DCAYA Turns the Lights On Afterschool!

Lights On 2008

Cheerleaders, chess players, and head-spinning hip hop dancers came together at the Lights On celebration of District afterschool programs. While representatives from DC Public Schools, DC Public Libraries, DC Parks and Recreation, DC Alliance of Youth Advocates and the Children and Youth Investment Trust spoke about the importance of quality programs for youth when they are not in school, the highlight of the afternoon was the young people who performed poems, songs, and cheers illustrating the power of these programs.

During the event many organizations presented information at tables, signing youth up for programs and sharing pictures and slideshows about the work youth do at the different sites. Several sites brought their elementary and high school after school programs to the event, and the auditorium echoed with the cheering of students from Lincoln MS, Bancroft ES, Bell Multicultural HS, among others. CYITC Director Millicent Williams’ closing remarks were a call to action to the youth and providers present, saying we must work together to ensure that these programs are well-supported in the District. DCAYA Director Eshauna Smith encouraged the children and youth to find their voice, write a letter, and let decision makers know how afterschool programs affect them.

To that end, DCAYA kicked off our out-of-school time postcard campaign, gathering approximately 25 postcards from those present. Messages ranged from “We need programs to help us and guide us to a better career,” to “Afterschool is important to me because I get to study there. People can help me with my homework.” DCAYA will continue to collect these at member organizations throughout the next months as we create tools to share the importance of out-of-school time programming with those who will be making decisions about city investment in children and youth.

School is not enough. In addition to quality schooling, it is critical that all youth have access to quality neighborhood afterschool programs. Some estimates state only 6% of DC youth have access to afterschool programs. Afterschool programs ensure that youth are safe and positively engaged in meaningful activities. The city must support youth by enacting youth positive policies and comprehensive funding support.

DCAYA thanks all the organizations who participated in making the Lights On event a success!

November General Body Meeting

Friday, November 14th, 9:30-11am
The Charles Sumner School (1201 17th Street, NW)

Ever wondered how the budget is created?

Who has the final say about funding?

What happens when there isn't enough money to go around?

DCAYA will host a Budget 101 training at our November General Body Meeting. Lindsay Clark from the DC Fiscal Policy Institute will share information about the budget process, and we'll discuss DCAYA's budget recommendations for FY10.


Please RSVP to info@dc-aya.org

S.T.E.P. Up D.C. Launch, October 22, 2008 at 4:30pm at Thurgood Marshall

The S.T.E.P. Up DC Launch will be an opportunity to formally announce our efforts and objectives. This event will take place on Wednesday, October 22, 2008 at 4:30pm in the Thurgood Marshall Center Gymnasium, 1816 12th St. NW. One of the components of our youth-led press conference will feature personal testimony from D.C. youth and expert speakers around the dropout crisis and the need for youth to be part of the solution. Michael Wotorson, Director of the Campaign for High School Equity, who supports community work to increase graduation rates, will be one of the speakers.

At this event D.C. youth will invite public officials to step up for D.C. youth by standing and publicly pledging support for S.T.E.P. Up D.C.’s work to address the dropout crisis.

Please R.S.V.P to June Williams at the DC Alliance of Youth Advocates (DCAYA) at 202-587-0616, ext. 34, or via email JUNE@dc-aya.org.

DCAYA and CYITC to Highlight the Value of Out of School Time

More info here.

Youth Budget Training

The purpose of this training is to provide a better understanding of the city’s budget process and outline the specific role youth can play in creating and advocating for budget recommendations. Together we will make a case with the City Council for youth initiatives we care about or would like to see implemented. Because the budget process is over the course of several months, we are looking for youth between the ages of 14-24 that will be able to attend the training but also participate in ongoing meetings from October through March. Subsequent trainings will include how to prepare and present testimony.

More information is available here

Summer Youth Employment Program in the News

Summer jobs program planning was ‘haphazard’
DC Examiner, 9/19/08

Overspending, 'Haphazard' Plan Cited in Youth Jobs Program
Washington Post, 9/18/08

D.C. summer jobs payroll hits $31M
DC Examiner, 9/18/08

DCAYA Responds with Recommendations to Improve SYEP

The DC Alliance of Youth Advocates, a citywide coalition of 95 youth serving organizations, has worked to address issues of program quality and administrative implementation of the District’s Summer Youth Employment System since early 2007. The following initial recommendations were composed by DCAYA members, using the Youth Action Research Group report “DC SYEP Evaluation Report, 2007” as a source for additional information and ideas. The following recommendations are a response to the problems with the 2008 DC Summer Youth Employment Program.

Read the complete recommendations here.

DCAYA in the Washington Post

Read the full article "Community Groups Offer Solutions for Summer Jobs Program" here.

August 19th Community Meeting on SYEP

Community Speaks Out About the Plight of Summer Youth Employment Program
Citywide coalition offers recommendations to improve the issue-plagued system.

