We have 3 foundational tenets of our culture and what we are trying to instill in 10Four Youth attendees. When attending 10Four, each member will sign a 10Four culture agreement that outlines the following tenants.
If you respect yourself, respect others, and respect your environment, everything is possible. Friendship, support, care, and the ability to communicate make up the first tenet of 10Four culture. Communication is based on respect. We want you to understand respect for yourself, others, and your environment. The environment is where you are, whether it be your center, school, home, or the outdoors. If you buy in, you will naturally take care of and keep each other safe in our community. Respecting each other is our first step. We lead with respect and ask the same of our youth.
Investing in yourself is the only way you can find your meaning and become your best self. Working on yourself will make you and those around you better. You will naturally set an admirable example for those around you. If you have goals in life, you must invest in yourself. We provide our youth with the tools and knowledge to invest in themselves. However, you must do the work to achieve your definition of success and become your best versions.
Life is tough and all of you have seen adversity. Finding a way through the tough times is a critical skill to surviving and eventually thriving. Once you have the tools and the will to find a way, you can make it through anything. We believe having the willingness to face the tough times, while being mindful and accepting will strengthen your resolve and make you a stronger person. We are here to help you find a way through whatever life presents.
Creating a safe space for all the youth whom attend 10Four is our primary focus. There is a wide range of definitions of the word “safe”. The 10Four definition of safe is one where a child knows they can come to 10Four and feel supported regardless of what they are going through in life. Safe is where a child can come be a kid without feeling the pressure of life. Safe is where a kid can come to 10Four and be respected and cared for.
We are not experts in everything, so we’ve partnered with other non-profits who are. If we come across a topic or situation we can’t support, we will help your youth find support with one our partners.
We host kids of a wide age range between 7 and 18 years old. Teenagers talk about topics 7 & 8 year old’s don’t. Being a Neighborhood Youth Organization (NYO), it’s important to understand we do not have control over when your child comes and goes. We don’t have control where your child goes. When the kids are in our Center and on our premise, we have a code of conduct and 10Four Culture we strive to implement. It requires buy-in and expectations from youth and parents from the beginning.
As kids join 10Four, we make it a point of communicating our expectations and reality that younger and older kids will be mixing and participating in programming together. We create programs and activities for different age groups, but our facility is also one of free choice. Kids can choose to participate in the activities they enjoy. This will inevitably lead to mixing of age groups. We also provide graphic novels, comics and books for all ages.
It is the responsibility of the children to determine what is appropriate for them to read and see. We do not have the ability to monitor and manage everything each child will read, hear and/or see. Youth will have access to online games and computers where they can research various topics. We have some controls in place, but if an 8 year old child wants to look at the computer screen of an 18 year old, we will not have any control over this. It’s important as a Parent/Guardian to understand what’s realistic. We are not your youths’ parents and will not try to be parents. We will be a friend, counselor, advisor, but don’t expect us to be a parent and/or administer your individual parental values. If 10Four isn’t a fit for you or your youth, we understand. We can’t help everyone and won’t be the right fit for everyone.