Alexandria Youth Topics

FROM THE CITY OF ALEXANDRIA: 

Youth Topics is a service of the Center for Children and Families, Department of Community and Human Services, City of Alexandria. Subscribe here. Make inquiries here. Youth Topics is posted online here.
Notice: Youth Topics is now being produced by Jacqueline Coachman, DCHS Office of Youth Services
In the July 18 Edition:

Events

Growing Up Under a Foreboding Budget Cloud: The Forecast for Government Spending on Children (July 19)The Urban Institute’s Kids’ Share project seeks to inform a national conversation about how best to invest the country’s resources by examining past and projected federal and state expenditures on children. The sixth annual Kids’ Share report, to be released at this forum, will show that federal spending on children fell in 2011, the first such decline in 30 years. Lunch will be provided at 11:30 a.m. and the free forum begins promptly at Noon.Registration is required to attend in person. No registration is necessary to watch the video webcast.

Meet and Greet Socials for Jefferson-Houston Kindergarten Families (July 19, August 17)Jefferson-Houston will host Meet and Greets for rising kindergarten families on Thursday, July 19 and Friday, August 17 from 2:30-3:30 p.m. The event will include ice cream and other frozen treats, building tours, and information about the school. Read more in a letter to parents of Jefferson-Houston kindergartners.

Community Partnership Sponsors Back-to-School Health Fair (July 21)Free school physicals for uninsured children will be available at a health fair scheduled for 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Arlandria Health Center. Call 703.535.5568 for an appointment. Flyers are available in English and Spanish.

Alexandria Sheriff’s Office 2012 Youth Academy (August 6-9)The Youth Academy is a four-day program for youth ages 11 to 17 that affords the opportunity to learn about the Sheriff’s Office as they ride along with deputies, experience tactical demonstrations, and tour the detention center and court house. The application and waiver are available online; contact Deputy Valarie Wright at 703.746.5017 for additional information.

T. C. Williams New Student Registration (August 6-10)Registration for new students at T.C. Williams and its Minnie Howard Campus is August 6-10. Call 703.824.6755 to schedule an appointment to register 9^th grade students, and 703.824.6800 for students in grades 10-12. Appointments are not necessary for students born outside of the United States or who are not fluent in English; registration for these students is held at the Burke Library from 8:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday through Friday(703.461.6550).

National Night Out (August 7)Alexandria will join communities across the country in celebration of National Night Out – a positive and fun evening as some 33 neighborhoods around the City host neighborhood events, block parties and barbeques.

Popsicles on the Playground at John Adams (August 15)The annual summer event, which welcomes new John Adams kindergartners and their families, will take place at 6 p.m. Contact Lonna Jones for additional information.

FACE Center Family Night (August 29)Award-winning educator, author and activist Pedro Noguera will talk about family-school partnerships in his keynote address at the ACPS Family and Community Engagement Center’s Family Night, 6:30-8:30 p.m. at T.C. Williams High School. The free event also will feature food, family activities, and educational resources. Bus shuttle transportation will be available. Flyers are available in English, Spanish, and Arabic. RSVP online or by calling703.824.6865.

National Center for Missing & Exploited Children Free Training (September 14)The half-day training (9 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.) at the Fairfax County Government Center will include an overview of the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC); available NCMEC services and programs; a review of missing and exploited children’s issues; and an overview of NCMEC’s free prevention programs. Contact Mike Mackey to RSVP.

Communities for Change 2012 Leadership Symposium (October 11)Symposium attendees will exchange information about successes, lessons learned, and opportunities to better bridge the achievement gap through integrated school and community partnerships.

Global Youth Justice Annual Training Institute (December 4-6)The institute at the Fremont Hotel in Las Vegas will teach participants how to establish or enhance a local youth court juvenile justice diversion program. Topics include training youth and adult volunteers, offering quality community services and programs, conducting mock family intake meetings, writing grants, and identifying funding and resources.

Careers/Volunteerism

Alexandria Mentoring Partnership 2012 PromoThe Alexandria Mentoring Partnership (AMP) is dedicated to strategically expanding quality youth mentoring in the City. Any and all with an interest in youth mentoring should view the promotional video.

Young Stars Success ProgramACPS produced a video on the Young Stars Success Program, which received the 2012 ACPS Partners in Education Award.

AVID Seeking Tutors for 2012-13 School YearThe ACPS Advancement Via Individual Determination (AVID) program is seeking individuals willing to work 15-20 hours during the school year in a secondary school. AVID tutors assist students by facilitating content-related tutorial groups. Tutors will also have the opportunity to collaborate with middle school and/or high school faculty to build the program through college and career-related field trips and motivational experiences.

GenerationOn Offers Mini-Grants for Youth Community Action HeroesGenerationOn (the youth division of the Points of Light Institute) and Hasbro, Inc. are inviting young people 13 years of age and older to use their summer to take action and make their mark through “The World Needs More Community Action Heroes” campaign. Youth who share their stories of community service on the website will be eligible for one of ten mini-grants of $500 to continue their projects.

Doctoral Student Seeking Youth from Foster Care to Complete Online SurveysYoung adults with foster care experience who graduated or dropped out of college are encouraged to participate in dissertation research on how resilience and a spiritual perspective contribute to former foster youth achieving educational success by completing two online surveys.

