty sleeping, anxiety, falling grades, inability to concentrate, loss of interests, angry outbursts, and unexplained or persistent injuries are just some of the signs of violence in the life of a young person.
Stopping the cycle of violence must include working with young people. They hold the potential to see a future free of violence realized. Alexandra House offers a variety of services to help youth start talking about healthy relationships and to offer intervention and counseling for young survivors of domestic and sexual violence.
Youth Services has four full-time staff to coordinate weekly prevention and intervention programs in six school districts (21 schools) in Anoka County.
Services offered include:
- Presentations – we offer middle and high school-oriented presentations and workshops to students free of charge. Possible topics include:
- Healthy/unhealthy relationships
- Domestic violence
- Sexual violence
- Dating violence
- Witnessing abuse and its effects
- Criminal Justice Issues
- Teen Advocacy Services – we offer individual support and group support for students who have experienced domestic, relationship, or sexual violence.
- The Choose Respect Program – In 2005 we launched the Centers for Disease Control’s Choose Respect Campaign in local middle schools, involving youth to actively encourage their peers to choose respect in all relationships. We have been recognized nationally by the CDC for our efforts, and our work is being modeled in other programs nationwide.
- Summer Programming – We work with Anoka County youth year-round. Throughout the summer months, we work with other organizations and neighborhoods to continue offering individual and group support to victims/survivors of domestic violence, as well as our Choose Respect programs.
- Awareness Materials – You can make a difference in preventing and ending domestic and sexual violence in our community. Alexandra House has created a teen version of our Are You Safe posters. We encourage schools, community centers, youth-serving organizations, and faith groups to post these in both the public and private restrooms of your establishment. Download our ‘Are You Safe’ poster or reach out to a Youth Services advocate to order your posters, When ordering please provide the following information: the poster version (include image descriptor), the quantity, and your mailing information.
Our Youth Leadership Institute is a chance for high-school-aged young people to dive deeper into topics surrounding teen dating violence, domestic violence, and sexual assault. It’s an amazing opportunity to gain advocacy skills and develop a youth-driven advocacy project that will be used within our school year programming! This program is available to all high school students (free of charge), including graduating seniors of 2022!
Calling all students!
We know the school year is wrapping up, and you are eagerly awaiting summer break. We would love to be a part of your summer plans. Join us for our annual Youth Leadership Institute this August! What can you expect? Our Youth Services Team will be present, but aside from their presence, this program is centered around project-based learning. This opportunity is a great way to build your resume, meet other youth while learning, and create a hands-on awareness project for your community.
Dates: August 1-5 and 8-12 (M-F)
Time: 10:00 am – 2:00 pm (lunch provided)
Perks: All participants will have access to the Andover YMCA following each session.
Ready to sign up? Please email us and request the registration form.