Thank a Youth Worker Day

May 4th
THANK A YOUTH WORKER DAY

Thank a Youth Worker Day is a joint effort by the many programs in the Brazos Valley who serve youth, youth work organizations, youth and child care professionals, and individuals who have signed on to declare an international day of celebrating the people who care for our children, youth, and families.

We honor the youth workers who have committed themselves to making the Brazos Valley stronger through their steadfast dedication, excitement, and belief in our youth. We encourage all our fellow citizens to make an investment in our youth and community by honoring those who guide, teach, develop, and support our young people.

Let them know that their work is noticed and valued. Let them know that we recognize their contributions and dedication.

May 1st through 6th is recognized by the Association for Child and Youth Care Practice and the International Child and Youth Care Network as the week of Child and Youth Care Work. The first Thursday in each May is designated as Thank A Youth Worker Day.

Youth Worker is a general term for those individuals who work with or on behalf of children, youth, and families in our community. This includes early childhood, home school and public school teachers, afterschool workers, juvenile justice staff and police officers, CASA volunteers, residential care workers, youth pastors, foster parents, disabilities program staff, recreation and sports leaders, child welfare workers, and many others.

Together, they make up the Child and Youth Care Profession, the largest human services workforce with over 6 million members in the United States.

The recent Covid-19 Pandemic has brought to our attention the essential role that these professionals play in staffing the many programs in our community that help our youth to develop the social and educational skills they need to become contributing, healthy, and thriving members of our community. We recognize that youth workers comprise the essential front line in helping young people to access a wide variety of services including educational, mental and physical health, employment, substance abuse, bully and child abuse prevention, problem solving and conflict resolution, recreational, and other critical developmental supports.

We recognize that this group includes people from all races, sexes, and many nationalities, both young and old, paid and volunteer, part-time and full-time, who dedicate their lives to service in the interest of raising tomorrow’s leaders – the work of hand, heart, and mind – that is so deeply embedded in our daily lives that it often goes unnoticed and unacknowledged.

Thank your special Youth Worker publicly.
Put Thank A Youth Worker Day (TAYWD) on your calendar.
Send a TAYWD link to your friends and colleagues.
Wear and display an orange awareness ribbon on TAYWD.
Engage your friends and colleagues to get involved and celebrate TAYWD.
Update your social media status and tag TAYWD. One FB example: “Today is Thank A Youth Worker Day. Make this your status today and thank a youth worker who impacts your life or community.”
Add a TAYWD tag to your email signature.
Personally ask a local youth serving organization to get involved.
Write or blog about TAYWD and the importance of Youth Workers in your community or life.
Encourage the young people in your life to thank the Youth Workers in their lives.

Distribute orange ribbons or buttons to all supporters, including clients, participants, partners, employees, etc.
Host a TAYWD event (i.e. luncheon, reception, open house, breakfast, insert your best idea here!)
Ask youth in your organization to plan a thank you for your front-line Youth Workers.
Gather and send thank you notes from parents, youth, and other staff to every Youth Worker in your organization.
Post flyers in your building and in the community to promote TAYWD.
Engage your local media: send a press release to local media outlets, invite media to local events, etc. (See sample press release)
Feature stories about your Youth Workers in internal and external publications.
Put information about TAYWD on your website and in all publications.
Become a Thank a Youth Worker Day Brazos Valley program sponsor.

Contact local youth-serving networks/agencies to promote TAYWD (ie, community, government, faith based organizations, etc.)
Host and/or coordinate a community event that celebrates Youth Workers.
Contact area businesses or organizations with large or electronic sign boards with a request to promote TAYWD.
Post flyers throughout the community to promote TAYWD.
Invite youth-serving and government networks/agencies to post TAYWD on their websites.
Enroll parents in the community to create a plan to thank Youth Workers.
Invite local eateries to run specials/discounts on that day for Youth Workers.
Encourage young people to thank the Youth Workers in their lives.

Write your awesome label here.

May 4th
THANK A YOUTH WORKER DAY

WHO ARE YOUTH WORKERS?

WHAT CAN I DO?

WHAT CAN MY ORGANIZATION DO?

WHAT CAN MY COMMUNITY DO?

RESOURCES

50 Ways 2 Say Thanks

2022 Flyer

Download Thank a Youth Worker Day Cheat Sheet

Download Sample Press Release

Download Sample Proclamation

Download Sample newsletter