Illinois Community Youth Services

Youth Action Committee (YAC)

The Youth Action Committee is comprised of 11-24 year-olds living in Carbondale and Murphysboro in Jackson County, Illinois. The YAC works to identify gaps in services and resources for youth within their local communities and how to better market those resources to other youth. With the support of educators, each Youth Action Committee meets semi-monthly during lunch. Aside from making a positive impact in the community, youth who serve on the YAC committee:

• Build or enhance skills including decision-making, communication, goal setting, teamwork, problem-solving, stress management, self-esteem, character building, anger & stress management, resistance to pressure, values, diversity & inclusion, and resiliency.
• Meet new people and make new friends
• Obtain a sense of belonging to a group
• Enjoy socialization and field trips
• Mentorship opportunities
• Employment information and career training
• Receive giveaways, gift cards, prizes, and more

There is no cost to participate in this program. The committee’s programming is free due to funding from the Illinois Department of Human Services, Division of Substance Use Prevention and Recovery through a grant from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). To get started on the YAC, contact Magdalena Dul at (618) 305-4618 or magdalena.dul@centerstone.org.

Youth Community Collaboration (YCC)

The Youth Community Collaboration is comprised of parents, teachers, counselors, educators, and community members within Jackson County, Illinois. The YCC is a collaboration of volunteers of all ages who want to help youth in Jackson County engage in positive social activities and community engagement. Our adult volunteers can be any age and from anywhere, but need to be currently living or working in Jackson County. Volunteers are asked to attend one monthly meeting on the Second Tuesday of each month via Zoom. We are intentionally seeking persons who work in the following sectors:

• Business
• Judicial
• Media
• Law enforcement
• Philanthropic
• Religious

YCC’s main goal is to prevent violence and delinquency by surrounding youth with a strong community support system. Research shows that empowering the community to have this level of engagement with youth decreases traditional behavioral problems. Strong communities are less likely to have youth drug and alcohol use.

There is no cost to participate in this committee – only your time as a volunteer. Support for this committee is made possible by funding from the Illinois Department of Human Services, Division of Substance Use Prevention and Recovery through a grant from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). To get started on the YCC, contact Magdalena Dul at (618) 305-4618 or magdalena.dul@centerstone.org.