Washington, DC – Providing approximately 11,000 of the more than 20,000 job placements for the District’s Summer Youth Employment Program (SYEP), community based organizations have a significant stake in the success of the program. The DC Alliance of Youth Advocates, a citywide coalition of more than 95 youth-engaged organizations, has called for a community meeting on the troubled SYEP on August 19 at 4pm in the Eaton Room of All Soul’s Church at 1500 Harvard Street, NW. Providers, parents, and youth will share their experiences with and concerns and recommendations for the SYEP. In addition to the community, representatives from the Department of Employment Services, the Office of Contracting and Procurement, and the City Council are expected to attend...

Read the whole press release here.

Washington Post: D.C. Jobs Agency Director Resigns

Mayor Adrian M. Fenty forced the resignation yesterday of a top aide in charge of the city's troubled summer youth jobs program, saying the administration accepts "full responsibility" for the widespread problems that led to a $31 million cost overrun.

Summer Spencer, who was hired last year to be director of the Department of Employment Services, will leave her post at the close of the jobs program early next month, Fenty said...

Read the full article here

SYEP Report Available

You can view the document, Findings of an an Internal Investigation Regarding the District's 2008 Summer Youth Program here.

DCAYA in the Washington Post

Read the full article, "Grants Will Aid Groups working for Education Reform" here.

Examiner.com: Competition for Summer Jobs Heating Up

Read the full article here.

Rally for Summer Youth Employment Funding a Success!

DCAYA members rallied together to support legislation in Congress co-sponsored by Senator Murray and Representative Clyburn, to add $1 billion to the national economic stimulus package.

The Sasha Bruce 2X-Clusive Band and Show set up a full go-go band with the Capitol as a backdrop. Speakers included Carl Douglas and Debby Shore from Sasha Bruce Youthwork, Veronica Nolan and Raymond Hutchinson from Urban Alliance, Jonathan Larsen from the National Youth Employment Coalition, and Nakia Lynch from LAYC. They spoke of the importance of summer jobs for youth here in the District and across the country. Additionally, youth from Urban Alliance visited offices of the two co-sponsoring Congress people, to let them know that along with advocates in Chicago, we were standing to support their efforts.

Earlier in the day Keyonshae Richardson, a graduate intern at Urban Alliance was interviewed on the NPR show, Tell Me More.

Many thanks to all the folks who worked so hard to make this rally happen in such a short time!

May 19th Action: Fund Youth Jobs

With a Summer Youth Employment Program that will place nearly 10,000 young people in the workplace this summer and an expected growth to 15,000 in 2009, Mayor Fenty and his Administration have made a real investment in the future of the City’s young people. We urge Congress to do the same and make an investment in the young people of our nation, by including $2 billion in the national economic stimulus package for summer youth employment programs.

On May 19, 4pm at the Capitol Reflecting Pool, support legislation that would ensure summer jobs for 3 million young people.

Details here

DCAYA Members Seek Loose Change in the DC Budget!

Organized under the campaign DC Youth Need Change!, DCAYA members distributed materials and information highlighting the need for $5 million in additional funding for the Children and Youth Investment Trust Corporation and $4 million in funding for supports for homeless youth. DCAYA members urged Councilmembers to find loose change in the FY09 budget for youth initiatives. This effort follows months of preparation for the FY09 Budget Hearings. DCAYA members, including youth, participated in the Department of Human Services, Department of Employment Services, and DC Housing Authority budget and performance oversight hearings. One group of formerly homeless youth from member organization Sasha Bruce Youthwork participated in six weeks of advocacy training to prepare to give testimony and tell their stories to Councilmembers. Witnesses as young as eight years old participated in the hearings, as did Executive Directors of several community organizations. DCAYA Director Eshauna Smith and Youth Leadership Fellow Anthony Ross were interviewed on News Channel 8 in connection with the campaign.

Meeting on DCPS Extended Learning Day

On Thursday, May 8th, DCAYA hosted a conversation/working meeting of more than 80 members and allies about DCPS’ new initiative to extend the school day. This extended school day model, planned to begin in Fall 2008, will seek to formalize and coordinate out-of-school-time programs between the hours of approximately 3:30-6:30pm. DCPS’ goal is to provide all youth in DCPS with out-of-school-time programming – beginning in Fall 2008. Representatives from 40 community organizations and foundations received an update on the initiative, and asked questions of Dr. Ximena Hartsock the DCPS Deputy Chief for Differentiated Instruction.

New Photos: Youth Program Funding 2008!

On April 10, 2008 DCAYA members and young people from across the District
participated in the Committee on Human Services Hearing on the Children and
Youth Investment Trust. With more than 30 people in attendance, the room was
filled with youth and youth advocates. Committee Chair Wells and
Councilmember Schwartz both remarked on the power of the testimony shared,
especially that by the young people.

