You can listen to KQED radio broadcast of Michael Krasny’s Forum show about youth emancipating from care on the KQED website.

Click the following link to listen to the youth panel during the 9:00 hour http://www.kqed.org/epArchive/R505250900
Click the following link to listen to the adult panel during the 10:00 hour http://www.kqed.org/epArchive/R505251000

Minimum Qualifications:
• Applicants must be at least 18 years old
• Have completed a minimum of two years of college
• Some experience working with at “risk youth” and/or in a school based setting preferred
• Must be willing to work for the entire school year (late Aug. – June)
• Must be willing to provide at least 6-8 hours of tutoring and support each week in the youth’s home or school

Salary: $13.00 per hour

For more information contact:
Christa Countee, MSW, Program Coordinator christa.countee@ousd.k12.ca.us
879-4643 or Alisa Moore, M.S., Program Coordinator alisa.moore@ousd.k12.ca.us (510) 879-8171

Click here to download flyer

Please click here for a copy of the training schedule

I would like to give you all an update regarding an important change concerning the Smith Scholastic Society and UC Santa Cruz.

The well-intentioned governance structure originally envisioned in the Stuart grant shared between the Smith Scholastic Society and UC Santa Cruz has proved to be unviable and difficult to fulfill. Recently, the Smith Scholastic Society Steering Team voted to relinquish any governance role regarding the University's institutional program funded by the Stuart Foundation.

Given this decision by the Smith Scholastic Society, and with the approval of the Stuart Foundation, the University has named the Stuart Foundation-funded program the UC Santa Cruz Renaissance Scholars Program. The University is now solely responsible for the development of the grant-funded program and its overall success. The Smith Scholastic Society has returned to its volunteer community format and continues to be a UC Santa Cruz Alumni Association affinity group.

The Smith Scholastic Society and Renaissance Scholars Program will work together through the duration of the current grant cycle, collaborating on established programs and events. In this way, foster youth we currently serve will receive a wider educational support network.

The Renaissance Scholars Program at UC Santa Cruz looks forward to the creative challenges that lie ahead as we continue to build and maintain our relationships with key social service agencies, private organizations and educational institutions assisting our youth in the achievement of their highest educational goals. We will continue to develop a unique and exemplary foster youth educational support program at the high school, community college and university levels that can serve as a model for other institutions statewide.

For more information please contact Program Coordinator, Ismana Carney
831-459-2424, jacarney@ucsc.edu

The largest and most comprehensive examination of young adults leaving foster care shows that those making the transition from foster care to adulthood face formidable challenges and often struggle to stay in school, find stable housing, support themselves financially, and secure medical services. The study found that these problems are even more pronounced for youth who are forced to leave the child welfare system when they turn 18. By Mark Courtney, Amy Dworsky, Gretchen Ruth, Tom Keller, Judy Havlicek, and Noel Bost.
Click the following link to view the report

http://www.chapinhall.org/article_abstract_new.asp?ar=1388&L2=61&L3=130

FYA, HEY and Children’s Center for Youth Law are co-sponsors of Assembly Bill 824 (Judy Chu) raises the age that youth can utilize THP-Plus (a statewide fund that pays for post-emancipation housing) from up to age 21 to up to age 24. Please take a moment to download a letter of support and fax it to Assemblywoman Chu’s office.

Click here to download a letter of support to fax to Assemblywoman Chu’s office.

For more information about this bill and the “Campaign for Safe Transitions” click here.