Bold Steps for Children Newsletter

1605 The Alameda, San Jose, CA 95125 - www.kidsincommon.org - (408) 795-3771

Bold Steps for Children Newsletter

MAY 2015

There are some great events scheduled this month in Santa Clara County. One that I'll be attending is the Symposium sponsored by the Healthier Kids Foundation. Here's some information (below) about the event. I hear that the keynote speaker, Dr. Robert H. Lustig, is amazing!

Healthier Kids Foundation 5th Annual Symposium: Status on Children's
Health in Santa Clara County

This Symposium emphasizes the importance of engaging in "Healthier Earlier" strategies and accessing preventive health services in an effort to create healthier children at an earlier age. Join us as keynote speaker, Dr. Robert H. Lustig, from the popular documentary "Sweet Revenge," discusses The Sugar Pandemic: Policy vs. Politics.

Date: Monday, May 11, 2015

Time: 8:30am - 12:30pm

Location: Microsoft - Building B, 1020 Enterprise Way, Sunnyvale, CA

For More Information: You can get more details and register for the event by clicking here. You can also send email to Ashley Lancaster at [email protected].

I hope to see you there on May 11!

Warm wishes,

Dana Bunnett, Director

Kids in Common

Kids in Common wants every child safe, healthy, successful in learning, and successful in life!

Kids in Common advocates for policies, partnerships, and investments that improve children's lives in Santa Clara County. The cornerstone of our work is the Children's Agenda, a county-wide initiative working to create measurable, positive changes for Santa Clara County children and families.

www.kidsincommon.org

SVGives 2015

SVGives is only a few days away! On May 5, there will be the opportunity for 24 hours of online giving, 12:00am to 11:59pm.

For registered nonprofits, this is a day to galvanize our community to give back. Please consider sharing the giving spirit with your friends, colleagues, and followers to encourage support for your cause.

On Facebook: "Like" both our Facebook pages, SVCF and SVGives, and share our page posts.
On Twitter: Use hashtag #SVGives2015 and tag us @SVGives, so we can support you in your outreach activities.
On YouTube: Share our SVGives promo video.

Community Events

Meet Our Elected Officials
The League of Women Voters Los Altos-Mountain View is hosting this bi-annual event. It's an informal "one stop shop" to hear from our office holders about their priorities ranging from land use, housing, transportation, water supply, education, healthcare, and open space. Please join us to ask questions about what is happening in our communities and to influence the policy makers whose decisions shape the quality of life in our part of Silicon Valley. Speakers include Rich Gordon, CA Assemblyman Dist. 24; Grace Mah, Santa Clara County Office of Education Board Member Area 1; John McAlister, Mountain View Mayor; and 9 other elected officials from Mountain View, Los Altos, and Los Altos Hills.
Date: Sunday, May 3, 2015
Time: 2:00 - 4:00pm
Location: Los Altos Youth Center, One North San Antonio Road, Los Altos, CA
For More Information: Visit the League of Women Voters Los Altos-Mountain View website at www.lwvlamv.org.

How to Become a Virtual Host Site for the 2015 Inclusion Collaborative State Conference
Are you interested in being part of the growing trend to support the inclusion of children and youth with special needs into educational settings and all across your community? Do you want to learn how your facility can become a virtual host site for the annual Inclusion Conference in October 2015? Then you'll want to attend this meeting!
Date: Thursday, May 7, 2015
Time: 2:00 - 4:00pm
Location: Virtual
For More Information: You can learn more about the Inclusion Collaborative and the conference by clicking here. You can register for this virtual meeting by clicking here. Information about how to join virtually will be sent to participants prior to the meeting.

Sacramento Bus Trip for Education
Dave Cortese, President of the Board of Supervisors for District 3, invites you to join the California Legislature for the 13th annual FREE Sacramento Bus Trip for Education. The trip is sponsored by President Cortese's office and the Silicon Valley Education Foundation. The goal of the trip is to let our state elected officials know what you think about the condition of education in Santa Clara County.
Date: Wednesday, May 20, 2015
Time: 6:30am - 5:00pm
Location: The buses will leave from the VTA Transit Center at Eastridge Mall in San Jose and return to the same location.
For More Information: To register, visit www.sccgov.org/bustrip, or contact Mario Lopez at (408) 299-5030 or [email protected]. Not able to attend in person? Help us promote the Bus Trip by posting it on your NextDoor Neighborhood group or forward to your personal contacts interested in public education issues.

