September 21st, 2017
READY NEWS
News & resources from the Forum and the field about collaborative work to get young people ready by 21.

Ready by 21 National Meeting Workshop Proposal Process Now Open

The Forum is excited to announce the 7th Annual Ready by 21 National Meeting, to be held April 18-20, 2018, in Palm Beach County, Florida.
 
The workshop proposal process is now open. We hope you'll take this opportunity to share your story - your research, tools and effective practices - with 500+ leaders who are working to improve outcomes for young people in communities and states across the country. These workshops are designed to help participants dig deeper into the effective partnerships, practices and policies that states and communities are implementing to get young people ready for college, work and life.   
 
The deadline for submission is Friday, October 6 at 5:00 PM Eastern Time.  Selections will be announced in mid-December. For more information and to review the 2017 National Meeting agenda for ideas, please visit the Ready by 21 National Meeting website.
Building Equity for Foster Care Youthfoster
Improving Child Welfare Practice With the Power of Adolescent Brain Development
Every year in America, too many young adults leave foster care without a family or the  opportunities needed to succeed. Child welfare professionals and caregivers can help these youth better navigate the path toward a healthy adulthood - and a new report from the Annie E. Casey Foundation's Jim Casey Youth Opportunities Initiative tells how.
 
The Road to Adulthood: Aligning Child Welfare Practice With Adolescent Brain Development explores the latest research on adolescent brain development through the lens of racial and ethnic equity and inclusion and then relates this research to youth who have experienced foster care.

The report offers recommendations for helping foster care youth and alumni succeed in four areas: 1) permanence; 2) educational attainment and economic security; 3) stable housing; and 4) parenting of their own children.
 
Training Opportunitiestrain
Weikart Center for Youth Program Quality - Upcoming Training Opportunities
The David P. Weikart Center for Youth Program Quality partners with networks of youth programs to implement evidence-based quality improvement and accountability systems. To help build local capacity, the Weikart Center regularly offers trainings around the country that prepare participants to lead their quality improvement process. Some upcoming opportunities include:
 
Youth Work METHODS Training of Trainers (Methods TOT)
  • Seattle, Wash. -  December 6-9- Registration closes October 20.
 
Youth Work MANAGEMENT Training of Trainers (Management TOT)
  • Seattle, Wash. - November 2-3- Registration closes September 22.
Out-of-School Timeost
Join the Nationwide Celebration of Afterschool on October 26
Lights On Afterschool  is the only nationwide event celebrating afterschool programs and their important role in the lives of children, families and communities. The effort has become a hallmark of the afterschool movement and generates media coverage across the country each year. The Afterschool Alliance organizes Lights On Afterschool to draw attention to the many ways afterschool programs support students by offering them opportunities to learn new things-such as science, community service, robotics, Tae Kwon Do and poetry-and discover new skills. The events, started in 2000, send a powerful message that millions more kids need quality afterschool programs.   As an organization committed to improving the quality of out-of-school time and other developmental settings where young people spend time, the Forum is delighted to support the annual Lights On Afterschool campaign.


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