Beyond Change is a program developed through a social justice lens to support the NFL Inspire Change Initiative and the NFL Foundation Social Justice Matching Grant Program. Specifically, it assists youth, law enforcement, community organizations and social justice experts in promoting positive change through collaborative partnerships and community service.

The Beyond Change Model conceptualizes social justice broadly and combines the key components of Youth & Law Enforcement Interaction, Mentoring & Life Readiness, College & Workforce Development and Social Justice & Community Engagement to solve social justice problems in underserved communities.

This broad approach allows for these collaborations to impact Education and Economic Advancement and Police and Community Relations which directly supports the NFL’s Inspire Change Initiative.

Beyond Change is designed to address the issues of national concern regarding social justice and consists of the following goals:

  • Through its Social Justice workshop series, Beyond Change will provide a unique space for youth and officers to work together to identify, define, and address social justice issues in their community
  • Through its Community Service component, Beyond Change will give youth and officers a platform to apply the social justice concepts introduced and developed in the “Social Justice” workshop session
  • Through its College & Workforce Development sessions, Beyond Change will help youth to understand their personality type, learning styles, and non-cognitive strengths and the career pathways that match their results
  • Through its Youth & Law Enforcement Interaction activities, Beyond Change will provide non-enforcement activities to develop trust between youth and officers, educate youth on the concept of community policing, and improve law enforcement ability to understand how youth view police
  • Through its Mentoring & Life Readiness component, Beyond Change will enable youth and officers to develop an appreciation for each other and become aware of how the intersectional identities of others impact how they view social justice

Through this highly advanced collaborative approach, this model empowers all partners to engage in discussions and find solutions to social justice issues facing their community.

 

Copyright© Beyond Change Agents 2020