We Connect Youth To Opportunities Through Innovative Programs, Partnerships, and Services To Achieve Success
Welcome to the Youth First Weekly! Each Monday morning, you will receive an overview from DYS highlighting youth events and programs happening all around Birmingham delivered right to your inbox.  Interested in having your event or program featured in the Youth First Weekly? Send your information to DYS@birminghamal.gov  by Thursday of the prior week by 4 p.m. or click on the link above.
'Glow Wild' at the Birmingham Zoo
Get ready for the Birmingham Zoo’s larger-than-life illuminated experience, Glow Wild: An Animal Lantern Celebration! This extraordinary event will be held on select nights from 5:00 PM until 9:00 PM during the months of November, December, and January. Watch the Zoo come alive with jaw-dropping plant and animal lantern creations brilliantly lighting up the night! Take a ride on the Red Diamond Express Train or go for a spin on the Protective Life Carousel. Families are invited to spend all winter long with your Birmingham Zoo and GLOW WILD into the new year! 

For more information about the event, visit Birmingham Zoo's website HERE.
Junior League of Birmingham Presents
Brunch with the Big Guy
As a part of the Junior League of Birmingham (JLB)’s Market Noel event, Brunch with the Big Guy is taking place Saturday, November 20, 2021 at 9:00 AM and 11:30 AM at The Finley Center. The event will include brunch, holiday activities for the kids, and a picture with Santa. Participants will enjoy brunch while visiting with Santa as he reads The Polar Express. Tickets for adults are $28 and children’s tickets are $12 each. During Brunch with the Big Guy at 11:30 AM, attendees will witness JLB Community Partner Magic Moments reveal a “magic moment” for a deserving child and his/her family. Magic Moments is the only wish granting organization devoted exclusively to creating magic moments in the lives of children in Alabama with chronically life-threatening medical conditions, which allows children and their families to forget, even if just for a little while, the fear and pain of their illness.

For more information about Brunch with the Big Guy and Market Noel, visit their website HERE.
Young Girls Are Invited to Attend the GirlSpring Hybrid Career Fair
GirlSpring presents a hybrid career fair: In person at Homewood Library or virtual via Zoom for girls in 6th-12th grade. On December 4, 2021, participants will have the opportunity to meet women from a variety of career backgrounds. The event will began at 1:00 PM and last until 4:00 PM. They'll share tips and best practices to help girls with the skills they need to get the perfect job, or help them determine what career field they are most drawn to. This will be an awesome opportunity for young girls to discover the skills needed to land an interview, build your resume, & impress recruiters.

For more information and to register for the event, CLICK HERE.

Scholarship Opportunities
Marshall Latimore Memorial Scholarship
Application Date: November 1, 2021 - March 1, 2022
Award: 1st Place - $3,500; 2nd & 3rd Place - Computers
The Marshall Latimore Memorial Scholarship is for journalism majors or creative writers. This scholarship is created and funded by Mrs. Mary Latimore, the MKS Foundation, and friends, in memory of her son Mr. Marshall Latimore who passed on March 2021. It is a tribute in honor of his life’s work in journalism and his love for writing. Marshall Latimore was a product of Birmingham public schools and the Salutatorian of his 2002 Woodlawn High School graduating class. He graduated from Tennessee State University in 2011 with a bachelor’s degree in communications and was a part of the 2017 class for the Poynter-NABJ Leadership Academy for Diversity in Digital Media. 
He worked at several jobs in journalism, including as a page designer for Alabama Media Group, publisher of AL.com, The Birmingham News, The Huntsville Times, and the Mobile Press-Register, from 2012-2014. At the time of his passing, Mr. Latimore was the Editor-in-Chief and Chief Content Officer of the Atlanta Voice in Atlanta, Georgia.  

Requirements
  • Students must be an undergraduate or graduate student attending an accredited institution of higher learning.
  • Students must submit an original written essay or article (750 words doubled spaced) on the title: This Is My Story (Please submit via email until further notice).
  • Submit one (1) Letter of Recommendation
  • Student must be in good academic standing.
  • Student must be a US citizen.

For more information and to apply, visit the MKS Foundation's website HERE
Samford University vs
Furman University
Seibert Stadium - Samford University
November 12, 2021 at 12:00 PM
City of Birmingham Mayor's Office
Division of Youth Services
1608 7th Avenue North
Birmingham, AL 35203
(205) 320-0879

Monday-Friday: 8:00 AM - 5:00 PM