My Brother's Keeper: Local Action Summit
Please join the City of San Jose and Silicon Valley Community Foundation for this Local Action Summit that will bring together community leaders to develop a road map to improve life outcomes for young boys and men of color. My Brother's Keeper focuses on the following three milestones: Entering School Ready to Learn, Reading at Grade Level by 3rd Grade, and Successfully Entering the Workforce. Your voice for early learning is critical to assess the community's needs, determine priorities, and develop objectives to launch a successful plan of action.
Date: Friday, May 22, 2015
Time: 8:30am - 1:30pm
Location: Center for Employment Training, 701 Vine Street, San Jose, CA
For More Information: You can register by clicking here. For questions, you can send email to [email protected], or call (408) 535-4800.

IAHV Stress Management And Resilience Training (S.M.A.R.T) for Educators & Community Leaders
This event will introduce IAHV YES! for Schools Student Curriculum and practical strategies to handle stress, build resilience, and inspire leadership. Healthy mind, body, and lifestyle modules focus on physical exercise, powerful breathing techniques, and practical life wisdom to readily connect with and inspire peers, to communicate with clarity and confidence, and to remain positive and transform challenges into opportunities.
Date: May 26 - 28, 2015
Time: Tues/Wed: 8:00am - 3:00pm; Thurs 8:00am - 12:00pm
Location: Fremont High School, 1279 Sunnyvale-Saratoga Road, Sunnyvale CA
For More Information: You an register for this event by clicking here. For questions, you can send email to Priya at [email protected].

EARLY REGISTRATION: Kidpower Skills for Child Protection Advocates Training Institute
Learn how to use Kidpower's prevention, intervention, advocacy, and personal safety strategies and skills and Positive Practice Teaching Method in your personal and professional activities to take charge of the safety and well-being of the children and teens in your personal and professional life. Participants develop increased tools for taking leadership to protect young people, including those with special needs, from harm caused by thoughtlessness, neglect, bullying, abuse, or violence within their schools, organizations, youth programs, communities and families. Reduced fees for early registration now available.
Date: August 10 - 12, 2015
Location: California Orientation Center, 400 Adams Street, Albany, CA
For More Information: You can learn about registration, training topics, and program use by clicking here.

SAVE THE DATE! 25th Annual Latino-Latina Role Model Conference
This inspiring educational event is designed to plant the seeds of college and careers into the brains of our young people. Free registration, free breakfast burritos, free lunch, and bottled water.
Date: Saturday, October 17, 2015
Time: 8:30am - 2:30pm
Location: W. C. Overfelt High School, 1835 Cunningham Avenue, San Jose, CA
For More Information: Send email to Esau Ruiz Herrera at [email protected], or call
(408) 926-7163.

For Your Reading or Viewing Pleasure

Promoting Children's Long-Term Health and Functioning: Applying a Life Course Approach to Pediatric Care for Children with Special Health Care Needs
Life Course Theory, which promotes a life-span approach to an individual's health, is taking hold in adult medicine, but adoption has been slow in pediatric practices. This paper proposes a framework to help pediatric practices become life-course settings for children with special healthcare needs. You can read the paper by clicking here.

ONLINE TRAINING: Helping Parents to Feed Well so Children Can Eat Well
Parent educators can improve their knowledge of how child development influences child eating, learn how to help parents teach their child to be a healthy eater, and learn how to support parents in having enjoyable family mealtimes. You can view the four 30-minute videos created by Childhood Feeding Collaborative of Santa Clara County by clicking here. For more Information, send email to Carol Danaher at [email protected], or call
(408) 793-2708.

New Standards and Tests Are Worth the Effort
This article discusses the new Smarter Balanced assessments, and the challenges and opportunities involved in these new tests for California students. The author, Gina D. Dalma, is the senior program officer at the Silicon Valley Community Foundation and leads the Silicon Valley Common Core Initiative. You can read this article by clicking here.

