Youth
Organizing to Save Our Streets (YO S.O.S.), the youth mobilization branch of
S.O.S., is off to a great start in the 2014-2015 program year. Just over a
month into programming, YO S.O.S. meets twice a week during the school year to
learn about issues of violence, trauma, and conflict mediation, while building
youth's skills as public speakers, community organizers, peer educators, and
leaders in their schools and communities.
This year's cohort is comprised of 24 young people ages 14-17, from 9 Brooklyn-based high schools. In addition to regular workshops, youth organizers this year have attended the Knicks opening scrimmage and concert, the Mediation Center's first Community Conversations session for the year, an S.O.S. Shooting Response, the hip-hop theater production, "In the Cipher," and most recently the S.O.S. Thanksgiving event at the Mediation Center.
This year's cohort is comprised of 24 young people ages 14-17, from 9 Brooklyn-based high schools. In addition to regular workshops, youth organizers this year have attended the Knicks opening scrimmage and concert, the Mediation Center's first Community Conversations session for the year, an S.O.S. Shooting Response, the hip-hop theater production, "In the Cipher," and most recently the S.O.S. Thanksgiving event at the Mediation Center.


On Saturday, Nov 22nd, 5 youth and two staff attended In The Cipher at the WOW Cafe Theater in lower
Manhattan. The production is an interactive exploration of race, ethnicity, and
skin color and the ways that these topics impact the lives of the actors on
stage and the audience in attendance. Through poems, rap, monologues and group
pieces, the performers engaged the crown and left the youth with much to
continue talking and thinking about.

Here are their brief reviews of the show:
It WAS AWESOME... had loads of fun, it really connected to
my everyday life - Deidra,
14
It was great, entertaining and eye opening. I really enjoyed it. - Trinity, 14
In the Cypher? You haven't seen it? I recommend this experience to
all walks of life. Both thumbs up! - Jahnaia, 15
So inspirational, I feel like everyone should go out and watch if
you haven't yet! Also calling out all youths especially to come because it is a
guarantee you will learn something you didn't know before. -
Shavanna, 15
Very interesting & inspirational. It transformed my
perception on subversion & diversity -Samantha, 16