ELLICOTT CITY, MD – Howard County Executive Calvin Ball today established the Youth Engagement Strategy (YES!) Council by Executive Order. This group has been created in direct response to the urgent need for a more coordinated and proactive approach to youth engagement and violence prevention in Howard County. Photos from the event can be found on the County's Flickr website and visuals from the event on the County's website.
The recent violence we have seen in our county affecting young people has highlighted the important need to look deeper into root causes of youth violence. We must continue investing in prevention, intervention, and community-based solutions to ensure that all our young people are safe and have a positive path forward. Our goal with YES! is to increase the diverse network of community providers who bring a well-rounded approach to addressing the prevention of violence by young people. This Council will bring together young people, community-based organizations, public institutions, mental health organizations, and County agencies to ensure that we meet this moment with urgency.
The YES! Council is charged with:
- Identifying resources across the County that serve youth in the areas of mentorship, mental health, workforce development, restorative justice, and safe spaces and recommend areas where such resources may be inadequate;
- Recommending strategies to prevent youth violence and increase positive engagement, particularly among students identified as disengaged or underserved;
- Recommending possible collaborations between County Government, community organizations, and public institutions such as HCPSS, Howard Community College, and the Columbia Association;
- Submitting a comprehensive report to the County Executive on the progress of the Council summarizing actions taken, key insights, and next steps no later than December 1, 2025; and
- Conducting monthly meetings which shall be open to the public.
The YES! Council is not just another initiative. It is a call to action. It is a deliberate, strategic effort to bring together many individuals and organizations in our county already doing incredible work in mentorship, conflict resolution, economic mobility and youth programming. By aligning these efforts, we can create a coordinated, action driven response that ensures every young person has the support, guidance and opportunities they need to thrive.
In addition to the creation of the 27-member Council, County Executive Calvin Ball announced a funding allocation of $100,000 to STAND and PUSH in this year’s budget. This newest investment builds upon nearly $250,000 Howard County has put forth to support these youth-centered programs during the last two years. STAND and PUSH create critical mentoring relationships with young people, adopting a community-based violence prevention approach to supporting our young people. In the last year, these programs supported approximately 100 young people experiencing the highest levels of need.
"One of the things I find very important is equity for all kids,” said Tigana Duncan, STAND Mentorship. If we begin to look at all of the programs as we continue to work in Howard County, we may have 99 programs that are doing great work- I applaud every one. But we can't forget that one percent of our kids that may not even have hope for tomorrow. So with all of the work that we're doing in our collaboration today, is that we're not forgetting the 99, but we're going after the 1."
The YES! Council is just the latest initiative Howard County Executive Calvin Ball has implemented aimed at providing young people positive opportunities. Since 2023, Ball has invested more than $1.5 million into the Youth Engagement Programming (YEP!) Grants, which have supported the creation of more than 30 free youth programs in partnership with local nonprofits. Since its implementation, more than 10,000 young people have participated in these programs.
"As someone who working directly with the youth, it's a mighty, but simple task,” said Dwayne Williams, Principal of Homewood Center. “We have to find a way to reengage the disengaged. It starts with building relationships. When we talk about building relationships, we have to make sure that we have the youth there so that they feel like they're a part of the process, and not something that is being done to them, but with them."
To better prepare young people to enter the workforce, the Howard County Office of Workforce Development has expanded its Summer Youth Employment Program from just 13 participants in 2018 to more than 215 young people last year. Through this program, teens as young as 14 gain hands-on experience in fields like IT, medical offices, retail, and even local government—helping them build essential skills and form vital professional connections.
"Our message today isn't just to put the guns down to the kids,” said Tierra Lathan, Consult Lemonade. “It's to pick the computers up. It's going to take all of us, as body parts, to work together. In order for us to tackle correctly, to address these issues, to have the right impact, it's going to take all of us, as a body to work together."
The Howard County Department of Recreation and Parks hosts its popular Teen Kickbacks program, which provides a free, safe, fun environment for teens to enjoy games, sports and socialization with positive role models.
"I'm here to say yes because I believe we should not be banning high-capacity books, but not banning high-capacity bullets,” said Pastor Matthew Quainoo, Celebration Church. “I am here to say yes because it is important that it is not easier to get a gun than to get a job. I am here to say yes because in the words of Martin King, 'When there are crimes that are committed, it is not just the one that is guilty that committed the crime, but also the one who caused the darkness the crime was committed under.'"
The Council will expire on December 31, 2025.