Synchronizing Youth Programs in California Shows Signs of Success
This article from the Juvenile Justice Information Exchange describes Santa Clara County's innovative approach to better support youth involved in both the child welfare and juvenile justice systems. You can read this article by clicking here.

Dropping Out and Clocking In: A Portrait of Teens Who Leave School Early and Work
This article from the Urban Institute looks at teens that leave school early and are employed, and how they differ from other teens who leave school early. It discusses how working youth are contributing to their famiiies' econimic support system and how this potentially impacts government programs and policies. You can read this article by clicking here.

DOCUMENTARY: Poverty in a Land of Riches
This powerful documentary from CNN is about being poor in Silicon Valley. It is a "must watch" for anyone concerned about how low-income families make it in this county and its high cost of living. You can view the documentary by clicking here.

Child Abuse Prevention Resources for Schools
Please share this important information with parents, teachers, and school administrators about Kidpower's abuse, bullying, abduction, and other violence prevention resources for schools. You can check out this resource by clicking here.

Drugging Our Kids
This 5-part series by the Mercury News explores the excessive use of psychiatric drugs in the foster care system. Parts 1-4 examine how psychotropic meds are being used to treat troublesome behaviors, rather than to heal kids from the trauma they've suffered. Part 5 is a 40-minute documentary that takes viewers inside these children's lives, and provides expert commentary. Check out the dedicated website by clicking here.

Facing Prejudice with Compassion and Determination
This article describes how to address prejudice and work with members of our communities to keep everyone safe. See the article from Kidpower's extensive free online library by clicking here.

WEBINAR: Social and Emotional Learning

Supported by music and videos, take-home activities, and stories kids relate to, the developmentally appropriate Second Step lessons have helped teachers instill social-emotional skills in their students for over 20 years. Interested in putting the Second Step program to work for your students? Attend one of the sessions from Committee for Children to hear directly from our experts. You can see a list of live webinars and register by clicking here.

TeenForce Plans to Ramp Up in 2015
TeenForce, which was founded almost five years ago by retired mortgage executive, John Hogan, specializes in finding jobs for young people who have been in the foster care system. You can read about their ambitious plans for 2015 in the Silicon Valley Business Journal by clicking here.

Foster Youth STEM and Work Readiness Program
Silicon Valley Children's Fund and TeenForce is happy to announce that Symantec will be funding the pilot and implementation of the Foster Youth STEM and Work Readiness Training Program. This program was developed as part of the Clinton Global Initiative America. You can read the press release about the program by clicking here. You can also read about this commitment to action by clicking here.

New Study: Cómo Están los Niños? The Health of Latino Children and Families in California
A comprehensive new study of California's Latino children paints a complex picture of their health and well-being, and finds striking differences within a 4.7 million-strong population that comprises more than half of all the children in the state. You can review the study by clicking here.

VIDEO: Sports Illustrated Introduces Us To America's Homeless Student-Athletes
More than 100,000 student-athletes in America are homeless, according to Sports Illustrated. While athletes such as Kevin Durant and James Jones have made headlines for overcoming childhood poverty and struggles, the magazine introduces us to today's kids who are succeeding in athletics but have no place to call "home" at the end of the day. You can watch the video by clicking here.

FIRST 5 Obesity Prevention Efforts
The California State Association of Counties (CSAC) recently profiled FIRST 5 Santa Clara County's efforts to prevent early childhood obesity. Through a blog post and video, CSAC highlights how FIRST 5 programs are making healthy habits fun! You can read the blog by clicking here; you can watch the YouTube video by clicking here.

ARCHIVED WEBINAR: How to Put Legislative District Data to Work For California Children
If you missed Kidsdata.org's webinar about putting legislative district data to work on behalf of children, the recording is now available on the Kidsdata.org website. The webinar covers how to access data available by legislative district and overlay legislative district maps on many other indicators of child health and well-being available by county, city, or school district. You can review the webinar by clicking here.

