A local youth group joins the search for a missing 12-year-old girl

CLEVELAND - When it comes to finding missing teens, K.N.O.W.L.E.D.G.E. is power.  It's also an acronym.

It stands for "Kind, nurturing, opportunity, winning, loyal, education, determination, God, everlasting," according to youth organization founder Joyce Hood.

Hood formed the K.N.O.W.L.E.D.G.E. youth organization a few years ago with the idea that it takes a teen to find a teen.

The group's latest search is focusing on Cayla Bolton, a bi-polar 12-year-old who was reported missing by her mom two weeks ago.

The group was out on Tuesday night canvassing Glenville Plaza at the request of Cayla's mother.

"She's the one that's strategizing, you know, the plans the actions where we move at what area to hit, what target and everything like that so she's the one that's been placing everybody," said Hood.

The group also uses social networking to find missing kids.  Sam White is tweeting, texting and using Facebook in the search for Cayla.

"I send out a massive text message to all the people I know to let everybody know she's missing, so they can forward it to 10 more people and it can get around real fast.  We found a lot of people by doing that so it's very effective," White said.

White's social networking skills have landed him a job with the Cleveland Police Department's new Missing Persons Unit.  He's also developed a sixth sense about missing teens and believes that they will find Cayla soon.

"I just got a feeling. I've done it so many times. You just have a feeling about some things," said White.

Cayla is described as a black female, with black hair and brown eyes. She is 5-foot-1 tall and weighs 100 pounds. Police said she frequents the East High and Glenville neighborhoods.

Anyone with information on Cayla should called Cleveland police at 216-623-5518.