Empowering Communities Globally works with children, families, and educators around the world. Many approaches for supporting communities in need come about from people with wealth deciding what the community needs, going in, and “fixing” it. This approach often results in the community being reliant on the support, further entrenching them into poverty. Empowering Communities Globally seeks to support communities by removing barriers. We work with communities to hear their struggles and needs directly as well as come up with solutions together.
Our Approach: The 5-Step Model
Founder Dr. Deborah Young’s 30 plus years’ experience providing childhood care, development, and education in low income countries led to the creation of a unique approach for community change. This process is the the Empowering Communities Globally 5-Step Model©. This model underlies all Empowering Communities Globally: For the Care of Children’s endeavors (formerly known as Americas Association for the Care of Children). We have researched this model in four countries and in Nicaragua we have a longitudinal study of 15 years.
The Empowering Communities Globally 5-Step Model© assists community development and enhances the quality of life through compassionate, holistic education. Each community effort begins by building strong, compassionate relationships. Once these relationships are developed, the trust and interpersonal connection is set for successful outcomes.
Relationships are the foundation for care, trust, and change. This foundation is the strength that leads to shared learning. Through the shared learning experiences, local community members are better able to make informed decisions that impact their daily lives together – this is what we refer to as engaged community participation. Once local community members come to understand they can make a difference in their own lives and that of their community, their confidence in themselves and others around them, their self efficacy, and their hope increases. This is part of the empowerment process. Lastly, together, the community makes concrete sustainable change, they transform themselves and their community! Transformation.
Community | Education | Participation | Empowerment | Transformation
Where We Work
Empowering Communities Globally currently works in 5 different countries to include Haiti, Kenya, Nepal, Nicaragua, and the United States. Each location we work in has numerous programs led and run by the communities there. We offer support through funding, education, and organization. Each program is led by local members who are already deeply part of their community. Select any of the locations below for a deeper look at the work we are doing.