Hewlett Foundation Blog Post: The Paradox of Story Telling
The Opportunity Youth Partnership (OYP) and Kids in Common Children's Summit were featured in a blog post by Elisha Smith Arrillaga, Program Fellow at the Hewlett Foundation. You can read the blog by clicking here.

Early Literacy in California's Immigrant Families
Read this report about disparities in exposure to book-sharing programs among California's immigrant families. The Chair of the Children's Agenda Vision Council is a co-author of this report. You can read it on Reuters by clicking here.

School Discipline Consensus Report
Released by the Council of State Governments Justice Center, this report presents a comprehensive set of consensus-based and field-driven recommendations to improve conditions for learning for all students and educators, better support students with behavioral needs, improve police-school partnerships, and keep students out of the juvenile justice system for minor offenses. You can read the report by clicking here.

The 2014 California Children's Report Card
This study identifies how kids are doing in our state and what needs to be done about it . Released by Children Now, it covers 27 critical education, health, and child welfare issues and provides a comprehensive evaluation of the current status of California's kids. You can read the Report Card by clicking here.

Volunteer Opportunities

Volunteers for Writing Workshops

The Beat Within is looking for volunteers to support their weekly Thursday night workshops in juvenile hall. They are always looking for people of all walks of life. You do not need a background in juvenile justice or related issues; you do not need to be a great writer. All you need to have is an interest in the program and working with young people.
For More Information: Visit www.thebeatwithin.org, or send email to The Beat's Program Director, Lisa Lavaysse, at [email protected].

Summer Camp Volunteer
There's lots to do at summer camp! The Grail Family Services in East San Jose (2003 E. San Antonio Street, San Jose, CA) is looking for summer camp volunteers. Some things we need the most help with include leading morning small group literacy activities (reading, writing, story time, computer time, etc.); snack and lunch break supervision (talk, play, and keep a safe eye out for our campers during their breaks); and afternoon enrichment activities (help our campers get creative with dance, science, and arts and crafts times.) Summer camp dates are June 22 - July 31, 2015. Morning, afternoon, and full-day time slots are available, Monday through Thursday. The morning time slot is 8:00am - 12:00pm, the afternoon time slot is 12:00 - 2:30pm, and full day is 8:00am - 2:30pm.
For More Information: Send email to Gabriela Alvarado at [email protected].

Yes We Can...Read! Reading Mentor

Become a reading mentor today! With just a one-hour a week commitment, you can work one-on-one with two Kindergarten or 1st grade students in East San Jose to build an intrinsic love for reading and learning. You will be trained on Interactive Reading Strategies that will boost your book-sharing skills and help you build up a little reader's confidence and literacy skills. This program requires a 12-session commitment in a school semester. Fall semester sessions will begin at the end of September. One-hour time slots will occur Monday through Friday between 8:30am - 1:30pm at Dorsa or San Antonio Elementary Schools in East San Jose. Volunteer recruiting is year-round, so sign up today!

For More Information: Visit Beamentor.org/gfs, or send email to Gabriela Alvarado at [email protected].

Be a Child Advocate!

Child Advocates of Silicon Valley is recruiting volunteer Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASAs) to work one-on-one with foster children and be a mentor and their voice as they navigate the dependency system. We train and support our CASAs as they work to support foster children.
For More Information: To learn more and sign up for an introductory session, visit www.bemyadvocate.org.

Volunteer to Become a Certified Car Seat Technician

In the Bay Area, 4 out of 5 car seats are installed incorrectly. ACCESS (a service of the Good Samaritan Hospital Auxiliary) hosts free car seat fitting inspections. Join ACCESS in our efforts to ensure infants and children are safe in their vehicles. Training is provided at Good Samaritan Hospital, 2425 Samaritan Drive, San Jose, CA.
For More Information: Call Shannon Hickok at
(408) 559-2395, or send email to [email protected]. You can also visit the ACCESS website by clicking here.

OYP Is Seeking Youth Leaders

The Opportunity Youth Partnership (OYP) is once again opening Youth Voice positions for youth ages 16 - 24 years who would be interested in representing their peers in this partnership. If you know of a youth who would be interested in the role, please have them complete an application. This is a wonderful leadership opportunity, and a stipend is provided for the youth members.
For More Information: You can download the application (PDF format) by clicking here.

