Welcome to RYASAP: What We Do
Juvenile Justice - RYASAP is involved in a number of juvenile justice activities. Emanating from research conducted by RYASAP’s Juvenile Justice Task Force, RYASAP developed Bridgeport’s first Juvenile Review Board and eventually, a Juvenile Review Board in Stratford as well. RYASAP also discovered that issues affecting greater Bridgeport were in fact, statewide issues and through funding from the Tow Foundation, co-founded and is the lead agency for the Connecticut Juvenile Justice Alliance. RYASAP also collaborates with the Center for Children’s Advocacy and provides space for the Teen Legal Clinic.
Health Promotion - RYASAP was founded on the issue of adolescent alcohol, tobacco and other drug use and misuse. Through tri-annual surveys of young people RYASAP helped develop both local and regional plans as well as new programs to engage young people to address underage alcohol use; prescription drug use, illegal drug use, teen gambling and healthy mental health processes. You can also find the Teen Yellow Pages here.
Youth INC. - is RYASAP’s hub for all community action and education led by and involving Youth INC.
With the goal of instilling ownership of community while fostering leadership development, Youth INC programs seek to show the importance of one’s relation to their immediate world: that though we are molded and affected by our community, we also have a voice and can take action to impact the world around us. Leadership training is an important aspect for the future of youth, but also for the present, as youth can serve as leaders NOW, taking an active role in the life of the community.
The broad goal of our programs is not just to foster learning and diversity but to instill a sense of social responsibility and civic participation by rooting our programs in the community.
Contact: Paige Nelson – pnelson@ryasap.org or 203-579-2727 x309
We are changing the face and practice of leadership in Connecticut.
At Public Allies of Connecticut, we believe changing times call for a new kind of leadership. Since 2004, we have developed over 80 young leaders. Allies are diverse, passionate social change makers who support community projects in partnership with hundreds of local nonprofit organizations.
Contact: Tyler Driscoll – tylerdpact@gmail.com or 203-579-2727 x311
Safe Asleep is a Bridgeport based fire prevention program. Free smoke alarms are available to all Bridgeport residents at no charge. RYASAP works in partnership with the Bridgeport Fire Department to administer this program.
Contact: Amelia at 203-579-2727 x316 to schedule a free installation.
The Bridgeport Parent Leadership Training Institute, a Commission on Children’s Family Civics Initiative offers leadership development opportunities for parents, children, and people who care enough to change themselves, family, and community for the better.
Contact: Donna Thompson-Bennett – thomben1@yahoo.com or 203-336-4197
People often have great ideas that will benefit their communities but lack the funds to implement their plans. The BLOCK BY BLOCK Neighborhood Grants Program is designed to be a link between these project ideas, their successful implementation, and building a healthier and safer community. BLOCK BY BLOCK grants support community-based projects designed and implemented by youth and adults residents to improve their neighborhoods and to enhance the quality of life in the Greater Bridgeport region, which includes the City of Bridgeport and the towns of Easton/Redding, Fairfield, Monroe, Stratford and Trumbull.
Contact: Paige Nelson – pnelson@ryasap.org or 203-579-2727 x309
Asset Based Youth and Community Development – This training is based on the work of Jody Kretzmann and John McKnight focusing on the gifts, assets and capacities of young people and the community. Participants will be trained in utilizing an assets based approach to addressing community needs and concerns, They will receive tools to perform youth and community asset mapping, engage communities to foster youth development , and to implement strategies that increase community commitment to change based on the community’s assets.
Contact: Robert Francis, rfrancis@ryasap.org or 203-579-2727 x304
Developmental Assets – The Search Institute of Minneapolis, MN has developed a paradigm of 40 developmental assets, which can be utilized to build experiences in young people’s lives to both build and strengthen these assets. RYASAP has been surveying young people since 1998. Participants in this training will come to understand the power of focusing on individual youth assets, witness examples of where developmental assets have been used to build community and learn new ways to approach youth.
Contacts:
Robert Francis at rfrancis@ryasap.org or 203-579-2727 x304
Paige Nelson at pnelson@ryasap.org or 203-579-2727 x309
Jeanne Di Muzio at jdimuzio@ryasap.org or 203-579-2727 x310
Raising the Bar - Raising the Bar is a training and technical assistance initiative designed to building the capacity of girl driven programs. Raising the Bar builds an agencys capacity to deliver ‘best practice’ programming for girls and young women through a series of training experiences (in–person and through electronic modes). RTB is targeted to non-profits in Fairfield County who deliver or those who have a desire to start a gender specific program for girls, ages 9-18.
Contact: Jeanne Di Muzio – jdimuzio@ryasap.org or 203-579-2727 x310
Finding Her Voice (FHV) is a program for high school female students in the Greater Bridgeport region to identify and explore a wide gamut of emotional, social, and behavioral issues over three 4-hour sessions. The Study Circle Experience model is utilized because of its proven success in moving a group of diverse young people through the process of exploring their perceptions and beliefs about a subject (often controversial) to developing a plan of action engaging the individual, school, and broader community. The program culminates with each team pesenting the project they designed and implemented at their high school at the third FHV session. The SHOUT OUT.
Working Together, Young Women Will:
- Identify and address the concerns and issues impacting their lives
- Build leadership skills
- Move beyond discussion to take action
- Create and implement projects for positive social change in their schools
Contact: Jeanne Di Muzio, jdimuzio@ryasap.org or 203-579-2727 x310
