Our Services: West Michigan
Positive Youth Development

Wedgwood’s extensive experience in working with deeply troubled kids for so many years has led us to develop and run highly innovative prevention programs throughout the community to help teens develop positive assets and character.

Our Positive Youth Development Programs
Church-based Neighborhood Youth Program (NYP)
Michigan Teen Outreach Program (MTOP)
Juvenile Mentoring Program (JUMP)
School Based After-school Life Skills Programs
Michigan Abstinence Partnership (MAP)
Youth Companion Program (youth mentoring program)
Pure Passion for Fashion (P2)

We need your support! Purchase a coupon booklet at Yonkers department store on Saturday March 1. You'll get valuable merchandise coupons, including $10 off any item of $10 or more while helping us raise money for Positive Youth Development programs! Click here for details!

All positive youth development programs are supported by the Coalition on Adolescent Choices and Health (COACH).

COACH is a group of committed community members sharing their efforts and talents to help 9-18 year-old youth make healthy choices. All program activities help youth develop the resiliency to refrain from alcohol, tobacco, drug use and sexual activity.

Primary objectives

• Raise awareness within the community and among young adolescents regarding behaviors that place youth at risk
• Provide skill-building opportunities for young adolescents which will allow them to cope with pressure from others
• Build skills for parents to help their children learn healthy behaviors

To find out more, go to the COACH website.

Pure Passion for Fashion (P2) is a nationally recognized program that engages teens with an innovative blend of fashion, drama, music, and a high energy abstinence until marriage message. Pure Passion for Fashion (P2) addresses the issues of modest dress and abstaining from sex until marriage. The dynamic and high-energy event takes a topic that many youth do not want to explore and places it in a fashion show format that is designed by teens just for teens.

P2 is designed to:

• Promote positive self-esteem and abstinence from pre-marital sex, drugs, alcohol, and tobacco to youth and community
  
• Provide tangible examples through fashion, drama and a motivational speaker
  
• Offer the community an opportunity to invest in educating their youth about healthy life choices and positive self-esteem

The P2 program first debuted in March 2005 at Union High School in Grand Rapids Michigan. Because of the success in 2005, Wedgwood Christian Services received a federal grant to partner with other Michigan communities to help develop the Pure Passion for Fashion program all over the state of Michigan.

Since the first year, Wedgwood has partnered with five additional communities in Michigan. One community was the Lakeshore Pregnancy Center in Holland. This past fall,over 1800 students and parents from Ottawa County experienced the P2 message.

To date, the Pure Passion for Fashion program has touched over 9,300 teenagers and parents and continues to reach teenagers all over the state. The Pure Passion for Fashion program is now ready for the national stage and is available for purchase by communities all over the United States . In fact, a community near Sunbury, Ohio recently purchased the Pure Passion for Fashion program to enhance their abstinence until marriage programs. Wedgwood is excited to grow the P2 program throughout the country and continue to develop partnerships in this exciting endeavor.

The next Pure Passion for Fashion program will take place on April 2, 2008 and will feature students from Wyoming Park High School . This event will be open to the public and take place at Wyoming Park High School in Wyoming Michigan. Maranda, from WOOD-TV 8, and Sabrina Fairchild will host this year's event, with special music by Hip Hop Artist George Moss. The program will feature feature nationally known abstinence speaker David Mahan. For additional information about David Mahan, please check out www.frontline4youth.com

For ticket information please visit www.purepassionforfashion.org
or call (616) 243-1822

Upcoming Event
Teen Attire Suggestions (pdf)

For more information about Positive Youth Development programs, contact Teri Clark at (616) 831-5883.