Join the LPC Council of Santa Clara County

The Local Early Education Planning Council (LPC) of Santa Clara County is seeking individuals who are interested in applying for membership to the Council. Funded by the California Department of Education and housed at the Santa Clara County Office of Education, the mission of the LPC is to assess, represent, and promote the early care and education needs of children and families in the community. Applicants must work or live in Santa Clara County, and exhibit a strong commitment to advocating for increased quality childcare services; an ability to make information-based decisions; and excellent leadership skills.

For More Information: If you are interested in submitting an application, send email to Michael Garcia at [email protected], or call
(408) 453-6649.

Volunteer with Junior Achievement

Inspire students at local elementary schools with Junior Achievement! Junior Achievement prepares youth for economic success through a short series of age-appropriate lessons about entrepreneurship, financial literacy, and work readiness. You can volunteer to work in schools and teach these lessons (the teacher will be in the classroom to provide support.) The dates, times, and locations are flexible, including any school or after-school program (i.e. public, private, charter, etc.) There is a one-hour mandatory training.

For More Information: Send email to Amanda Lopez, District Manager, Silicon Valley, at [email protected], or call (408) 217-7906.

Be a Mentor for Elementary School Children
Collaborative Community Program (CCP) is seeking mentors for children at Washington Elementary School in downtown San Jose. Mentors meet with children in Kindergarten through 5th grade on Thursdays from 3:30 - 5:00pm at the Biblioteca Latinoamericana Branch Library.

For More Information: Send email to Rochelle at

[email protected] , or call (408) 634-2125. You can also visit the Collaborative Community Program Facebook page.

A League of Extraordinary Players Create a Field of Dreams in San Jose

Kaiser Permanente, NVIDIA, the Alum Rock Union School District, and the Eastridge Little League teamed up to provide Clyde Fischer Middle School and its surrounding community with a brand new baseball field!

Silicon Valley tech company NVIDIA was first on base for the project, selecting Fischer Middle School as the site of Project Inspire 2014, its annual large-scale community service project. Next up to bat was community health partner, Kaiser Permanente, who fielded Community Benefit and other agency resources to improve the health of the community by transforming a patch of dirt into a beautiful baseball field for everyone to enjoy.

Fischer Middle School, the Eastridge Little League and the surrounding Alum Rock community now have a first rate baseball field which will be an important health resource...because if you build it, they will come!

You can get more information about Kaiser Permanente's Community Benefit Program by clicking here.

Community Resources

Stanford Pediatric Weight Control Program
Concerned about a child's weight? Based on nearly 20 years of research, the Stanford Children's Pediatric Weight Control Program is nationally recognized for its success rate of over 80% in achieving age-appropriate weight reduction. Parents lose weight too! Classes begin August/September 2015 at 4100 Bohannon Drive, Menlo Park.
For More Information: Visit weightcontrol.stanfordchildrens.org or call
(650) 725-4424. We look forward to hearing
from you!

CalFresh Application Assistance: Same Day Service
Community members now have faster access to CalFresh Benefits at 5 locations (listed below) around Santa Clara County! Eligibility workers are stationed at 5 Emergency Assistance Network Agencies (EANs) alongside Food Bank representatives to assist people with CalFresh. In 1-2 days, community members can be screened, apply for CalFresh and have their County interview. If approved, a client could pick up their EBT card on the same day at the Social Services Agency or the next business day at the EAN agency.
Locations:
(1) InnVision, Palo Alto - 33 Encina Avenue, Palo Alto, CA; Wednesdays, 9:00am - 4:00pm; drop-ins only.
(2) St. Joseph's Family Center - 7950 Church Street, Gilroy, CA; Mondays, 9:00am - 4:00pm; for an appointment, call (408) 842-6662.
(3) Sunnyvale Community Services - 725 Kifer Road, Sunnyvale, CA; Mondays, 9:00am - 4:00pm; for an appointment, call (408) 738- 4321.
(4) Community Services Agency of Mt. View & Los Altos - 204 Stierlin Road, Mountain View, CA; 1st and 4th Thursdays, 9:00am - 4:00pm; for an appointment, call (650) 968-0836.
(5) West Valley Community Services - 10104 Vista Drive, Cupertino, CA; 1st and 3rd Tuesdays, 10:00am - 7:00pm; for more information, call
(408) 255-8065.

