Happy Holidays from all of us at Sierra Health Foundation!
Thank you to everyone in the REACH youth program for all of your awesome work in 2008. We look forward to our continued partnership in the new year and building on the many achievements that have been made. Have a safe, healthy and enjoyable holiday season!
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Redesigned GABY focuses on e-learning and environmental grantmaking
The Grants Advisory Board for Youth supports young people in developing knowledge and participating in philanthropic efforts — the importance of giving, sharing and taking action on issues that are important to them. New for 2009, the Sacramento Region Community Foundation has developed an “e-learning course” for youth that has the potential to reach hundreds of young people in the area through partner organizations. Its aim is to stimulate youth-led community action by providing a web-based platform to explore interests and teach skills to organize projects. Under an organizational sponsor, teams of youth can compete for small grants to support environmental activities for their schools, communities and neighborhoods.
The e-learning course includes:
Gift of Giving: Explore ways to give to the community and discover the causes you care most about.
Learning to Serve: Inspire and build a team, commit to community service and create change through a step-by-step interactive project planning process.
Grantmaking for Environmental Change: Learn to articulate your vision and how to apply for grant funds.
Once a year, GABY will provide $50 to $500 grants for youth-led projects in Sacramento and Yolo counties that focus on the environment. The deadline for grant applications is Feb. 27, 2009. All eligible applicants will be required to present their projects in person at a workshop at the beginning of March (date to be announced).
Registration is simple. If you are new to GABY 2.0, visit the GABY 2.0 Web site. You will create your own unique user account that will give you access to many of the interactive components designed just for you.
GABY is supported by Sacramento Region Community Foundation and Sierra Health Foundation.
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Rancho Cordova youth organizations receive grants
by Rene Hamlin
Youth Development Manager,
Folsom Cordova Community Partnership
The Folsom Cordova Community Partnership (the Partnership), Youth Advisory Council (YAC) and Cordova Community Collaborative (CCC) are pleased to announce that three Peace, Love and Happiness grants have been awarded to youth-run, community-focused organizations and work is now underway to benefit the greater Rancho Cordova area.
The following organizations have been awarded grants up to $1,500: Cordova High School's Interact Club, Volunteers of America/Adolfo Youth Services at Mather and First Covenant Church's youth group Doulos. These groups have a strong history of lending a hand in our community and providing vision for our local residents. These grants are designed to better such aspects of our local community as literacy awareness, inclusiveness, hunger, poverty and human assistance. We are excited to see the impact they will have with youth in our community.
The YAC has been developing the PLH grant program since the beginning of July. They researched other youth-granting organizations, and received training in Bias and Conflict of Interest Resolution, Grant Evaluation Procedures and Site Visit Preparation. The YAC members were grouped with adult partners and these teams were responsible for grant review, evaluations and making their recommendation to the YAC, CCC and the Partnership. A leader of the YAC was filled with pride that he could have a strong voice in our community by awarding these grants.
The Partnership is a nonprofit organization whose vision is to bring together community programs and partners to assess and address community needs, thereby maximizing resources while reducing duplication of services, with the end result being a unified, self-sufficient community that is in-tune with its needs and has the ability to resolve its challenges.
The YAC is a council made up of local youth in the community to be the voice for our youth. They meet four times per month and give voice to such community-based projects as the Peace, Love and Happiness grants.
The CCC is a REACH Community Action coalition made up of community members who believe all children should grow up in a family and community that provides for their health and well-being. They are committed to strengthening families and linking them to community resources that enhance self-reliance and promote community involvement.
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Cordova and Folsom families experience an evening at the ballet
by Rene Hamlin
Youth Development Manager,
Folsom Cordova Community Partnership
On Dec. 6, 90 youth and adults from Rancho Cordova and Folsom attended “The Nutcracker” performed by the Sacramento Ballet. The Folsom Cordova Community Partnership planned the event and invited families from the two cities to participate. This event was possible because of the generosity of the Sacramento Ballet’s “Send a Child to the Ballet” program, as well as funding from Ronald McDonald House Charities Northern California, Sierra Health Foundation and the city of Rancho Cordova’s Community Development Block grant. It would not have been possible to transport the families without the many community volunteers.
