OUR MISSION

The Winnetka Youth Organization’s mission is to foster individual development in adolescents by providing adult-to-youth mentoring with opportunities for leadership, citizenship and education within a positive, encouraging environment.

OUR VISION

Through our diverse positive youth development initiatives, we empower adolescents to become more active community members and leaders, while also giving them opportunities to develop confidence in their own talents and skills.

We are a service to complement and support teens outside of their daily lives and we partner with parents, as well as other community agencies to support a holistic approach to wellness. That means nurturing each youth’s individuality, assessing their strengths and weaknesses and building a base of support that they can lean on in times of crisis by:

• Providing a positive, safe environment where young people can be recognized as individuals
• Engaging youth in programs designed to develop leadership skills, enhance positive social skills and self-esteem, and advance constructive behavior patterns
• Sponsoring activities that promote cultural competency and understanding of others
• Assisting in meeting youth needs for friendship, status, safety, and adult mentoring
• Offering programs and services that are positive alternatives to adolescent high risk behaviors
• Facilitating cooperation and communication between the teen population & the community at large
• Enlisting the support of community members, agencies, and institutions to share financial and physical resources to strengthen service youth.

WE STRIVE TO HELP TEENS BE THEIR AUTHENTIC SELVES.