East San Jose Futbol Club
There's a new youth soccer program for low-income East San Jose kids that promotes not only soccer, but gang prevention, child obesity awareness, academic support, and referrals to parent services. Youth play at Clyde L Fisher Middle School, 1720 Hopkins Drive, San Jose. The club is always looking for players who reside in East San Jose, coaches that can be positive role models, and office volunteers to help in administration of the club, which is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization.
For More information: Send email to Luciano Zamora, President and Co-Founder, at [email protected], call (408) 968-9571, or visit www.EastSanJoseFC.org.

Access Opportunities for Incarcerated Youth
The Santa Clara County Office of Education (SCCOE) in collaboration with Santa Clara County Juvenile Probation have partnered to bring Community College (Gavilan and Evergreen) access to our students at Blue Ridge and Osborne schools during the 2014-15 school year. Over the last year, 35 students have taken classes in Astronomy, College Success, Chicano/a Studies, and Mexican History. Each class is three units, and students complete all college entry paperwork at their school site supporting their expedited admission to their local college upon release.
For More Information: Call Yvette Irving, Director of Alternative Education, Santa Clara County Office of Education, at (408) 453-6998.

10 Steps to a Healthier You!

A FREE, three-class series for parents and caregivers about implementing a positive, healthy lifestyle into home environments. Classes are for residents of Santa Clara County, and are held at various dates, times, and locations throughout Santa Clara County year-round.
For More Information: To sign up for the free three-class series or to host the free classes at your site, call Healthier Kids Foundation at
(855) 344-6347. You can get more details about the program by clicking here.

Eastside Elite Basketball League
If you want a basketball program for your child, this program offers both non-competitive and competitive programs. The Co-Ed Non-Competitive League is for 6 - 9 year olds with little or no basketball experience who would benefit from participation in a structured program with a focus on skills development, basketball fundamentals, and structured game time. The Eastside Elite Competitive Basketball League is for 10 - 16 year olds with emphasis placed on good sportsmanship and skills development.
For More Information: For program details and fees, call Eric or Rhonda at (408) 794-1060.

FOR EDUCATORS: Embrace the Core Website and Communications Toolkit
The Embrace the Core website and Communications Toolkit are designed to help educators cut through the noise and communicate to parents about California's Common Core State Standards in their classrooms. Teachers, principals, district leaders, after-school program administrators, and anyone else who regularly fields questions from parents can use the posters, sample letters to parents, talking points, and various other resources to drive those conversations.
For More Information: Visit the website at www.embracethecore.com. You can get to the toolkit by clicking here. If you have questions, send email to Neha Singh Gohil, Silicon Valley Community Foundation, at [email protected].

Good. To Go. Is in San Jose!

Good. To Go. (G2G) is a community-based marketing campaign aimed at increasing San Jose residents' purchase of "fun, fast, and fresh" items such as fresh produce and kid-friendly 'grab n go' snacks at participating G2G outlets: Healthy Corner Stores, Fresh Cart mobile produce vendors, and PCFMA farmers' markets. To find G2G locations in San Jose, visit our online interactive map by clicking here. To stay up to date on events, new products, and program updates, be sure to "Like" our G2G Facebook page.
For More Information: To learn how to spread the word about G2G within your network and become a G2G brand ambassador, please contact Misha Taherbhai at [email protected] or call
(408) 513-8716.