Meaningful adult-youth activities are paramount in creating a community that truly cares for its youth. The Partnership is committed to providing these types of activities for the community’s youth in coordination with existing programs with similar missions. According to Katie Willse, the Partnership’s youth services director, “We were thrilled to have this great opportunity to attend ‘The Nutcracker,’ especially because it was a first-time experience for many of our participants.”
The Partnership’s Cordova Community Collaborative is a REACH Community Action coalition.
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El Dorado Hills teens honored at youth awards ceremony
by Sameeha Khalid
Teen News Team member,
Vision Coalition of El Dorado Hills
The second annual Youth Awards Ceremony sponsored by the Vision Coalition of El Dorado Hills took place on Dec. 8 at the El Dorado Hills Community Services District Pavilion. The community joined in recognizing the contributions of youth and enjoyed an Italian potluck dinner. Coalition Executive Director DJ Peterson made introductions, then Coalition Coordinator Raeann Jones announced the honored youth. The awards were presented by board members of El Dorado Hills Community Vision, Inc.
The youth who were recognized participated in the many organizations sponsored by the Vision Coalition and were nominated by their peers and adult allies. Some of the organizations included the Teen Advisory Council, El Dorado Hills Community Services District Teen Center and Skate Park, Teen News Team, Teen Media Team and Royer Studios Live Action Video Training, Big Brothers Big Sisters, Marina Village Middle School’s WEB Crew (Where Everyone Belongs) and Club Live, Hands for Hope, Oak Ridge High School Link Crew, Safe School Ambassadors and Interact Club, White Rock Village Teen Council, El Dorado Hills Musical Theatre, WYLD Life and Project TEACH (Teens Educating About Classmate Harassment). The program also included a PowerPoint presentation and youth-made videos, including a comedic commercial promoting the CSD Teen Center.
Special mention was given to Dan Hill for his contributions to local journalism, including The Sacramento Bee, Mountain Democrat, Village Life, ORHS Ridge Review and the new Teenzhub.com Web site for youth; Andrew Kasabian for his civic participation in the El Dorado County Youth Council, EDH Teen Advisory Council and hosting the Town Hall Meeting on Underage Drinking; and Sean Clavere for his musical and auditory presentations at the REACH Regional Youth Conference in Sacramento and his popular fundraising concerts, “Reach Out and Teach,” where he has raised more than $20,000 for the Goma Student Fund. In response to continuing the philanthropic concert series again next year, Sean reported, “There will be a third!”
In all, 80 people attended and 30 youth were honored for their outstanding leadership in the community. The Vision Coalition is funded by a Sierra Health Foundation REACH Community Action grant and a SAMHSA (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration) grant. Through its annual Mini-grant Program, the Vision Coalition sponsors youth-serving organizations to improve and develop their programs. Together the Vision Coalition and other organizations are expanding opportunities for youth in the El Dorado Hills community. To learn more or to get involved, call (916) 643-4393 or visit the Vision Coalition Web site.
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Woodland students learn to become peer mediators
by Desiree Ramirez
Woodland High School Lead Peer Mediator
This past October, Woodland High School’s Peer Mediator Program held a two-day training at the school district office. The main goal of peer mediation is to give our students the opportunity to solve their problems with their peers. The training was a big success! The purpose of the training is to learn new and improved skills on how to help students solve conflicts with their peers. Forty-three of 51 students who were accepted as peer mediator trainees attended, and 39 have passed their test.
Throughout the day we had wonderful presentations about the Peer Mediator Program, most of which were led by the five lead mediators. One could really see that the students were enjoying themselves. We had a student evaluation in which we asked a series of questions and asked for the students’ honest opinions. From the responses we have received so far, we got positive feedback. When students were asked what their favorite part of the training was, a lot of them said the role plays of a mediation. A role play of mediation was when the lead mediators came up with a problem and two other lead mediators had to lead the mediation. Students said they liked this most because it showed them the right and wrong ways of solving a problem.
