Project on Youth and Nonmilitary Opportunities
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Project on Youth and Nonmilitary Opportunities (YANO) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit community organization that provides young people with an anti-war point of view about military enlistment.
[edit] Background
Since its founding in 1984, Project YANO has sought to educate school officials about the need to give students a more balanced view on the military. Project YANO has also urged schools to make students and their families more aware of how to protect their privacy by using their right to opt out if student information is going to be released to military recruiters.
Many members are armed forces veterans who believe that high school students are getting a distorted picture of the military and war from recruiting ads and marketing. In particular, project YANO members are concerned that many low-income students and students of color are being diverted away from higher education and into the military, where they are found in disproportionate numbers.
Project YANO's base is in San Diego County. Project YANO sends veterans to youth groups and local schools to speak about the realities of military life and war so that young people will better understand what is behind the armed forces sales pitch. As an alternative, students are given nonmilitary options for local job training and college financial aid. Project YANO also urges youths to become community activists and consider pursuing careers in social change.
The goal of the group is to help young people see a different side to these issues so they will have a more balanced picture and be able to make educated decisions about their future. Project YANO encourages youth to think critically, search for more information, and then make up their own minds
