Native Americans have been historically marginalized due to America's history of silencing the voices of the colonized. November is the month that shines a spotlight on different Indigenous cultures and symbolizes the reclamation of a month previously overshadowed by the honoring of settler-colonialism. Celebrating Native American heritages and education about the intricate web of different tribal histories is a form of letting the world know that Native Americans have not disappeared – that their voices are alive and must be heard.

Photo courtesy of: https://www.viedu.org/news-cat/november-is-native-american-heritage-month/

Check out the following resources to learn more this month and all year round:

Calling youth from the City of Santa Cruz to share your ideas for creating a community vision for the area south of Laurel St. Your input will help to inform a number of possible future development scenarios and ultimately a set of policies, development standards, and design guidelines that will be incorporated into the existing Downtown Plan.

Follow this link to share your input: click here

Are you interested in joining Jóvenes SANOS? 

Register for more information: https://forms.gle/vJd8WnnVHiwiTgJ39

NESTcorps is a community-based research program where youth will learn research skills while also learning about a specific social issue that is prevalent within our community. The spring session will be the 2nd phase where we take the research we conducted in the Fall, and create a plan of action to address the importance of having a culturally competent curriculum in schools, such as Ethnic Studies. At the end of the session, we will present the research and plan of action to leaders in the community, which will prepare us for the implementation stage during the Summer. We meet on Mondays and Wednesdays 4-6pm in person at the Watsonville Digital NEST, starting 1/31/22 to 4/13/22. 

E-Unit is an events program where members plan and host an event that ties the NEST to the wider community. Past projects include organizing movie nights, art nights, open mics, and escape rooms. This spring our focus will be MUSIC, what will our next event be? It’s up to you! We meet on Tuesdays from 4-6 pm in person at the Watsonville Digital NEST, starting 2/1/22 to 4/12/22.

Transitional Age Youth is looking for youth between the ages of 15-25 to join a Youth Advisory Board to fight homelessness in Santa Cruz County!

Interested in joining?

For more information email: YAB@encompass.org

Follow this link to learn more information on how to become a Teen Chef: click here

Join Salud Para La Gente's Teen Advisory Board!

You will have the opportunity to:

Tania Guzman

831-728-8250 ext. 2922

tguzman@splg.org

The program offers coursework and course credit to UC students as well as high school students who are interested in youth organizing. Students who participate in a 15-week training program will be considered for a summer 2022 paid internship in youth organizing groups ($5000). This project builds on the 2018 Central Valley Freedom Summer

If you have any questions, please contact Antonia Izuogu, Fellow at the UCLA Bunche Center for African-American Studies at antoniaizuogu@g.ucla.edu. Thank you for helping us with outreach.

Blended Bridge & Fuerza Santa Cruz are having their 2nd annual Mutual Aide Holiday Drive for youth and families in the Santa Cruz Beach Flats Community.

Interested in providing mutual aid by purchasing a gift(s) or a monetary donation? Follow this link: https://www.blendedbridge.com/holidaydrive

RSVP on Facebook Today: click here

The United 4 Youth Live Oak homework club is off and running with sessions held every Monday evening. Activities are distributed amongst all of the Live Oak program partners (Live Oak Community Resources, Monarch Services, Walnut Avenue Family & Women Center, and Yoga for All Movement) alternating days to ensure an array of resources are available to the participating Live Oak community.

Where: Live Oak Community Resource Center

Email: meridithc@cbridges.org