WPYC evolved from two simultaneous events involving the adults and youth in the community. The first was ACTION (Adolescents Coming Together to Inform Others of our Needs) ‘97 where youth spoke about current issues facing teens and adults listened. The youth and adults involved agreed that there needed to be a consistent way for youth to have a voice in the community. At the same time, Wichita sent adult representatives to the President’s Summit on America’s Future. Several of these delegates were also on the listening panel at ACTION ’97. Consequently, they took many of the ideas presented by the youth with them to the President’s Summit. This summit was the first step in the implementation of efforts to better meet the needs of the nation’s youth. The result was America’s Promise.

>>Wichita’s Promise Youth Council meeting at City Hall

Upon returning, the delegate founded Wichita’s Promise: the Alliance for Youth**. Wichita’s Promise incorporated the goals of America’s Promise by providing youth with access to mentors, safe places, a healthy start and marketable skills and by encouraging a return of volunteer services to the community by youth. WPYC was established as a separate resource council in order to partner with the mayor and other community leaders to ensure that the youth had a voice.

After WPYC was established, the first concern of the members was to make sure that they understood the issues that were important to a large number of youth in the community, ACTION’98 was conducted. During ACTION ’98, members of WPYC went to area high schools, treatment centers and youth organizations around Sedgwick County and conducted focus groups with 250 youth from 16 different organizations. Based on the results (you can find ACTION ’98 results by clicking the ACTION link), WPYC members worked to address the top five concerns of youth in the Wichita area by creating committees within Youth Council that addressed these concerns.

>>Wichita’s Promise Youth Council meeting at the Regional Prevention Center when WPYC first started.

Based on ACTION findings, the committees of WPYC change year to year. The Drug Abuse Prevention Committee remains constant, while many other committees have come and gone over the years.

The Teen Center Advisory Board was created as a response to the ACTION ’98 finding of a “Nothing to Do/Nowhere to Go” concern. WPYC partnered with the Treatment Providers Coalition to create the Eclipse Teen Center that offered dances on the weekends, arcade games, pool tables, a café, and a resource center.

The Sex and Consequences Committee was formed in response to the “Teen Sex/Teen Pregnancy” concern. This committee created a presentation regarding media influences on sexual-decision making which is available to groups or programs to utilize in their peer education efforts.

The Keep A Teacher Committee was created after WPYC members became aware that teachers were leaving area school districts for higher paying jobs or different professions. Therefore, this committee was formed to increase teacher appreciation in Wichita and the surrounding areas. This committee, with help from the USD 259 Library Service, created a public service announcement (PSA) that thanked teachers for their contributions. This PSA won 1st prize from the Kansas Association of Broadcasters.

Finally, the Volunteer Committee conducted monthly service projects for members of WPYC in order to encourage additional involvement in the community and raise awareness of the organization.

>>Two WPYC members pose with (former) Wichita Mayor Bob Knight at the National League of Cities Conference.

In an effort to continue to be the voice for youth in Sedgwick County, WPYC has undertaken major projects. These include: leading focus groups with area teens in order to illuminate the top youth concerns for the community (ACTION ’98 and ACTION ’00); convening area agencies, businesses and other adult community leaders to develop joint projects to address the top concerns (ACTION ’99 and ’01); assisting in the creation of Eclipse Teen Center; Mentoring Marathon; Rivalry on the River; Teen Pages; and leading forums to inform parents about teen concerns from a teenager’s perspective. In addition, Youth Council members have also been invited to sit on boards and advisory councils that were previously open only to adults (i.e. District Advisory Boards, School Board Human Sexuality Curriculum, Chief of Police Interview Panel, etc.).

WPYC regularly reports to the Mayor, City Council, County Commission, and USD 259 School Board, and has benefited greatly from the support of these entities. Youth Council has received a number of great honors including the following:

>>Delegates to the All American City Conference in Philadelphia.

>> Four members of Wichita’s Promise Youth Council were chosen to be a part of the
delegation to Philadelphia that won the 1999 All America City Award for Wichita.
>> Two members were chosen by the Mayor of Wichita to attend the National League of Cities Conference with the Wichita City Council in Washington D.C. in March 2000.

>> Five members were workshop presenters at the National Service Learning Conference in Providence, Rhode Island in March 2000. Also, in April of 2001, four WPYC members attended this same conference in Denver, Colorado.

>> Five members were workshop presenters at the National Youth Summit in Orlando, Florida in June of 2000.

>> In October of 2000, WPYC co-sponsored the first statewide Youth On Board training to increase adult/youth partnerships in Kansas. In addition, five WPYC members were trained to be Youth on Board Trainers – a group that includes only 50 people in the United States.

>> Three members presented WPYC as a model for youth development/empowerment at the By Youth For Youth National Conference in Minnesota in August 2001.

While Wichita’s Promise Youth Council already has many accomplishments, that has not stopped us from aiming to fulfill many long-term goals. As an organization, WPYC strives to:

>> Have a seamless organization which has consistent and reliable processes to handle ordinary business
>> Have members take ownership of Wichita’s Promise Youth Council and be responsible for initiating and accomplishing agreed upon goals
>> Have membership in WPYC be viewed as prestigious and meaningful
>> Have other youth recognize WPYC as their “voice” and that Youth Council exists for the benefit of all youth
>> Have Wichita’s Promise Youth Council be recognized in the community, including among youth, as an authority similar to City Council or County Commission for Youth

WPYC is already addressing these goals in many ways, but the key to fulfilling them lies in our members. As an organization, we strive to be activists – people who identify an issue and take action to address it.

**Wichita's Promise: The Alliance for Youth is a coalition of concerned adults who helped support WPYC and collaborates with them on some projects. Although the two groups share a name, WPYC functions independently.

>>Former Wichita Mayor Bob Knight cuts the ribbon at the grand opening of Eclipse Teen Center.