RYPA's Mission and Major Goals

MISSION:

Reform Youth Professionals Association's (RYPA) mission is to provide leadership, vision, community, and advocacy (for youth workers) in order to inspire large numbers of Reform Jewish youth to actively engage in Jewish living that sets the spiritual foundation for the rest of their lives. 

GOALS:

To fulfill its mission the RYPA has the following major goals:

  1. Elevate the quality, standards, compensation, and prominence of the youth professional in the Reform Movement.
  2. Create a platform for resources and support.
  3. Maintain lines of communication between youth professionals and clergy, formal educators, temple administrators and other Professional Jewish Organizations.
  4. Ensure recognition of the professional status for all youth professionals.
  5. Create meaningful and powerful learning and training experiences for youth professionals.
  6. Inspire youth professionals to remain inspired and committed to their place of employment to enhance relationship building which will help achieve our mission.

In 5 years time RYPA will:
  1. Have a solid membership base which includes 50-75% of eligible youth workers from URJ affiliated congregations throughout North America, From NFTY, and from our URJ camps.
  2. Host its first Professional Development Conference and have held numerous professional development webinars.
  3. Have 25% of eligible Youth Professionals enrolled with the RPB.
  4. Have a 25% increase in the number of full-time youth Professionals in the field.
  5. Hire a part-time administrator for RYPA.
  6. Be the source of Best Practices in the field – ensuring youth professionals have the resource they need for success.
  7. Have a useful and useable program bank.

In 10 years time RYPA will:
  1. See an increase in the numbers of teens engaged in our congregations and programs.
  2. See youth professionals remain in their positions for increased number of years.
  3. In cooperation with a university, be able to grant titles for Youth Professionals (ex: RJE).
  4. See a rise in salaries for youth professionals.
  5. Have a dedicated full time staff person to assist with placement, contract negotiations, board support, budget oversight.