The National Clearinghouse on Families & Youth is a free information service of the HHS/ACF Family and Youth Services Bureau. Contact NCFY at (301) 608-8098 or ncfy@acf.hhs.gov. If you're having trouble viewing this e-mail, please click here to view it on the web.. |
In This Issue:
- New From NCFY
- Bright Idea
- NCFY Recommends
- Right on the Money
- Primary Sources
- Save the Date
- Funding Opportunities
- Contests and Awards for Youth
Know youth workers or other professionals who might enjoy receiving a copy of the monthly Youth Initiatives Update in their inboxes? PASS IT ON! Subscribing is easy. Simply send an email with "Subscribe YIU" in the subject line to ncfy@acf.hhs.gov.
OCTOBER IS DOMESTIC VIOLENCE AWARENESS MONTH This month, show your solidarity with victims of domestic violence and help end abuse. NCFY recommends the following ways to observe Domestic Violence Awareness Month:
And read on for more information about domestic violence prevention in this issue of Youth Initiatives Update. |
For Adults Who Care About Young People
NCFY’s new pocket-sized booklet, “Positive Youth Development: An Introduction,” is perfect to hand out at trainings, workshops, staff meetings and parent gatherings. Readers will learn that through the support of caring adults, young people gain self confidence, trust and practical knowledge – qualities that will help them grow up happy, healthy and self sufficient.
For staff or volunteers who want a more thorough introduction to PYD, NCFY also offers a free, self-paced, online learning course, “Introduction to Positive Youth Development.”
For Young People Learning to Be on Their Own
“Keep in Touch” is a new audiovisual program that offers advice on staying connected and living independently. Aimed at young people who have recently left residential programs, the piece uses real-life examples of youth who made it on their own – with a little help from their friends. For information about a “Keep in Touch” icon you can put on your Web site, please e-mail ncfy@acf.hhs.gov.
Also for young people, NCFY’s new “Speak Up” brochure. Youth will learn how to set goals, solve problems, settle disputes, keep track of appointments and get the services they need.
Using Literature to Prevent Relationship Violence
Lessons about violence, power, hatred, love and respect are everywhere – from the classic Zora Neale Hurston novel Their Eyes Were Watching God (a staple of high-school English classrooms) to contemporary movies, music and television. That’s the premise of Lessons from Literature, a curriculum guide designed by the Family Violence Prevention Fund to empower teachers and others who work with youth to use literature, or virtually any medium of popular culture, to educate youth about relationship and family violence.
“Teachers and other adult role models play a critical role in shaping youth’s awareness of what makes a healthy or unhealthy relationship and what constitutes family and relationship violence,” says Program Specialist Sara Fewer.
But adults may be uncomfortable talking about topics like domestic violence and date rape. “Literature or popular culture discussions are a great ‘in’ to address these difficult subjects,” Fewer says. “They allow students to think critically about respect and relationship abuse and give them the tools to recognize unhealthy relationships in their lives and respond to them.”
We tapped Fewer and the Lessons from Literature classroom manual for tips on how to teach youth about the thorny subject of relationship violence. These recommendations apply whether you are running a semester-long course or a two-hour workshop:
Got a bright idea that you've put into practice? Send it to ncfy@acf.hhs.gov and we may feature it in Youth Initiatives Update.
R-E-S-P-E-C-T
Choose Respect, a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention initiative, teaches youth about domestic violence and promotes healthy relationships. The Web site includes the “Dating Bill of Rights and Responsibilities” and “Choose Respect Success Stories,” which shares 10 cities’ strategies for spreading the message of respect.
Is Your Nonprofit Ready to Raise Money From Individual Donors?
Foundation and government grants don’t last forever. They often require strict reporting back to the granting organization. And grants can only be used for a particular purpose, leaving organizations strapped when emergency cash is needed.
Those are just a few of the reasons nonprofit groups might want to seek gifts from individual donors, says Patricia Hung, executive director of the Grassroots Institute for Fundraising Training in Oakland, Calif.
There are “people reasons,” too, she says. “Grassroots fundraising gives the community a chance to get involved with the organization.”
To determine whether raising money from individual donors is right for them, charities need to ask a few basic questions, Hung says:
Do we have a clear and inspiring mission? If your goal is to help youth and families, and you do it effectively, the answer is most likely yes.
Right on the Money is an ongoing series about how to keep the doors of nonprofit organizations open in good times and bad. If there's a topic you'd like us to address here, please e-mail us.
Responding to Domestic Violence and Its Consequences
The statistics are staggering: Approximately one in three adolescent girls today is experiencing some form of abuse in a dating relationship, and nearly one-third of American women report having been physically or sexually abused by a husband or boyfriend at some point in their lives.
Recent research on domestic violence grades states on how supportive they are to adolescent victims, examines the link between intimate partner violence and HIV, and offers suggestions for working with victims who maintain contact with their abusers.
(Publications discussed here do not necessarily reflect the views of NCFY, the Family and Youth Services Bureau or the Administration for Children and Families).
Go to the NCFY literature database for abstracts of these and other publications.
Primary Sources is a summary of recent research on youth and families. Got a research topic you want to learn more about? E-mail us and we may feature it in Youth Initiatives Update.
January 24-27, 2010
Symposium 2010: 35 Years of Helping Youth Realize the American Dream
National Network for Youth
Omni Shoreham Hotel
Washington, D.C.
To participate in the network’s 35th anniversary video, contact Danny Hommes of Pixelography. Go to NCFY’s calendar for a list of other events for professionals who work with families and youth.
United Health HEROES Service-Learning Grants
Youth Service America and UnitedHealthcare
Application Due Date: October 22, 2009
Celebrating Solutions Awards for Programs Working to Break the Cycle of Violence
Mary Byron Foundation
Application Due Date: November 17, 2009
Weed and Seed
U.S. Department of Justice
Application Due Date: December 1, 2009
Relatives as Parents Program
The Brookdale Foundation
Application Due Date: December 3, 2009
Building Healthy Communities Grant Program
Home Depot
Application Due Date: December 15, 2009
Assets for Independence Demonstration Program
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
Application Due Date: January 15, 2009
Social Change Projects
Ben & Jerry’s Foundation
Application Due Date: Rolling
Campaign for Black Male Achievement
Open Society Institute
Application Due Date: Rolling
Youth Leaders for Literacy Grants
Youth Service America
Application Due Date: October 30
Disney Minnie Grants
Youth Service America and Disney Company
Application Due Date: Rolling
State Farm Good Neighbor Service-Learning Grants
Youth Service America and State Farm
Application Due Date: Rolling
Youth Executive Training Program
SER-Jobs for Progress National, Inc
Application Due Date: Rolling
$500 Disaster Grants
DoSomething.org
Application Due Date: Rolling
$500 Do Something Grants
DoSomething.org
Application Due Date: Rolling
The Youth Initiatives Update comprises links to Web sites with information on programs, organizations, resources, and publications relevant to children, youth, and family issues. Inclusion of this information does not imply endorsement by the Family and Youth Services Bureau (FYSB), the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), or the National Clearinghouse on Families & Youth (NCFY). Moreover, the points of view or opinions expressed on these Web sites do not necessarily represent the official position, policies, or views of FYSB, HHS, or NCFY.
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