Sept. 8, 2020 – YOU is a career pathway exploration and planning organization in Southwest Michigan. But that’s just the tip of the iceberg for this over 50-year old community organization. Its service area spans all of Kalamazoo, Calhoun, Branch and St. Joseph counties taking critical workforce development strategies wherever it goes.

For much of its lifetime, YOU was known as Youth Opportunities Unlimited. So, which is it?

“Two years ago, we prioritized redefining who we are, what we stand for and who we serve,” director Paige Daniels explained. “Our service range targets 14-24-year-olds and our partner program, Michigan Works! Southwest, caters to individuals of all ages; it became evident that we needed to brand ourselves in an age-inclusive manner, so we rebranded as just YOU.”

In other words, YOU is a place for everyone.

"Whether it's a young person hoping to reconnect with education, someone in the middle of a career change trying to connect with job or training opportunities, or someone in need of support to take their next step, we want them to know we’re the place to go," Daniels said.

YOU offers customized programs to youth, understanding that one size does not fit all, by identifying creative solutions for the issues Southwest Michigan youth face. Through critical partnerships with Kalamazoo RESA and Michigan Works! Southwest, YOU is uniquely positioned to assist individuals no matter what stage of life they’re in.

YOU has identified three driving focus areas – career, education, community – that sum it up.

EDUCATION

The first step to any measure of individual prosperity is an education. The YOU on-site classroom is where most people enrolled in YOU start their journey. Through Ms. Onika’s classroom, individuals can complete their high school education, prepare for the GED and recover school credits needed to graduate.

Even above coursework, Ms. Onika’s main priority is making a genuine connection with her students.

"Before I start teaching content, my main goal is to build a solid relationship with my students,” she said. “I am interested in who they are, their likes and dislikes, and hearing about all their experiences that led them to my classroom.”

Students remain enrolled in their Kalamazoo County home district while working through courses in the YOU classroom. From there, students get access to one-on-one learning, career exploration and planning with experienced professionals, paid work experience and internship opportunities, and so much more.

"Cultivating a classroom that is built on relationships, honesty, and respect are my three guiding principles,” Ms. Onika explained. “Students know that I am 100% invested in their success inside and outside the classroom."

This is a testament to her successful track record of graduating students. In the 2019-20 school year, 25 Kalamazoo County students graduated from their high schools and 77 courses were completed.

“YOU is focused on helping youth live out their dreams in practical ways,” Ms. Onika said. “It's a place where students can meet their goals in education and employment. Young people feel welcomed, loved, cared about, and it’s because we have an amazing staff who are completely selfless.”

CAREER

A traditional education exposes you to careers. And YOU understands that a substantial amount of learning is done outside of the classroom, in the real world. That’s why it's committed to bridging the gap between the classroom and the workplace.

Using a career exploration and planning model, career coaching staff develop individualized plans with participants to make their dream careers a reality. Its team has a unique ability to make participants see that far-off, distanced goal as truly realistic through small, attainable steps.

YOU has year-round and summer programs that connect regional youth with paid work experience, internships and occupational training opportunities through a host of unique, esteemed programming. In 2019, its summer youth employment program, dubbed MyCITY, was recognized as the Youth Program of the Year by the National Association of Workforce Development Professionals.

Its team consists of a group of intensely passionate professionals who have undergone innovative training to further their advocacy and impact.

In 2019, YOU staff was trained in a goal-focused, research-based coaching model that emphasizes using 21st-century core skills: critical thinking, creativity, collaboration and communication. This model prioritizes tailored career pathway plans based on participant goals, passions and skills.

Team members are trained on methods rooted in trauma-informed best practices that are designed to not only boost aa participant's employability but social-emotional wellness as well. These elements are embedded in YOU’s career coaching model and are ingrained in YOU’s culture.

But they cannot do it alone.

COMMUNITY

YOU is a dedicated community partner through and through. It takes an invested four-county wide network to make participants’ dreams a reality.

From educational institutions, local employers, nonprofit community organizations, neighborhood associations, to business partners: YOU has adopted an inclusive and multidimensional approach to ensure every individual who walks through its doors can access a prosperous life without barriers.

One meaningful example happened in 2017 when several agencies across Kalamazoo County joined forces to create Bridging Opportunities, a revolutionary program unlike any other. Bridging Opportunities is a multi-agency initiative that focuses on youth development and building strategies for reducing the amount of crime committed by juveniles within city limits. The Bridging Opportunities collaborative fills these young people’s summer hours with productive activities such as paid work experience, educational support activities, community beautification projects and career exploration.

Since the implementation of the program, juvenile crime rates in the city of Kalamazoo dropped 61.2% — from 502 offenders in 2016 to 195 in 2019.

MyCITY, YOU’s paid youth employment program, is another shining example of how a community can work together to provide positive experiences.

And thanks to the support of the City of Kalamazoo and the Foundation for Excellence, for the first time in its history, MyCITY Kalamazoo will extend past its traditional summer season to support City of Kalamazoo youth with paid career exploration, pathway planning, soft skills development and – hopefully – in-person work experience once it is safe to do so.

Here for YOU

All in all, YOU serves over 100,000 individuals in southwest Michigan every year. No matter what stage in life you find yourself, or what kinds of support you need, YOU is here for you. But, as stated earlier, this is just the tip of the iceberg. There is so much more to learn and get involved with, so take a look around our website and discover what opportunities are available in your community.