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.