HISTORY | OUR TEAM | YOUTH ADVISORY BOARD
BOARD OF DIRECTORS | ANGEL ADVISORY BOARD

THE BEGINNING
Launched in Delray Beach, Florida, ACCESS Youth began as a non-profit organization dedicated to underprivileged teens in the community, providing them access to the resources of the more fortunate.

In 2007, the President of ‘Mad Dads’ approached the Delray Beach Police Advisory Board. As a group of fathers who walked the streets of tough neighborhoods to clear them of drug dealers and potential criminals, ‘Mad Dads’ informed the Board that there were no community summer camps, playgrounds or programs available to teens between 12-18 years of age in Delray Beach. Coming from homes with limited resources, these teens were generally unsupervised during the day. They were unlikely to be hired in summer jobs and rarely had the opportunity to participate in a summer camp or program. With no alternatives, these youth ended up spending their time on the streets, vulnerable to crime, drugs and violence.

Annette Annechild, a member of the Police Advisory Board, went home troubled that night. She was struck by the dichotomy in her own community of the affluent teens she saw in her therapy practice and the kids who had no place to turn. She began approaching her friends and colleagues with the query, “Will you contribute two hours of your summer or a hundred dollars?” Most gave both. The Delray Beach Police Department and the Bermill Foundation generously donated time and money to ensure the program’s success. Ms. Frances Carter, considered a local community “institution” on her own, shared her wisdom, resources and knowledge of the children to connect ACCESS programs to the teens in need.

Under the guidance of Annette Annechild, these volunteers came together and formed ACCESS Youth. Afternoon summer workshops gave youth instruction in finance, law, goal setting, photography, cooking, nutrition, art, exercise, ethics, and etiquette. Special “Career Days” introduced ACCESS youth to professionals as diverse as acupuncturists, entrepreneurs, green architects, lawyers, chess masters, psychotherapists, marine biologists, and fitness trainers.

From the beginning, ACCESS Youth committed itself to ensuring that all teens are given equal access to education, skill building, and career resources.

COMING TO THE CAPITOL
ACCESS Youth in Washington, DC builds on the foundation established in Florida connecting community based volunteers with at-risk juveniles. Building on the belief that small contributions from many people can make incalculable changes in the lives of children, ACCESS Youth opened its organization to the children of Washington, DC in 2009.

Throughout their fifteen year relationship, Annette Annechild and Jodi Ovca,--founder of ACCESS Youth in DC— have shared a commitment to building a future of possibilities for youth. By giving juvenile offenders access to mediation with their victims and the community, mentoring activities, tutoring and educational opportunities, family strengthening workshops, internships, community service opportunities, workshops and career counseling, all ACCESS Youth programs are designed to offer juveniles an alternative to crime.

HITCH YOUR WAGON TO A STAR
ACCESS Youth staff have been dedicated to DC youth for twenty years. Having worked with a range of professionals in diverse sectors, the ACCESS Youth Team draws on its vast experience in Washington, DC with numerous programs including:

• Mentorship
• Delinquency Prevention
• Balance and Restorative Justice, an initiative of the District of Columbia Court of Social Services
• Summer of Success: Metropolitan Police Department Youth Investigations Division 2009 Youth Outreach
• District of Columbia Office of the Attorney General Youth Mediation Program
• Peer Mediation for District of Columbia Public Schools

LOOKING TO THE FUTURE
As ACCESS Youth continues to expand its programs, its inspiration will always remain the same:

We believe that each child has unlimited potential and that with access to empowering resources, support and services, they will choose alternatives to crime and transform themselves and their community.

And together we will build a peaceful future.