Our curriculum framework is grounded in several assumptions about youth. First, we believe that not all youth have the same experiences. Second, we believe that young peoples lives are structured by the environments in which they live. Third, for urban youth these environments often present challenges for healthy and productive development. Fourth, young people can change these environments and in the process develop stronger identities and communities. We call this model a social Justice approach to youth development. This approach focuses on engaging young people in personal and social problem solving.

Each program aims to develop young people in three ways; first through self-awareness which focuses on self-evaluation and self-exploration in order to achieve a positive sense of self and social and cultural identity. Second is social awareness which fosters an understanding about how their immediate social world functions and encourages the capacity to think critically about issues in their own communities. Last, our curriculum fosters Global Awareness which encourages youth to practice spiritual reflection in order to empathize with the struggles of oppressed people throughout the world. The curriculum outlined in this book uses this strategy to create youth who have a vision of possibilities of creating a more just and equitable world.