DCAYA in the Washington Informer

DCAYA was quoted in the Washington Informer's December 14th edition. Read the article, Every Kid Counts Collaborative Presents its Findings, here.

What's In It for Kids? The DC Action for Children Budget and Policy Report

Check out "What's In It for Kids?": The DC Action for Children Budget and Policy Report here

Check Out DCAYA's Blueprint for A Positive Agenda for Youth

Read DCAYA's Blueprint for A Positive Agenda for Youth here.

Fair Budget Coalition Releases FY 2008 Budget Recommendations

See FY 2008 Budget Recommendations here.

Youth Leadership Development Opportunity!

Youth Leadership Greater Washington (YLGW) has an outstanding leadership development opportunity for current sophomores and juniors from the District of Columbia, Virginia and Maryland. From January-June of 2007, the program will bring together a diverse group of students on a monthly basis to explore and discuss various issues, including, cultural diversity, government and society, arts and culture and leadership.

Although the program costs over $1000 per student for the six-month program, tuition for students is only $150. YLGW will work with any student who cannot afford the $150 cost.

The deadline to apply to the program is Friday, December 15 at 5:00 p.m. For more information visit the website at: www.lgwdc.org. You can also contact Diana Veiga if you have any questions - via phone
(202 777-4496) or via email (dveiga@lgwdc.org).

The program meeting dates are below:

Youth Leadership Greater Washington Program Dates
Friday, January 19, 2007
Thursday, February 15, 2007
Monday, March 19, 2007
Friday, April 27, 2007
Thursday, May 10, 2007
Friday, June 1, 2007

Fenty Transition Positive Youth Development Recommendations

Fenty Transition Positive Youth Development Recommendations are available here.

Fenty Transition Town Halls-- Date Changes

Please note the following date changes for the Fenty Transition Town Hall Meetings:

Ward 4, Monday, December 11, 6:30 p.m., MPD Regional Operations Command
Center North, 801 Shepherd Street, NW

Ward 1, Tuesday, December 12, 6:30 p.m., Garfield Terrace, 2301 11th
Street, NW

Ward 6, Wednesday, December 13, 6:30 p.m., King Greenleaf Recreation
Center, 201 N Street, SW.

New Testimony Available: Youth Development Strategy Roundtable

View DCAYA's testimony at November's Youth Development Strategy Roundtable before the Special Committee on the Prevention of Youth Violent Crime here.

New Testimony Available: Crime Emergency Roundtable

View DCAYA's testimony at the Crime Emergency Roundtable before the Judiciary Committee here.

Fenty Transition Town Halls

Ideas to Action Fenty Transition Town Halls: Mayor-elect Adrian Fenty is hosting these town hall meetings to hear from residents about what needs to happen to ensure that DC is a world class city. Please share
this information far and wide! The link to this list on the site is http://www.fentytransition.org/calendar.htm.

The town hall schedule is:

* Ward 8: November 20, 6:30 - 9:00 pm, Ferebee Hope Recreation
Center, 800 Yuma St, SE (Sinclair Skinner for info, 478-9209)

* Ward 7: November 21, 6:30 - 9:00 pm, Benning Park Community
Recreation Center Gymnasium, 5300 Fitch St SE (Marques Clark for info,
478-9210)

* Ward 6: November 28, 6:30 - 9:00 pm, King Greenleaf Recreation
Center, 201 N St., SW (Juan-Jose Garza for more info, 478-9214)

Ward 5: November 30, 6:30 - 9:00 pm, Joseph H. Cole
Recreation Center Gymnasium, 1200 Morse St NE (Joshua Lopez for info,
724-4876)

Ward 4: December 4, 6:30 - 9:00 pm, MPD Regional Operations
Command (ROC) North, 801 Shepherd St NW (Ron Austin for info, 724-4353)

Ward 3: December 5, 6:30 - 9:00 pm, University of the
District of Columbia, 4200 Connecticut Ave NW, Bldg 47 (Gym) (Jason
Washington for info, 478-9212)

Ward 2: December 7, 6:30 - 9:00 pm, Kennedy Recreation Center,
1401 7th St NW (Sean Howard for info, 478-9213)

* Ward 1: December 9, 10:30 am - 12:30 pm, Garfield Terrace
Senior Housing, 2301 11th St NW (Jackie Reyes for info, 478-9211)

All this and more information is on the Fenty Transition web site, http://www.fentytransition.org.

