On Tuesday, May 13th, from 9:30 to 12:30, the FYA professional development training will address Pregnancy Prevention/Talking with Adolescents about Sexuality. The training will take place at ILSP, 2647 International Blvd, Suite 312, Oakland.

This training is a joint project of FYA, Seneca Center and The Chabot FKCE. To RSVP, email mclemmons(at)fosteryouthalliance.org or call 510-550-8583, X302.

Next FYA Meeting: May 16th

The next FYA meeting will be held on Friday, May 16th, from 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. at the ILSP office, 2647 International Blvd., Suite 312, Oakland.

Click here to read Don’t Withdraw a Helping Hand, an opinion piece written for the San Francisco Chronicle by Jodie Langs, Executive Director of FYA, in which she urges the Alameda County Board of Supervisors to halt implementation by the Alameda County Social Services Agency of a six-month time limit on General Assistance benefits.

FYA joined the East Bay Community Law Center, the Homeless Action Center, and other advocacy organizations and individuals on Monday to speak to Supervisors Alice Lai-Bitker and Gail Steele during the Social Services Subcommittee meeting. We strongly urged them to reverse the decision by the Alameda County Social Services Agency to impose a six-month time limit on General Assistance. Over a hundred advocates and community members showed up to protest the cuts.

Click here for an article in the Oakland Tribune covering the protest and the meeting.

To find out more about how this proposed policy affects transition age youth, click here for FYA’s letter of concern to Supervisors Alice Lai-Bitker and Gail Steele of the Social Services sub-committee.

Thank you to all who have expressed concern about the GA time limits. FYA will keep you posted on the issue.

California Budget Project

A substantial amount of information and analysis on the proposed state budget cuts by county, school districts, and categorical programs can be found on the California Budget Project web site at www.cbp.org. Click on the local impacts section. Alameda County is listed first. Also on the same page are state funded categorical programs.

Upcoming Events at HEY!

Foster Youth Leadership Awards – Thursday, May 1

Program: 6 – 7:30 p.m.

Dinner: 7:30 – 9 p.m.

Human Services Building, 170 Otis St, San Francisco

30 current and former foster youth are being recognized for their leadership. Join social welfare professionals, educators, and others who work closely with local foster care youth as they celebrate resiliency in San Francisco’s current and former foster youth. Youth in foster care face incredible challenges and need the support of friends, family, and the community. Show them you believe in their strength by honoring them at this celebration.

HEY Foster Youth Connections Breakfast – Thursday, May 8

Registration: 7:30 – 8 a.m.

Program: 8 – 9:30 a.m.

Palace Hotel, 2 New Montgomery, San Francisco

In celebration of National Foster Care Month, please join Honoring Emancipated Youth (HEY) for a very special breakfast as we gather our community together to honor those who are making a positive change for current and former foster care youth.

Featured HEY Partners for 2008 are:

Housing – First Place for Youth

Employment – Bayview Hunters Point Center for Arts & Technology (BAYCAT)

Education – City College of San Francisco Guardian Scholars Program

Health – Mental Health Association of San Francisco

Voices of Foster Youth 2008 – Resource Fair – Saturday, May 10

Event: 12 – 4 p.m.

Justin Herman Plaza, Embarcadero

May is National Foster Care Month so join us for “Voices of Foster Youth 2008” a day of FREE carnival fun including games, prizes, music, food and of course, community and job resources!

Click here to visit the HEY Upcoming Events Page on their website for more information.

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First Place for Youth

There’s No Place Like Home

10th Anniversary Celebration of First Place for Youth

May 9, 2008

Festivities begin at 6:00 p.m.

Concert doors open at 8:30 p.m.

Festivities include elegant dining, live and silent auctions and entertainment with legendary percussionist Pete Escovedo & his Latin Jazz Orchestra.

Oakland Scottish Rite Center

1547 Lakeside Drive

Oakland, CA 94612

Rsvp online: www.firstplaceforyouth.org

For more info, contact Mei-Hua Gee at 510-272-0979, x295

Child Welfare Council Logo Contest Ends May 30th

The staff of the Child Welfare Council is conducting a “Logo Contest” for all materials including letterhead, brochures and posters used by the Council. This contest is open to all youth ages 21 and younger that have experiences with the foster care system. Cash prizes will be awarded to the top ten entries. The grand prize winner will receive a $250.00 Visa gift card.

Click here for additional information or click here for a flyer. This webpage will also display the Top 10 submissions to the public and enable people to vote on the Grand Prize winner.

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Summer Internships at Squid Labs

Are you 18-21 years old and not sure what to do with your future? Do you have an interest in science, technology, engineering, or math…even a small one? The Lemelson-MIT Program is looking for two underserved Bay Area youth aged 18-21 who have not yet reached their sophomore year in college to apply for a hands-on engineering internship at Squid Labs in Alameda, CA. Squid Labs houses several sub-companies, such as Instructables and Howtoons , and the interns would likely get to work with Makani Power, a company focused on harnessing high-altitude wind energy in exciting ways.

The application entails a letter of recommendation written by an adult who could provide insight into the candidate’s personality, motivations, and development needs/weak areas, and either a two-page essay or a two-minute video (created by the candidate) explaining why this opportunity appeals to them and any special skills they would bring to Squid Labs. The candidate should include their name, hometown, contact info, and age as of June 16, 2008 in the essay or video. Applications should be completed by Thursday, May 8 and emailed to victoria.thomas7@gmail.com, and jschuler@mit.edu should be copied on the email. Finalists will be asked to fill out a short questionnaire to get to know them better, and will be contacted to set up a phone interview. The interns will live in provided housing in Alameda, and will be given a negotiable stipend of approximately $1,000 each. The internship would run from July 16th – August.

Sunny Hills Services and Bay Area Youth Centers Announce Merger Plan

After several months of meetings and a thorough due diligence process, the Boards of Sunny HillsServices (SHS) and Bay Area Youth Centers (BAYC) have agreed in principle to proceed with a merger. A Merger Study Group that included Board members and executives from both agencies made the recommendation to merge; they concluded that there is a very good fit between the two organizations in terms of their missions, their existing programs and services, and their readiness to merge.

BAYC will continue to operate its existing programs under its own name. BAYC will be structured as a division of SHS and will utilize the SHS administrative umbrella.Neither agency foresees a change in existing services or is planning a reduction of staff as part of this merger. Opportunities for growth and development of program initiatives are expected as the two agencies combine forces and competencies. Additional information about the merger will be available as plans are developed by the implementation team. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact Joe Costa at (415) 457-3200 x 119 or Josh Leonard at (510) 727-9401 x 104.

Click here for more information.

CYC Seeks Legislative and Policy Coordinator

Click here for a job announcement from California Youth Connection (CYC), which is seeking a full time Legislative and Policy Coordinator.