Promoting Healthy Relationships
Praxis Youth
Why Praxis Youth?
We value the health and well-being of young people and believe in empowering them to be leaders in their communities. Youth violence is a serious public health issue that has long-term impacts on health and well-being. We know that youth violence is connected to other forms of violence, including teen dating violence and bullying. We believe that by working with youth, schools, parents, and other community members, we can prevent youth violence.
What do we do?
We work with middle school and high school youth in the classroom to build their social and emotional skills and empower them to be community leaders; we train school staff to be partners in youth violence prevention and work with school administration to evaluate and update school policies, and; we engage parents and community members in the work of violence prevention by offering opportunities to build their own skills.
How does it work?
We know there are some experiences youth face that increases their risk of acting violently. We also know that other experiences prevent or protect youth from choosing violence. We call these risk and protective factors. By working to decrease the number of risk factors and increase the number of protective factors that youth experience, we can create a more supportive community for our teens.
Our Initiatives
Safe Haven’s Praxis Youth initiatives include carefully developed and evidence-based curriculum, resources, training, workshops, and events for youth, families, and the communities where they live and work.
MY VOICE MATTERS
The My Voice Matters youth violence/trafficking education and prevention initiative equips young people and the adults in their lives with knowledge and tools to help create safer, more supportive schools, neighborhoods, and communities.
How Smartphones Impact Our Families
A Free Online Tool
Safe Haven Ministries created this self-paced module to connect parents and caregivers with evidence-based information that will to better understand technology, how its used, and how to best keep their children safe. When we work together to identify a need, provide solutions, and meet essential needs, we are safer and thrive together as a community.
Conversation Cards for Families, Caregivers, and Mentors
Connected to the My Voice Matters programs and resources, our team has produced a series of conversation cards intended to make those tough conversations easier.
Young Leaders Against Violence (YLAV)
Young Leaders Against Violence (YLAV) is an extension of My Voice Matters, creating space for youth to develop and utilize new leadership skills, through project-based learning with intentional and interactive lessons.
Grow Engage Read Imagine (GERI)
The Grow Engage Read Imagine (GERI) initiative combines a carefully selected book collection and companion resources with a goal to help safe and trusted adults begin and continue important conversations with the children and young people they care for as parents, mentors, educators, and youth leaders.
Prevention Praxis Team
Tara Aday, MPA
Senior Director of Programs
Tara provides key leadership to agency-wide programming, including its Nonresidential, Emergency Shelter, Housing and Prevention programming. With over 15 years of experience in the domestic violence, human trafficking, and sexual violence fields, Tara’s expertise includes system-change, positive youth development, trauma-informed care, and community-based prevention efforts. During her tenure at Safe Haven, she has facilitated over 1,300 trainings reaching over 23,000 participants locally and across the United States.
Becky Diffin
Community Outreach Manager
Becky has worked in the field of domestic and sexual violence for over 15 years, helping survivors navigate systems and institutions historically rooted in oppression. She has created and facilitated trainings and conversations to address the vulnerabilities survivors and marginalized populations experience. Becky provides advocacy for human trafficking survivors as well as training to new staff and community partners. She also serves as the point person for the West Michigan Human Trafficking Coalition.
Antonio Tendero, EdD
Director of Safe Haven Prevention Praxis
Tony connects education with action to end violence, Prevention Praxis encompasses the prevention work of Safe Haven. His formal education includes a BA degree (University of Michigan) and an EdD degree (Teachers College-Columbia University).
His work in education as a middle school teacher, elementary/middle school principal, curriculum director and university professor was focused on literacy, spiritual formation and leadership development.
Mykal Ward, M.Ed
Training and Education Manager
In this role, Mykal facilitates and supervises youth violence prevention (YVP) education, training, and programming. She has taught and mentored students in diverse settings for over 20 years, working with students ranging from middle school through university. She has also supervised and mentored fellow educators with a goal of creating educational environments and experiences informed by best practices designed to help students and teachers reach their highest potential as both educators and learners.
Raquel Rodriguez
Bilingual Violence Prevention Coordinator
Raquel Rodriguez is a coordinator with a passion for empowering youth and creating positive change. Her previous experience as the Middle and High School Coordinator for Grandville Avenue Arts and Humanities fostered her advocacy for students in academics, housing, anti-bullying, police discrimination, tutoring, mental health services, and educational accommodations. In her current role as the Bilingual Violence Prevention Coordinator at Safe Haven Ministries, Raquel works closely with schools and youth-serving organizations to promote violence prevention and foster healthy relationships.