New Teacher Intern Credential Program: Education Preparation for Inclusive Classrooms In Fall 2014, the Inclusion Collaborative started an education specialist credential program focusing on inclusion: Preliminary Early Childhood Special Education, Preliminary Moderate/Severe Special Education, and a Clear Education Specialist Induction Program. Classes are held in the evenings and occasionally on Saturdays. These are alternative pathways to acquiring a teaching credential, allowing students to earn their credentials while interning with a school district. Education Preparation for Inclusive Classrooms (EPIC) accepts new students every two years, so if you are interested in one of the three programs, plan to apply for Fall 2016.
For More Information: To learn about the program, see the FAQ page by clicking here. For additional professional development opportunities and resources, visit www.inclusioncollaborative.org.

FREE Kids' Vision and Dental Screenings

Healthier Kids Foundation FocusFirst and DentalFirst programs are conducting FREE (donor-funded) vision and dental screenings for children ages 6 months - 18 years old. Vision screenings are performed with a high-optic digital camera, and dental screenings are performed by a licensed dentist, Monday through Friday at your school, church, daycare center, community center, after-school program, or community-based organization. For dental screenings, all children will receive a FREE toothbrush, toothpaste, and floss. Healthier Kids Foundation staff will help parents with any follow-up as needed.

For More Information: This program is done on a first-come, first-serve basis. Schedule your screenings by calling Sunny Ochoa at
(408) 564-5114, Ext. 206, or send email to [email protected].

Personal Safety Workshops

Kidpower's Public Workshops for ages 3 years to adults offer personal safety skills training that is relevant to the ages and life situations of the students. These dynamic, upbeat workshops teach skills such as boundary setting, advocacy, stranger safety, safety with words (spoken or online), help-seeking, and de-escalation. There are multiple workshops for different child age groups coming soon. Classes fill-up quickly, so let Kidpower know right away if you're interested!

For More Information: See the public workshop schedule by clicking here; you can get registration information by clicking here. For questions, call (800) 467-6997 Ext. 1#, or send email to [email protected].

Get Help with College Planning

The Online Colleges Database helps to make the college planning process easier for future students. It provides an easy-to-use search tool with relevant data and integrated Google Maps. The site also includes expert-driven topical guidebooks that aid specific demographics, such as minorities, students and families with disabilities, and veterans who may need a different set of advice and information.
For More Information: Visit www.onlinecollegesdatabase.org.

GED Preparation Classes
These classes target older youth, ages 17 - 24 years. An assessment of a student's basic skill level will determine placement. Classes include both lecture and computer-based learning. The GED program is open-entry/open-exit during the school year.
Date: Monday through Friday
Time: 8:30am - 11:40pm
Location: 749 Story Road, Suite 10, San Jose, CA
For More Information: Contact Mariah Artley at (408) 213-0961, Ext. 27, or Caroline Sailor at
Ext. 30.

FutureArtsNow!

This program hosts weekly Open Dance Sessions at the Edenvale Community Center for $3/session. Youth and young adults are invited to come and hone their Hip Hop dance skills during our weekly sessions inside the Edenvale Dance Studio/Gym.

Date: Every Wednesday and Thursday

Time: 8:00 - 10:00pm

Location: Edenvale Community Center, 330 Branham Lane, San Jose, CA

For More Information: Call Demone Carter, Program Director, at (408) 320-5022; send email to [email protected]; or visit www.futureartsnow.org.

Youth Facing Expulsion

If you know of youth facing expulsion, Legal Advocates for Children and Youth may be able to connect you with a free lawyer to represent your child in a school expulsion hearing.

For More Information: Call (408) 280-2416.

Local Control Funding Formula (LCFF) Dollars Looking for resources to help advocate for Local Control Funding Formula (LCFF) dollars to support early learning and development? Children Now can help!

For More Information: Check out Children Now's new campaign with resources by clicking here. Sign up for The Children's Movement of California to receive more talking points, tips, and tools that will be released over the coming weeks and months by clicking here.

CalFresh (Food Stamps) Outreach and Application Assistance
Second Harvest Food Bank of Santa Clara and San Mateo Counties can do pre-screening, answer questions, and help clients complete applications for CalFresh benefits. Application assistance can be arranged for weekdays, weekends, and evenings at community locations throughout Santa Clara and San Mateo Counties.

For More Information: Call Second Harvest's Food Connection, 8:00am - 5:00pm, Monday through Friday, at (800) 984-3663, or visit www.shfb.org/getfood.

