We believe every young person deserves to thrive.
Let's make it happen.
HYPE AGREEMENTS
To make sure more young people have access to the things they need, we are asking all Youth Members to follow some basic agreements when accessing services or resources through the HYPE Center. The HYPE Center is an environment of respect, and Youth Members who are unable to follow these Center Agreements are subject to consequences, including but not limited to removal from services.
- UPLIFT COMMUNITY — It takes YOU to make the HYPE Center great! We need you to elevate
the HYPE Center community by sharing your ideas and feedback, referring other young
people to us, and building relationships with other youth, partners, and team members.
- RESPECT YOURSELF AND OTHERS — HYPE is a space of respect. We do not condone
degrading language, intentional violence, or threats of harm (physical, emotional, sexual,
verbal, psychological, or otherwise) towards yourself or others. We respect all physical
property and personal boundaries. We always ask for consent (meaning asking if someone
wants to do something) including sharing items, recording or taking photos, physical touch,
personal space, etc.
- TAKE CARE OF YOURSELF — We want everyone to stay healthy and your well-being is a
priority. If you’re feeling sick, please try to social distance, wash your hands, use hand
sanitizer, and wear a mask in order to ensure others don’t get sick.
- ENJOY AND TAKE CARE OF THE SPACE — You deserve access to clean, safe, fun spaces that
allow you to start anew. We need you to help take care of this space by cleaning up after
yourself and others. Recycle or put trash in the appropriate places and ensure you put things
back where you found them.
- MAKE HYPE YOUR HAVEN — We want this to be a community where you and other youth feel
welcomed and like you belong. Gang and color representations (which are ‘survival’
elements that HYPE is actively trying to transform) should stay outside of the HYPE Center.
HYPE is not a space for drugs, alcohol, paraphernalia, or any other dangerous materials like
explosives, firearms, or weapons.
- LEAVE IT OUTSIDE — We know things happen outside of these walls -- we get it and we’re not
judging, but this is not a space for sex work, for dealing drugs, or for recruiting other youth
into the life. HYPE is a space for building community, for uplifting culture, and embracing
creativity.
- OPEN YOURSELF TO TRANSFORMATION — HYPE is a space of transformation, healing, and
growth. This is a non-judgmental space and we are committed to fostering mutual respect
and support for the well-being of each other's futures and liberation.
WHAT WE BELIEVE
The HYPE Center was founded and operates under the following guiding principles:
- LISTEN TO YOUTH — We believe in inviting and encouraging youth to have a central and active role in defining and refining the HYPE Center.
- FOSTER SELF DETERMINATION — We believe youth are their own primary agents of change and we exist as a resource in supporting their process when helpful to them.
- Uplift strengths and lived experiences — We believe youth are multi-faceted and we highlight their strengths and lived-experiences to support, empower, and further develop them into fierce advocates for themselves.
- PrioritizE harm reduction — We believe in meeting young people within the realities of their lives while supporting their agency to make positive change.
- CultivatE the well-being of our community — We believe well-being is a priority in transformative work. We encourage, support, and invest in healing modalities for our youth, team, and partners, especially those that are culturally enriching.
- PrioritizE the development of organic supports beyond “the system" — We believe in playing a role in connecting youth to others to build their support network that will help them best meet their own needs.
- MakE services and resources more accessible to youth — We believe things should be as low barrier as possible (e.g., location, eligibility, paperwork, etc.).
- RADICAL inclusivity with regard to race, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, immigration status, ability, lived experience, and more.
- prioritizE the needs of those most impacted by commercial sexual exploitation, homelessness, and systematic oppression.
- PromotE youth leadership development — We believe in focusing on the continuous goal of addressing the restructuring and/or dismantling and reallocation of resources that play a role in the overall list of systemic barriers for youth.
HYPE Center
The HYPE Center is an initiative of Freedom Forward.
