The People's Money (2024-2025)
Play your part: Your Money, Your Community, Your Vote!
Bridging The Boppers
- Do you have specific Neighborhood(s) in mind?
- Long Island City, Jamaica, East Elmhurst
- Which group(s) does your idea focus on? Select as many as apply.
-
YouthOlder AdultsPublic Housing ResidentsLimited English SpeakersParentsLow Income PeopleBlack, Indigenous and/or People of Color
- Describe the challenge you want to address:
- The Economist states that "Generation Z is stressed, depressed and exam-obsessed." Where students are experiencing the highest levels of anxiety and depression, drug addiction, and bullying. Young teenagers are becoming more removed from humanity and more involved in the mental attacks of over stimulation in a nearly perfect world of filters, ozempic, and vapes. The Epoch Times claims that generation Z is filled with unskilled and anxious teenagers. As we increasingly incorporate technology into our daily lives, the ones most susceptible to the adverse effects are the ones with the least developed frontal lobe of the brain - they are easily impressionable, manipulated, and quickly form habits at an early age. Without an after-school program or engaging with their futures on a hands-on level, the ideas and possibilities of becoming a productive leader in society becomes weaker and weaker, Juniors and Senior highshool students with shortened schedules are most vulnerable to drug interactions, bullying, and other life altering motions. The Generation Z needs more resources to occupy their time, mind, and hearts. Without structure and a supportive community of people that have their best interest and full attention, our future has a very small chance at being successfully ran and operated by humans.
- What is the solution to the challenge?
- Protective factors can reduce a teen’s risk of mental illness and behavioral issues by reducing social isolation, academic achievement, opportunity and support in pursuing interests, and physical and psychological safety. Having support like this helps young people cope with difficult emotions and situations, which is essential for staying healthy as their brains develop and grow. The Zinniah Foundation supports positive development, healthy habits, good self-esteem, emotional regulation, connectedness with peers, a stable, well-structured home life, supportive relationships with family members, community mentors, academic achievement, opportunity and support in pursuing interests, and engagement within the community, school, and neighborhood. The Zinniah Foundation achieves this through a school-year long program where students attend an after-school program that bridges school to the real world. This bridge-like program equips students with mental health, physical health, and emotional health exercises like movement, yoga, meditation, and mindfulness. Additionally, the program provides work-based learning skills for career and technical development from Freshmen to Seniors. This program focuses on career and life readiness, beyond academics. With undivided attention to the teenager's interests, mental health, and a supportive community outside of the home, teenagers have shown increased test exam results, decreased teenage pregnancy, restored faith, declining anxiety and depression levels, and declining violence levels. The more time a young teenager spends outside of school or at home, the more opportunities exist to derail the teenagers. The solution to this challenge is to fund career and technical after-school programs that equip, motivate, and inspire teenagers to be proactive in their futures under the guidance of a body of adults that have experience in their fields of interest. The Zinniah Foundation focuses on connecting young teenagers with corporations and other businesses for internships after multiple months of leadership development and civic engagement. Leadership development and civic engagement includes but is not limited to, mock interviews, resume building, money management, public speaking, fashion and hygiene basics, and developing a deep appreciation of self confidence. We are confident that programs like ours can make a bigger impact on the community if given the opportunity to reach a larger zone or county area.
- Please provide your Zip Code
- 11104
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