Statements

Mission

Touchstone inspires change by helping youth...
- Envision a hopeful future,
- Embrace positive options, and
- Engage in real steps toward a better life.

Background

Touchstone Youth Resource Services was founded in 1987 in order to provide music, teaching counseling, and youth ministry resources to camps, churches, mission organizations, and schools. In 2004, Touchstone created CiViL, a non-religious social and emotional asset-building initiative at Nashville's Stratford High School. Starting with two small groups, CiViL Groups grew to over twenty small groups, serving over 180 students in the 2010/2011 school year. In 2011/2012 CiViL expanded to an off-campus site, partnering with YCAP to become CiViL-East, then moved to House of Blessing Church increased space, flexibility and volunteer participation. CiViL-Hillsboro was expanded from one class to three in partnership with the Developing Community Leaders (DCL) curriculum. CiViL has most recently been provided on-campus at these Nashville area schools - Hillsboro HS, James Lawson HS, John Overton HS, Oliver MS. , and Nashville School for the Arts. Touchstone's CiViL programs are all supported exclusively by donations.

Impact

Touchstone Accomplishments - CiViL - A social and emotional competence-building initiative for high school students. CiViL is a three-part initiative comprised of: CiViL Groups - weekly small group meeting CiViL Service - monthly service-learning opportunities CiViL Liberties - quarterly enrichment events in the arts and nature. CiViL Leader Training - Provided on an ongoing basis to volunteers and interns . Your Best Shot - Touchstone provided senior portraits for deserving local high school graduates who otherwise could not afford them . Strengthen Touchstone's Board of Directors to fulfill the mission and increase its effectiveness, increase Touchstone's annual budget to support growing programs, hire and train the next generation of Touchstone officers and staff; equip other individuals and organizations to provide CiViL for students everywhere. Continue Successful Touchstone Program Activities, including CiViL and Your Best Shot.
COVID-19 Safety - Touchstone succeeded in serving students throughout the pandemic using various strategies to meet safely. We are committed to continue with all programming while it is possible to do so.
During the 2023-2024 school year Touchstone has provide services to over 200 students in five schools.

Needs

Board members with financial, business, legal, fundraising, education, counseling, and/or youth ministry, parenting, and urban services experience; Volunteer office workers; Funding to fully support and launch new CiViL programs; Volunteers to help with CiViL Groups as co-facilitators and group partners, as well as on service projects, at fundraising events, and on committees; Volunteer drivers to transport students for CiViL events; Monetary or gift card donations to help provide meals, transportation, and other items for CiViL program and events;

CEO Statement

Touchstone has been working to better the lives of students and adults through these services since 1987. Far too many people, particularly teens, lack the resources required to become successful. The common denominator in their failures is that they are bound by their own inner-struggles. People bring these struggles with them as they try to function in school, work, and relationships. Every day, they act out anger, sadness, disappointment, and despair. Such emotional baggage blocks their ability to learn, create, make wise choices, and rise to the challenges of education. Few can overcome these obstacles alone. Our CiViL initiative both extends our impact far beyond the Christian faith community. Specifically through CiViL's first component - CiViL Groups, we build develop social/emotional assets in students by helping them address issues that motivate their choices. Guided by a trained adult mentor, students discuss the feelings, beliefs, choices, and behaviors in their own lives. This enables students to approach relationships and scholastic challenges with hope, confidence, and resiliency. Students can talk about problems and consider wise alternatives in a confidential small-group that meets weekly. As they become less encumbered by inner-struggles, students also learn behaviors and choices common to successful people of good character with the result that they solve problems, make wiser choices, and perform better. The CiViL Service component teaches students that they can make a difference in the lives of others. By participating in monthly service projects they develop a sense of personal power and confidence along with an "appetite" for service. One of our students was overheard to say, "I never knew it would feel so good to do the right thing." The result is not just a good feeling, but a desire to do more for themselves, their communities, and their world. As another student said, "CiViL Groups saves lives." The third component - CiViL Liberties, provides enriching experiences for CiViL students with varied opportunities from Shakespeare to camping, CiViL Liberties expands a student's ability to understand and navigate the world.

Board Chair Statement

In our thirty-seven years of operation Touchstone Youth Resource Services has grown from a music and youth-centered ministry to an innovative provider of counseling and character education. Working with high school students is a particularly daunting challenge, and we believe that in CiViL, we have developed an important model for helping students improve their lives. We firmly believe that CiViL could benefit every school in the country. Already several Nashville high school principles have requested that we launch CiViL in their schools. In order to do that, Touchstone Youth Resource Services must grow beyond our present capacity. Such growth will require new employees and volunteers, enhanced development, additional committee members, and a larger, more effective board of directors. We also believe that the CiViL model need not be applied by Touchstone employees only. Rather, we want to encourage the use our ideas by others who want to help at-risk students in their communities. A multi-year CiViL-Groups curriculum is being prepared those who would like to use it with their own groups. More will go into the planting of new CiViL Groups programs in Nashville and Middle Tennessee and to making our model available to people outside Middle Tennessee. We are eager to do the work, and we are eager to join hands with those who can help.

Service Categories
Primary Category:	Youth Development  - Youth Development-Citizenship
Secondary Category:	Religion- Related  - Christianity
Tertiary Category:	-

Areas Served

Touchstone specifically serves the greater Nashville area. Touchstone's CiViL initiative is currently serving high school students all across the Metro Nashville area. However, Touchstone staff travels to provides services all across the U.S.

TN - Davidson