Mayor-elect Adrian Fenty Names Pick for DC Police Chief

MPD Cmdr. Cathy Lanier brings expertise in local policing and homeland security

WASHINGTON: Today, DC Mayor-elect Adrian Fenty announced that he has asked 16-year law enforcement veteran and Metropolitan Police Department Homeland Security Commander Cathy Lanier to serve as the
city's next chief of police.

"Commander Lanier has superbly served the residents of the District of Columbia for nearly two decades, and brings a unique understanding of both the importance of community policing and the expertise in
homeland security that the top law enforcement officer of the nation's capital must possess," said Fenty about his choice of Lanier.

"I am honored that Mayor-elect Fenty has entrusted me with the safety and security of the citizens of the District of Columbia," said Commander Lanier. "From the beat level to executive service, I am intimately familiar with the District's residents, their needs and concerns," she added, concluding, "I am eager to join a talented, energetic Mayor-elect and his superb team in realizing the promise this city holds."

Commander Lanier has been with the Metropolitan Police Department for more than 16 years and currently serves as the Commanding Officer of the Office of Homeland Security & Counter-Terrorism. Working out of
the Office of the Chief of Police, she has taken the lead role in developing and implementing coordinated counter-terrorism strategies for all units within the department. In this position, she has been
responsible for all counter-terrorism operations, including investigations in partnership with the FBI Joint Terrorist Task Force; developing and implementing all field training exercises, as well as
conducting risk assessments and critical infrastructure protection of key sites within the nation's capital.

Prior to her current assignment, Commander Lanier served as the Commanding Officer of the Department's Special Operations Division (SOD) for four years where she managed members of the Emergency
Response Team; Explosive Ordinance Unit; Aviation and Harbor Units; Horse Mounted and Canine Units; Domestic Security Unit; Special Events/Dignitary Protection Branch; and the Department's Civil
Disturbance Units.

During her tenure as the SOD Commander, she established the agency's initial Homeland Security/Counter-Terrorism Branch and created an agency-wide chemical, biological, radiological response unit known as the Special Threat Action Team.

Commander Lanier spent more than 10 years of her career in the Uniform Patrol Division. As the Commander of the Fourth District she created the Latino Advisory Council that later expanded to become the Latino
Liaison Unit. She has also served as the Commanding Officer of the Department's Major Narcotics Branch and Vehicular Homicide Units in the Special Services Bureau.

Lanier has a bachelor's degree in criminal justice studies, from the University of the District of Columbia and a bachelor of science in management from Johns Hopkins University, where she went on to receive
her master's in the same area of study. She also earned a master of arts in homeland security and defense from the Naval Postgraduate School. She has been honored for her law enforcement and homeland
security work and holds a Top Secret Clearance with SCI Access.

Commander Lanier is 39 years old and the mother of one son. She comes from a family of public service. Her father retired a Deputy Chief in the Prince George's County Fire Department and her two brothers, one a captain in the Prince George's County Fire Department and the other a detective in the Greenbelt City Police Department, are still in public service today. Her mother, now retired and living with the Commander,
worked more than 30 years in the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts in Washington, D.C.

DCAYA Back-to-School Breakfast!!!!

Please join us for the DCAYA "Back-to-School Breakfast" on Monday, September 18th, 9-11am.  See the flyer for details.

 

RSVP to Eshauna Smith by Tuesday, September 12th at eshauna_hicks@yahoo.com

 

Today's Youth Rally-- Thanks and Next Steps

From Arja Nelson, JDCY Outreach Director:

 

Thanks to everyone for coming out to the Youth Rally today! Please watch the news to see the event on television!

