Summer Associate - B-MVP Youth Volunteer Corps Lead

The City of Billings Parks, Recreation & Public Lands (PRPL) aims to provide accessible, safe and quality parks, facilities, open spaces and recreational opportunities for all and to be Montana’s leader in connecting people, nature and healthy lifestyles. Public safety and crime have been a significant topic of discussion for residents of Billings and City officials, more specifically preventing youth from getting involved in criminal activities. City officials and community members agree that youth are getting involved in risky behaviors at a young age. The City continues to seek budget-conscious means for youth programming and crime prevention. The PRPL department didn’t have the capacity to increase programming; however, they had experience engaging youth, as well as capacity to engage the community in volunteerism. As a result, they enlisted as an affiliate of a national service-learning program called Youth Volunteer Corps (YVC). YVC fills the gap for positive opportunities for youth to serve their community and provides programming for youth as an alternative to at-risk behaviors. The service-learning aspect of the program exposes students to new community members and programs. The YVC organizational goals are also designed to instill a lifelong ethic of service. PRPL currently has a gap in programming starting around age 11-13, so this project aims to engage youth at this critical stage. The program also still needs to expand to other community partners to secure additional and strengthen existing volunteer opportunities. This project aligns specifically with the Billings City Council goal to reduce youth crime across the City. This project will alleviate poverty by promoting and implementing activities that empower youth, thus ensuring a higher chance of educational success and healthy lifestyle choices that will lead to more stability and reduce risk factors for engaging in criminal behaviors and experiencing poverty.