Free Food for Low-Income Families
Free food resources are available to low-income families through Second Harvest Food Bank of Santa Clara and San Mateo Counties. Our region's Family Harvest, Produce Mobile, Pantries and Prepared Meal programs can accept more participants. Food distributions and meal programs are available weekdays and on weekends at community locations throughout Santa Clara and San Mateo Counties.

For More Information: Call Second Harvest's Food Connection, 8:00am - 5:00pm, Monday through Friday, at (800) 984-3663, or visit www.shfb.org/getfood.

For All of Our MFCCs and Other Professionals Under the Board of Behavioral Sciences

Kidpower is now certified as a Continuing Education Provider under the California State Board of Behavioral Sciences!
For More Information: Visit www.kidpower.org.

Kaiser Permanente Child Health Program
Did you know that Kaiser Permanente in California insures low-income children who are not eligible for Medi-Cal or Covered California through its Child Health Program? With all of the confusion surrounding the Affordable Care Act (ACA), many mixed status and immigrant families do not know that the program is an option for their children. The Child Health Program is pleased to offer a quality option in California that gives children the healthcare they need for just $0, $10, or $20 per child, per month, for up to three children, depending on the family's income. Additional children are covered at no extra premium. There are also no co-pays (no charge) for services at Kaiser Permanente facilities.
For More Information: Send email to Sarah Hurd at [email protected]. You can also get additional details, including eligibility guidelines and how to apply, by clicking here.

PARENT PROJECT
This 12-week program, which offers classes throughout Santa Clara County, is specifically designed for parents with difficult or out-of-control adolescents. Parents learn specific prevention and intervention strategies for destructive behaviors.
For More Information: Visit www.ParentProject.com; call (408) 808-3794; or send email to [email protected].

Silicon Valley Kids Climate Club

This club offers children (and adults) important lessons about conserving energy and water, recycling trash, and finding new food sources. Supervisor Dave Cortese started the Kids Climate Club to introduce children in 3rd through 12th grades to simple tips they can use to help protect the environment.

For More Information: If you would like Supervisor Cortese to give a presentation to your school or youth group, call (408) 299-3050, or send email to [email protected].

THE BEAT WITHIN
A Piece from Their Award-Winning Publication

The Beat Within is a San Francisco-based non-profit that has been committed since 1996 to providing incarcerated youth in the Santa Clara County Juvenile Justice system with a weekly writing and conversation workshop. Below is another piece written by an incarcerated youth that was featured in their award-winning publication, The Beat Within.

A Huge Escape
A narrow escape I had was when got hit by a car while I was biking drunk and broke my collarbone. I'm so happy I survived that night. I was hit at 45 miles per hour.

Later, I saw my friend that I was biking with that night. He was on the Light Rail and we were deciding whether or not we should get sober. I was able to somehow convince myself to get sober but he wanted to come to my AA meeting drunk. I told him he shouldn't. It discouraged him and I found out later that week that he got hit and killed crossing the freeway drunk. This experience taught me that life is about choices and even one could affect you two days or two years from now.

This one's for you Kendrick. I'm going to cherish every day and every choice. RIP boy, I'm getting sober for you.
- Clean and Sober

To find out more about The Beat Within, please see The Beat Within Facebook page, or visit www.thebeatwithin.org. To find out more about getting involved in their weekly workshops inside juvenile hall or to get a subscription to their magazine, send email to Lisa Lavaysse at [email protected].

Provide an Internship to a Foster Youth This Summer

TeenForce and Silicon Valley Children's Fund are seeking 8 internships for foster youth who participated in a 60-hour STEM education program this past winter. If you are willilng to hire an intern, TeenForce will manage the entire process for you, hiring and paying the youth and helping you design a meaningful internship that is a win for everyone.

For about $2,250 you can have a talented intern from June 9 - August 14, 2015. Join SanDisk, Xilinx, Technology Credit Union, SYNNEX and Princeton Capital in giving a foster youth a work experience that will help them be successful in life.

For More Information: If you are interested, send email to John Hogan, TeenForce, at [email protected].

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