ICVP hosted the 9th Annual YouthPeace® Retreat “One YouthPeace One Chapter One Movement” at the Manville Retreat Center in Manville, IL from November 12-14, 2004. More than 45 young men and women representing 6 YouthPeace® Chapters from across the state attended this year’s retreat. The retreat’s teambuilding and other exciting activities provided space for chapter members to network with other YouthPeace® activists from across the state.

During the fun-filled weekend, youth participated in team-building activities and Moonlight Sharing, a talent show using the creative arts to explore violence prevention. Chapters also worked closely with their Adult Sponsors and YP Organizers to plan the program year and strengthen their violence prevention knowledge. Workshops included Roots of Violence and Teen Dating Violence.

YouthPeace® Chapters in attendance at the 9th annual retreat include Agape, Cairo YouthPeace, Carbondale YouthPeace, Macomb YouthPeace, Pilsen YMCA YouthPeace, and Proviso-Leyden Council for Community Action YouthPeace.

YP Chapter Member Melissa Salgado chats it up with IL State Representative Edward Acevedo (2nd District – Chicago)

On December 15, 2004, a Who’s Who of Chicago’s Latino community gathered at the Mexican Fine Arts Museum to help raise funds for the final phase of construction of the Rauner Family YMCA. During the event, Pilsen YMCA YouthPeace Chapter members reported out on their community assessment findings and shared their Action idea which included designing a directory of all the Pilsen youth services agencies and then distributing it to youth.