Ten Bronx teens will join 90 other students from around the nation on Capitol Hill today to advocate for youth violence prevention with the offices of Rep. Jose
Serrano and Sen. Charles Schumer.
After working with the World Vision charity (based locally in the Bronx) in a 20-week leadership and advocacy program, the teens from urban and rural areas alike, are prepared with solutions to the pressing problems that affect them and their communities.
One-hundred and ten World Vision Youth Empowerment Project participants from across the nation will visit a bipartisan group of their Congressional representatives. The visits are the culmination of a 20-week training program focused on equipping and empowering youth to identify and address the most difficult social issues within their communities.
The meeting was held from 10:00am to 3:00pm, today, July 21, 2009. TThe students’ home districts, issues, and lawmakers with whom they have scheduled meetings include:
Youth violence:
New York (South Bronx): Rep. Jose Serrano
Wash., DC: Councilman Tommy Wells, Chairman Vincent Gray, Councilwoman Muriel Bowser
Chicago, IL: Sen. Roland Burris, Rep. Jesse Jackson, Rep. Danny Davis, Rep. Bobby Rush
Seattle, WA: Rep. Jim Mc Dermott, Sen. Patty Murray
Northern Virginia: Sen. Jim Webb, Sen. Mark Warner, Rep. Jim Moran, Rep. Gerry Connolly, Rep. Frank Wolf
Albany, GA: Sen. Saxby Chambliss, Sen. Johnny Isakson, Rep. Sanford Bishop
Education:
Morgan Co., OH: Rep. Zachary Space, Sen. Sen. George Voinovich, Sen. Sherrod BrownHealth and nutrition:
Tacoma, WA: Rep. Norm Dicks, Sen. Maria Cantwell
Picayune, GA: Sen. Roger Wicker, Sen. Thad Cochran, Rep. Gene Taylor
Appalachia, WV: Sen. Robert Byrd, Sen. John Rockefeller, Rep. Allan Mollohan
Immigration:
Los Angeles, CA: Rep. Xavier Becerra, Rep. Lucille Roybal-Allard, Sen. Dianne Feinstein, Sen. Barbara Box.
Teen pregnancy:
New York (Wash. Heights): Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, Rep. Charles Rangel
For more information on the Youth Empowerment Project or the Youth Empowerment Summit visit http://www.worldvisionusprograms.org/#/educationyouth.
About World Vision:
World Vision is a Christian humanitarian organization dedicated to working with children, families, and their communities worldwide reach their full potential by tackling the causes of poverty and injustice. We serve all people regardless of religion, race, ethnicity, or gender. For more information, visit www.worldvision.org.