Grantsmanship

DCHS Office of Youth Services Listing of Grant OpportunitiesThe DCHS Office of Youth Services compiled a listing of grant opportunities on July 16.

Lowe’s Toolbox for Education Accepting Applications for Public School Improvement ProjectsFunded by the Lowe’s Charitable and Educational Foundation, the program provides grants of up to $5,000 for school improvement projects at K-12 public schools. Projects that have a permanent impact, such as facility enhancement and landscaping/cleanup projects, are preferred. The deadline is October 12.

Research & Resources

Jim Crow 2012Youth Today has published a special issue entitled “The New Jim Crow: The Plight of Today’s African-American Youth”. Featured are articles on education (African-American children are disciplined more frequently and more harshly than whites); incarceration (five African-American youths are in custody for every white youth); and employment (the unemployment rate for African-American youth is twice that of whites).

Buffalo Nation/ The Children Are CryingThe short documentary depicts the devastation in which the children of the Lakota Sioux Nation are forced to live on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in South Dakota. The children are filled with despair and, as a result, are committing suicide at an alarming rate.

America’s Children in Brief: Key National Indicators of Well-Being, 2012The report was compiled by the Federal Interagency Forum on Child and Family Statistics, a working group of 22 federal agencies that produce data on issues related to children and families. The report uses the most recent federal statistics to describe the family and social environment, economic circumstances, health care, physical environment and safety, education, and health of America’s children and youth.

Challenges in Gang Research Meeting SummaryIn February 2011 the National Institute of Justice held a Gangs Research Working Group Meeting of expert gang researchers and practitioners. The participants considered issues and gaps in basic gang research and anti-gang programs, including intervention, prevention, and deterrence.

Superintendent’s Blog Addresses False Perceptions about T. C. WilliamsWashington Post columnist Jay Mathews responded to a question from a parent regarding whether he should send his son to T. C. Williams. In his blog, Dr. Sherman talks about the many aspects of T. C. Williams that make him “a proud and unrelenting Titan”.

Keeping Kids Academically Sharp During SummerResearch shows that the biggest impact on student academic achievement is made when families engage in learning activities that reflect the work children do in school. The summer break is an excellent opportunity for parents to reinforce their children’s learning and help prepare them for the year ahead. The National PTA has made available valuable tools: Parents’ Guide to Student Success; literacy resources, and Countdown to School Success Guide.

Workshops & Webinars

Recovery Supports for Children and Families (July 19, 1-2:30 p.m.)A review of the framework of family-centered recovery and recovery-related approaches, a discussion of the importance of youth voices in the recovery process, and an overview of parental peer supports are among the topics covered by the free SAMHSA webinar.

Federal Policy Update (July 19, 2-3 p.m.)The Obama administration has approved 26 states for greater flexibility under the No Child Left Behind Act, released a plan to improve career and technical education, and announced its Race to the Top District competition. The House and Senate Appropriations Committees have begun work on federal education spending bills. Thewebinar will feature a high school perspective on these developments and their implications for states.

The Critical Role of Families in Reducing Risk and Promoting Well-Being for Lesbian, Gay, Transgender,Questioning and Intersex (LGBTQI) Youth (July 19, 2-3:30 p.m.)The webinar will address key research findings, approaches to working with diverse families, and resources, tools and strategies for family education and intervention used by three programs: The Family Acceptance Project, San Francisco State University; Greater Boston Parents, Families, and Friends of Lesbians and Gays; and the Green Chimneys Program of New York City.

Measuring Success: Strategies for Effective Program Evaluation (July 25, 1-2 p.m.)Whether a manager of a small community program or a director of a citywide initiative, the webinar will review the relevant steps of program evaluation, including planning tips, development strategies and data requirements.

Predicting Suicide: How a Simple Scale Can Help Save Teens’ Lives (July 26, 1-2 p.m.)The research team of Dr. Kelly Posner, Director of the Center for Suicide Risk Assessment at Columbia University, demonstrated for the first time that a practical ratings scale can successfully predict suicide attempts. During thewebinar Dr. Posner will discuss insights and practice strategies that have the potential to improve mental health.

Causes, Correlates, and Pathways of Multi-System Youth: Research, Data, and What We Know (July 26, 2-3:30 p.m.)Presenters will highlight research and explore the characteristics of youth who cross over as well as the system experience and pathways they follow as they move between the child welfare system and juvenile justice systems.

Introduction to Ready by 21 Strategies (July 31, 3-4 p.m.)The webinar will guide participants through the essential components of Ready by 21 – the rationale behind it, tools and services available to communities and leaders, and the Ready by 21 National Partnership (a coalition of organizations representing the government, education, nonprofit, business, research and philanthropy sectors).

The Federal Advisory Committee on Juvenile Justice Web Meeting (August 10)A meeting of the Federal Advisory Committee on Juvenile Justice is the focus of the webinar. Members of the public will be able to observe the meeting but not actively participate.

Help Shape Performance Partnership Pilots on Disconnected Youth (On-Demand)What does a new federal proposal to align policies for disconnected youth mean for practitioners and policymakers? Over 800 leaders from around the country participated in a webinar on June 27 by the Forum for Youth Investment.