DCAYA was represented by the Vietnamese American Community Service Center,
LifeStarts, Kid Power, Beacon House, Life Pieces to Masterpieces, Metro Teen
AIDS, DC Scores, and Heads Up. With a unified voice, these members asked for
$5 million in additional funding for youth-serving organizations in the
District.

DCAYA & Fair Chance will be hosting a series of brown bag discussions!

Please RSVP to info@dc-aya.org. This is a brownbag event, please bring your lunch!

Rally to Support Summer Youth Programs Photos Online!

On October 30th, DCAYA organized 100 young people, parents, concerned residents and youth advocates from across the city to rally on the steps of the Wilson Building on Tuesday. The purpose of the rally was to urge Mayor Adrian Fenty to invest $6 million of the city’s $100 million surplus to preserve summer youth programs in 2008.

Without additional funds, dozens of summer programs that help thousands of youth build skills, increase academic achievement and develop healthy behaviors will be eliminated or dramatically cut. Since 2006, funding from the city to the DC Children and Youth Investment Trust Corporation’s summer programming has been cut by more than half, from $6 million in FY 2006 to $2.5 million in FY 2008, leaving summer programs in real danger.

Each year, the city awards funds to the DC Children and Youth Investment Trust Corporation, which then makes grants to community-based organizations (CBOs) that operate summer arts, academic enrichment and recreational programs throughout the city. In 2007, CYITC made grants to more than 100 organizations, reaching more than 10,000 children and youth.

These programs help young people fight the learning loss that occurs during the summer months and, by keeping youth active and providing healthy meals, the programs also help to take on obesity. In 2006, for example, 29,000 children ate nutritional breakfast and lunch through the CYITC-backed programs.

These programs work to actively engage young people in learning, with interesting activities offered such as playwriting workshops, a NASA astronomy program, and field trips to the Frederick Douglass National Historical Site and the National Museum of History. Of course, the programs are careful to balance the fun factor as well, taking participants to Nationals games and on nature excursions.

Related documents:
Press release

March General Body Meeting

What: DCAYA General Body Meeting
When: Friday, March 14, 2008, 9:30-11am
Where: Charles Sumner School Museum and Archives

1201 17th St NW, Washington, DC 20036 (between Dupont Circle & Farragut North Metro Stations)

Please join us as DCAYA’s three core committees - Youth Employment, Youth Homelessness, and Out-of-School-Time report on the exciting advocacy efforts for 2008, and discuss for upcoming projects and events.

In addition, our guest speaker for this meeting will be Nicholette Smith-Bligen, Administrator, Child & Family Services Administration, Office of Youth Development.

Ms. Smith-Bligen will provide an overview of how Child and Family Services works to assist families in Washington DC and the particular role of the Office of Youth Development.

Rally to Support Summer Youth Programs Photos Online!

On October 30th, DCAYA organized 100 young people, parents, concerned residents and youth advocates from across the city to rally on the steps of the Wilson Building on Tuesday. The purpose of the rally was to urge Mayor Adrian Fenty to invest $6 million of the city’s $100 million surplus to preserve summer youth programs in 2008.

Without additional funds, dozens of summer programs that help thousands of youth build skills, increase academic achievement and develop healthy behaviors will be eliminated or dramatically cut. Since 2006, funding from the city to the DC Children and Youth Investment Trust Corporation’s summer programming has been cut by more than half, from $6 million in FY 2006 to $2.5 million in FY 2008, leaving summer programs in real danger.

Each year, the city awards funds to the DC Children and Youth Investment Trust Corporation, which then makes grants to community-based organizations (CBOs) that operate summer arts, academic enrichment and recreational programs throughout the city. In 2007, CYITC made grants to more than 100 organizations, reaching more than 10,000 children and youth.

These programs help young people fight the learning loss that occurs during the summer months and, by keeping youth active and providing healthy meals, the programs also help to take on obesity. In 2006, for example, 29,000 children ate nutritional breakfast and lunch through the CYITC-backed programs.

These programs work to actively engage young people in learning, with interesting activities offered such as playwriting workshops, a NASA astronomy program, and field trips to the Frederick Douglass National Historical Site and the National Museum of History. Of course, the programs are careful to balance the fun factor as well, taking participants to Nationals games and on nature excursions.

Related documents:
Press release

DCAYA First Annual Membership Meeting is January 24th!

The DC Alliance of Youth Advocates’ 1st Annual Membership Meeting is around the corner!

WHAT: DC Alliance of Youth Advocates’ 1st Annual Membership Meeting
WHEN: Thursday, January 24, 2008, 4:30-8:30pm
WHERE: Human Rights Campaign, 1640 Rhode Island Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20036

This will be an opportunity to acknowledge all DCAYA members for your efforts and commitment to the youth of DC!