How It Works
Youth Pods wouldn’t thrive without the work and dedication of several different partners. The first partner is the Dekko Foundation, which serves as the funder of the group, and provides supporting opportunities for Pod members through Retreats.
The second player in the equation is the local Community Foundation. Community Foundations serve as the fiscal agents, or the “keepers of the cash” for each Pod. In some Indiana Pods, the Community Foundation also provides an employee to navigate the Pod, and oversee Pod activities.
The third player in the mix is the school system. The school corporations in each county where Pods are located support the groups by allowing students time out of class each month for meetings and service projects. In may cases, the schools provide transportation for students in the Pod as well as an adult representative from the school to help guide the Pod and it’s activities.
The next player in the Youth Pod project is ESP. ESP is an organization that was created by the Dekko Foundation to support the work of Pods. ESP provides trainings, newsletters, quick-tips emails, troubleshooting, and a variety of other services to each of the 13 Pods.
Finally, Youth Pods would not be complete without the adult volunteers who help to make things happen. When a school system chooses not to provide transportation for whatever reason, or there isn’t a school staff member available to participate, many Pods recruit community leaders to volunteer as guides for the group.