The Georgia Department of Human Services Youth Empowerment Series (DHS YES) is recruiting high school students who are passionate about helping to make Georgia a better place to live. DHS YES is designed to develop a new generation engaged in the needs of their communities and equipped to educate and recruit others to improve the lives of vulnerable Georgians. 

“The youth of today are tomorrow’s leaders,” says DHS Commissioner Robyn A. Crittenden. “DHS YES provides young people with a wonderful opportunity to affect change in their communities, to learn how to help build stronger families for a stronger Georgia.”  

YES began in 2016 with a group of 51 high-school students from across the state, and in 2017, 111 students were selected to participate in the program. Each year, participants convened for one-day workshops, or “meetups,” to discuss topics such as intergenerational connectivity, senior hunger, higher education, child welfare, technological innovation and more.

During the 2018-2019 school year, DHS YES participants around the state will gather to develop their leadership skills by talking with state leaders, examining critical issues that face Georgians, exploring social services careers and participating in community service.

The 2018 program will comprise five regions: North Georgia, Metro Atlanta, Middle Georgia, Coastal Georgia and South Georgia. Each region will consist of up to 35 students. Participants are selected through an application and interview process. Applications are due by April 13.

For more information on DHS YES, visit dhs.georgia.gov/youth-empowerment-series-yes.