MYCP Mission Statement

MYCP builds Developmental Assets and creates opportunities so every child in Monroe County can feel safe, loved, and celebrated.

WHO WE ARE

Monroe Youth Challenge Program is a grassroots crime-prevention, safety, substance abuse education and overall youth development initiative. By building developmental assets in all relevant domains, individual, community, peer, family and school, MYCP seeks to improve academic success and to build social and ethical competence among Monroe County youth.

Unlike other programs, MYCP focuses on developing these assets by focusing on student driven efforts to:

• create a unified, safer school environment,
• discover personal strengths,
• build leadership skills,
• serve the community, and
• celebrate diversity and foster acceptance, respect and success on our school campuses and community.

• Two thirds of local high school students started high school somewhere outside of Monroe County.
• One third of local high school students qualify for free or reduced lunches.   This reflects low household income.
• One half of local high school students report using alcohol or drugs in the last thirty days.
• One half of students say they have witnessed or been in a fight this school year. 
• 10% of male high school students in Monroe County have been arrested. 

Succeeding in high school is tough, but it’s not as hard if the whole community is invested the success of students.  MYCP is the community working with schools to help create school environments that reflect respect and tolerance, to help reduce violence and bullying among young people, and to help students become attached to their schools.  Whether it is Challenge Day, a Be the Change group, leadership class, or Natural Helpers, we’re working with students, families, and teachers to help students succeed.