This document provides information about a program called "Straight Talk" used by an organization called BYP. It discusses: 1) What Straight Talk is - a weekly meeting where coordinators read positive accomplishments and areas for improvement for each youth from the past week. 2) What it's good for - ensuring accountability, charting individual progress, and strengthening group unity. 3) How it's done - with balanced positives and constructive criticisms written for each youth in a shared document, then printed and handed to them at the meeting. Guidelines for writing and conducting the meeting are also provided.

1. Straight Talk
What is it? What’s it good for? How’s
it done?

2. What is it?
• Every other Thursday, the entirety of BYP sits down in a
circle for the last hour of the day.
• One by one, coordinators read each youth’s straight
talk: a list of things they’ve done well during the past
week (positives), and a list of things that need
improvement/Standards violations (deltas)
• Upon finishing reading a youth’s straight talk, the
coordinator stands and hands the youth their printed
straight talk.
• The Straight-Talk concludes after the last youth’s ST is
read. There is a round of applause and the youth are
dismissed.

3. What’s it Good For?
• A method of ensuring accountability for the
youth’s actions, whether positive or
otherwise, on a regular basis.
• A means of charting individual growth and
progress.
• A strengthening of group unity.

4. How’s It Done?
Sample Straight Talk
Joey Jo-Jo (SPELLED CORRECTLY)
10-30-2014
+
(A brief, grammatically-accurate description of the good deed, as well as the date on which it occurred).
On Wednesday, October 29, You really helped develop a cool idea for the T-Shirt design. You were open to other people's ideas, and it set a good example
for the rest of the group.
On Monday, October 27, you stayed behind after hours to help take out the garbage. This demonstrates a sincere appreciation for the work environment,
and is of course a big help to the staff. We really appreciate it!
∆
On Tuesday, October 28, you were using your phone during work time. Please refrain from doing so; this is a distraction, and a bad habit that you don’t
want to fall into. For this, you have earned a step in working hard. I’m sure you’ll have no trouble in stepping back next week.
You have a very active mind, and often start very interesting and compelling discussions; perhaps consider leading a discussion group in the coming weeks!
---------------------------
Violations Summary:
(A list of violations, organized by date and category)
(Format: M/DD: Category : Step(s) )
10/01: Being Present: Step 1 Pre-Warning
10/01: Being Present: Step 2 Warning
10/16: Being Present: Step 3 $10.00
10/28: Working Hard: Pre-Warning
10/30: Being Present: Stepping Back to Step 3

5. How’s It Done?
• Keep the Positives and Deltas balanced.
• Deltas don’t have to be negatives.
• Positive framing: make an effort to write
deltas in an encouraging fashion. People tend
to respond more positively to constructive
criticism when it’s bookended by positives.
• For Standards violations, refer to the
Standards Chart.
• USE CORRECT SPELLING AND GRAMMAR!

6. How’s It Done?
• Straight Talks are written in a Google Doc that
is shared with the rest of the coordinators, as
well as Jessi.
• The Past Week’s Straight Talks’ font color gets
changed to red. The current straight talk’s text
comes first, and is typed in black.
– These are *NOT* for the youth to see. The
Straight Talks that are handed to the youth include
only the current week’s comments.

7. Straight Talk Rules
• The Youth are not supposed to talk during the
reading of the Straight Talks.
• The Youth should be making eye contact with
whomever is reading their straight talk. Try to
make eye contact back to the extent that you are
able.
• If The Youth have any questions or comments
about their straight talk, they have to wait until
the following Monday to address them. After the
conclusion of Straight Talk, they are promptly
dismissed.

8. Examples
• A Youth was on their cell phone during homework time
for reasons unrelated to school work.
• You overhear a youth make a derogatory comment
towards another Youth. They’re friends and it was said
in a joking manner.
• While spray-painting fence posts for a Gardening
project, a Youth tags the side of the community center.
When questioned later, they deny having done it.
Upon questioning others present during the incident, it
is revealed that the Youth was indeed responsible.