All Banyan Programs

Banyan’s youth programs are based on community input and staff expertise, blended with current research on the assets that children need to develop a positive self-image, learn social and life skills, succeed in school, and ultimately overcome the cycle of generational poverty. The leaders of Banyan know that in order for children to thrive and ultimately graduate, go to post-secondary education and succeed as adults, whole families and the larger community must be connected and engaged. This is the successful blend that Banyan has honed over the last 25+ years that has led to outstanding outcomes.

Parents are drawn to Banyan because we are viewed as a safe place where their children can grow and thrive. The programming offered for youth year-round and throughout their educational careers addresses inequities in academic opportunities that are impacting low-income students, particularly students of color. Adult education programs help to elevate both knowledge and confidence. And community outreach and gatherings strengthen the neighborhood building trust and connection.

Our families have close bonds that enable us to work together toward a bright future. Banyan helps parents become advocates for their children in all arenas of life, while children become an inspiration to their parents. Banyan families are empowered to be future oriented seeing their future as bright and full of promise.

Building relationships and connecting community are the focus of our family support, and what makes Banyan unique. Through annual check-ins, everyday interactions, special events and outings, every Banyan family receives support from a Family Advocate. Banyan staff works alongside families using a trust-based approach that acknowledges their own self-efficacy and strength, which leads to greater personal development. Examples include:

• Connect families with supportive resources (housing, employment, and healthcare, legal assistance, etc.)
• Provide educational support and increased understanding of academic systems navigation for youth and families
• Encourage relationship development via events, outings and adult education classes

Sowing the Future (Sembrando Futuro) is our Banyan parent advisory group. Banyan parents believe that by investing now in themselves, their children, and the community, they will grow a bright future. These parents are co-creators of our work and are engaged in a variety of ways to identify needs, priorities, and improvements within the organization and in the community. Participating in collaborative discussions and actively engaging with Banyan helps build confidence in our adults, strengthens their leadership skills, and provides space for them to exercise their own voice while shaping future Banyan programs.

We connect to families directly through asset based visits. Every Banyan family has at a minimum one visit per year, whether there is a crisis going on or not. This visit can be completed at the family home or at Banyan. During the visit we seek to find the strengths that exist and mobilize those strengths for the benefit of the larger community. In this way, we build a significant amount of trust with parents, and begin to find who may be the unlikely key players in building community in the Phillips neighborhood.

Banyan Community Gatherings take place four times a year and include youth, families, and staff to build relationships and experience positive shared experiences. Examples of Gatherings events:

• family celebration in the spring
• summer outing with a day at the lake/barbecue
• roller-skating party to escape winter
• fall apple orchard outing

CLEC is the primary component of our adult programming, which offers opportunities for adults to engage, learn, and connect with other Banyan parents. The adult offerings fall into three categories: 1) Connect groups where parents connect, get to know each other, and enjoy a shared activity; 2) Classes where parents learn together in a curriculum-driven, multi-session course; and 3) Training groups where parents participate in a one-time event to learn a specific skill.