We'd like to especially thank these organizations and their youth who organized the event:

Youth Education Alliance (YEA)
Facilitating Leadership in Youth (FLY)
Youth Action Research Group (YARG)

Shout outs to the two MC's who did a fantastic job! Jonathan Stith, YEA and Tawanda Davis, FLY.

Thanks to Lenore Champagne, FLY and Danielle Kurzweil, YARG for working with the youth on their speeches on what youth want!

Thanks to Dana Walters for her excellent work on the 4 E's!

Thanks to everyone who participated including YEA, FLY, YARG, Covenant House Washington, ROOTS, Parent Watch, Latin American Youth Center, ACLU, Youth Empowerment Resource Center and the Inclusion Research Institute, and ! DC Alliance of Youth Advocates (DCAYA). Thanks also to Eshauna Smith from DCAYA for bringing food coupons and voter registration information!

If we forgot to mention anyone, we apologize (and please let us know who you are!)

NEXT STEPS:

Stop the War on DC Youth!
Campaign Strategy Meeting & Media Spokesperson Training
Wednesday, August 30th
5:30 - 6:30 pm Strategy meeting
6:30 - 7:30 pm Media Spokesperson Training
RSVP to Arja Nelson at anfreedomfighter@gmail.com
Food will be provided

If you would like more tee-shirts, bracelets, campaign action packets, or voter guides please contact me!


Here are a few upcoming events:

August 26 - Calling 800 Mentors for Ward 8
12 noon - 4pm
2907 MLK Ave., SE
Contacts: J! oyce Scott 202.248.1688; Vera Johnson 202.437.5583;
Ron Moten 202.906.0488

August 31 - Open Our Libraries Now!
Rally at Anacostia Public Library
5:00-7:30 pm
Contact Robin at 202.387.8030

September 18th - Citizens Crime Summit
Location (to be determined)
6:30-9:00pm
Contact Johnny Barnes, ACLU 202.547.0800

September 18th - DCAYA Back to School Breakfast
ARC Community Room, 1901 Mississippi Ave., SE
9-10 am breakfast; 10-11 DCAYA Coalition Meeting
Contact Eshauna Smith 202.657.2541

Thanks!

5 Promises to Kids Campaign

DC Action for Children launched its "5 Promises to Kids" campaign! Check it out here

Make Your Promise To DC Kids Today!

DC Action for Children's (DC ACT) 5 Promises to Kids Campaign urges the newly elected mayor of DC this November to address the most critical needs of the city's youngest residents. Over the next 2 months, beginning July 31, DC ACT will release 5 critical promises-one per week. We look to encourage city leadership to make and honor their commitment to children in DC. If you work or live in DC, please find out how you can support our campaign by clicking the link above. We hope that you will join this worthwhile movement!

Promise #1 Safe Children

Promise #2 Youth Opportunity

Promise #3 Fair Chance

Promise #4 Government Accountability

Rally August 23rd!!

DCAYA is supporting this rally on August 23rd in conjunction with the Justice for DC Youth Coalition and other youth advocates to ensure that the Crime Bill and Curfew ENDS at 90 days!!

Led and planned by young people, this is a great opportunity for you to show your support and a great experience for young people that you may work with.

Come out and help us send the message that instead of the three C's -

CURFEWS

CAMERAS

and anti-CONFIDENTIALITY measures

We stand for the three E's -

EDUCATION

youth EMPOWERMENT

and EMPLOYMENT

STOP THE WAR ON YOUTH

WEDNESDAY, August 23,2006

11am-1pm

FREEDOM PLAZA

Pennsylvania Ave. between 13th and 14th !

by : Federal Triangle Metro

Directly across from the Mayor's Office

END the Crime Bill at 90 days!

The mayor's emergency crime bill will not reduce crime or increase public safety. Instead it will unfairly target youth and fails to address's the real issues that lead to crime in DC!

Fight the youth curfew, as well as new cameras, new court procedures, and anti-confidentiality measures which will have a negative impact on our city's youth. Come to show support, spread the word, and work o! n the petition effort.

For more information, contact Arja Nelson, 202-386-9809

DCAYA Mayoral Forum Photos

Click here to view photos from our youth-led Mayoral Forum!