Our two-day training was awesome, and students said they are really looking forward to it next year!
The Woodland High School Peer Mediator Program is a REACH Program Improvement grant recipient.
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Sacramento launches Youth Gang Prevention and Intervention Campaign
by City of Sacramento staff
The City of Sacramento Office of Youth Development (OYD), Sacramento Police Department and the U.S. Attorney’s Office are pleased to announce the Youth Gang Prevention and Intervention Campaign. The campaign is designed to divert youth from gangs, and consists of billboards throughout Sacramento, public service announcements aired on local television stations and hundreds of posters.
Research has shown that effective community-based programs can keep at-risk youth from joining gangs and rehabilitate those youth already in gangs. Accordingly, the campaign links parents, adults and young people to the City of Sacramento’s information line, 3-1-1, which connects them to a wide array of youth programs and resources in our community. These programs and resources not only focus on gang prevention and intervention, they also provide academic support, job and life-skills development and employment assistance. Calls from this campaign will be tracked and, when appropriate, OYD staff will conduct follow-up inquiries with callers who require additional assistance.
Most of the funding for the campaign comes from Project Safe Neighborhoods, a federal grant program that focuses on reducing gang and gun violence through education and early intervention. Additional contributors of time and/or money include CBS Outdoor (donated billboards), the Astone Agency and Fresno’s Valley Crime Stoppers.
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Youth Development Network offers Youth Development 101
Kick off 2009 with the Youth Development Network and create life-changing experiences for youth! The two-day Youth Development 101 Learning Community is an introduction to the youth development approach and best practices that help to create experiences for youth that lead them to doing better overall in their lives — at school, home or work. This popular workshop fills up fast so don't delay … register today!
What: Youth Development 101 Learning Community
When: Jan. 13-14, 2009 – 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. (both days)
Where: Rockingham Station Community Room in Rancho Cordova
Cost: $150 for adults, $100 for youth (breakfast and lunch provided), $25 discount for registration and payment received by Jan. 6. Registration deadline is Jan. 9.
How: Call (916) 231-5333 ext. 13 or e-mail events@ydnetwork.org.
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CalendarJan. 8
4:30 p.m.
El Dorado GABY grant applications due
Download the EDGABY application on the El Dorado County UC Cooperative Extension Web site.
Jan. 13-14
8 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Youth Development 101 Learning Community
Hosted by the Youth Development Network. Cost is $150 for adults, $100 for youth (breakfast and lunch provided), $25 discount for registration and payment received by Jan. 6. Registration deadline is Jan. 9. Call (916) 231-5333 ext. 13 or e-mail events@ydnetwork.org.
Jan. 22
8:30 a.m. to noon
Connecting Youth to the Outdoors Part 2: Identifying Challenges and Advancing Solutions
This gathering is for educators, organizations and agencies that provide outdoor experiences for youth in urban or wilderness settings. This event will be held at Sierra Health Foundation and is hosted by the Youth Development Network, Splash, California Regional Environmental Education Community Region 3 and the Stewardship Council. To RSVP, call (530) 668-3781 or e-mail bruns@ycoe.org. Download the registration flyer.
The Stewardship Council will hold a grantseekers workshop for its upcoming Youth Investment Program grants following the Connecting Youth to the Outdoors gathering on Jan. 22 from 1 p.m. to 2 p.m. at Sierra Health Foundation. Registration instructions and additional information will be announced in early January. Visit the Stewardship Council Web site for more information about its Connecting Youth to the Outdoors grant opportunities.
Jan. 27-28
ABCD Training with NeighborWorks America and Sierra Health Foundation will present Asset Based Community Development training at Sierra Health Foundation. This engaging learning event will focus on asset-based community development principles and applying them to mobilizing people, organizations and communities. There is a fee for this training. Download an informational flyer.
Feb. 27
GABY grant applications due for Sacramento and Yolo counties
Visit the new GABY 2.0 Web site for information and to sign up for the e-learning course. See article above.
E-mail story ideas, funding opportunities, resources and calendar items to us at REACH.
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