Youth Topics is a service of the Center for Children and Families, Department of Community and Human Services, City of Alexandria. Subscribe here. Make inquiries here. Youth Topics is posted online here.

Notice: Youth Topics is produced by Jacqueline Coachman, DCHS Office of Youth Services  

In the May 21  Edition:

Events
Junior Night (May 23)
National Children’s Alliance Leadership Conference (June 2-5)
Flag Day Annual Fundraiser (June 13)
Growing Health Schools Symposium (June 19)
Fund for Alexandria’s Child Cruise on the Potomac (June 27)

Careers/Volunteerism
Arlington Seeking Coordinator for Teen Substance Abuse Prevention Coalition
Volunteers Needed for T.C. Williams All Night Graduation Party
Two T.C. Williams Seniors Named $2,500 National Merit Scholars
America’s Promise Alliance Impact Network: 2013 Youth Leadership Opportunities
America’s Promise and the Gates Foundation Seeking Stories about Financial Aid Experiences
“Let’s Talk About It” Art and Media Contest
SAPCA May Newsletter
Volunteer Alexandria May Newsletter
Join Strong Start for Children
Multi-System Integration Certificate Program

Grantsmanship
DCHS Office of Youth Services Listing of Grant Opportunities

Research & Resources
The State of Preschool 2012
Championing Success: Business Organizations for Early Childhood Investments
Are Your Preteens Self-Conscious? It’s All in Their Heads (Literally)
Tapping into Mobile Learning: Parents’ Thoughts About Mobile Devices for Early Childhood and K-12 Learning
Mobile Apps Make Field Trips More Interactive
The Healing Power of Video Games
Students Need 8 Critical Conditions for Success
Grad Nation Community Guidebook Provides Roadmap for Increasing High School Graduation Rates
Early College Readiness Assessments for High Schools Students Growing
What Does It Really Mean to Be College and Work Ready: The English and Mathematics Required by First Year
Community College Students
CEOs Want Hard-Working, Decision-Making Team Players
Improving the Financial Aid System to Increase College Completion
Colleges Shortchanging Needy Students in Battle for Prestige, Money
Academic Pediatric Association (APA) Task Force on Childhood Poverty
Department of Education Eyeing Changes to Definitions of Poverty of School Children
U.S. High School Students Report Relaxation, Having Fun, and Feeling Good as Top Reasons for Misusing Prescription Drugs
Synthetic Cannabinoid Use Among College Students
New Project in Georgia Targets Prescription Drug Abuse
SAMHSA Kicks Off Media Campaign to Prevent Underage Drinking
Challenges of Pregnant Teens in Substance Abuse Treatment
New Teen Pregnancy Prevention Resource Center
North Carolina Bill Would Severely Limit Teen Access to Pregnancy, STD Care
What Makes Some Young Mothers More Likely to be ‘Harsh’ Parents?
Without Fathers, UK Researchers Say Girls More Likely to Become Depressed as Adolescents
Children’s Mental Health Report
Birth Parents with Trauma Histories in the Child Welfare System: A Guide for Court-Based Child Advocates
Tragic Boom of Latinos in Foster Care
New Series of Fact Sheets for Parents Whose Children Have Been Affected by Domestic Violence
Report of the Attorney General’s National Task Force on Children Exposed to Violence
Georgia Brings Child Sex Trafficking Fight to School
Children and the Prison Boom: Finding Solutions
Reorganization of Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention
Juvenile Detention Alternatives Gain Ground in States, DC
Absolutely Everything Researchers Know About Bullying
Coaches’ Group Will Provide Training on Preventing Sexual Violence
Caring Adults Steered Me to My Cause
Guide for Youth Organizing

Workshops & Webinars
Implementing a Trauma-Informed Approach for Youth Across Service Sectors (May 21)
Build Your Fiscal Fitness: An Introduction to Strong Nonprofits (May 22)
Monitoring Conditions from the Inside and Out: Developing Comprehensive Quality Assurance and External Oversight Systems (May 22)
Impact of Affordable Care Act on Youth and Young Adults (May 22)
Addressing Summer Learning Loss (June 5)
Must Be Present to Win: How Local Communities Can Encourage Student Attendance (June 7)
Parental Views of Mobile Devices for Student Learning (Archived)

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Events

Junior Night (May 23)
Rising seniors will receive valuable information about things they can be doing now as well as this summer to prepare for senior year. Topics to be discussed include diploma requirements, SAT/ACT, senior meetings, the Common Application, the Senior Handbook, and the NOVA Pathways to Baccalaureate Program. The meeting will begin at 6:30 p.m. in the T.C. Williams High School Auditorium. Contact Kathleen Brewster for further details.

National Children’s Alliance Leadership Conference (June 2-5)
The National Children’s Alliance will host its annual Leadership Conference at the Renaissance Washington DC Hotel. In keeping with the conference theme “On the Horizon: The Next Chapter in Child Advocacy”, experts will lead sessions designed to assist children’s advocacy center professionals best support abused children and their families.

Flag Day Annual Fundraiser (June 13)
Join Liberty’s Promise at the Washington University Center from 6:30-8:30 p.m. and help the nonprofit reach even more immigrant youth.

Growing Healthy Schools Symposium (June 19)
The Greater Richmond Coalition for Healthy Children will host its inaugural Growing Healthy Schools symposium at the Science Museum of Virginia in Richmond. The symposium will showcase both regional and national best practices related to school gardens and school food.

Fund for Alexandria’s Child Cruise on the Potomac (June 27)
The “Fostering the Future Cruise” on the Cherry Blossom helps provide enrichment for children in foster care and those at risk of abuse or neglect. Raffle tickets for a vacation in St. Croix are $5 each or 5 for $20; purchasers do not have to be present to win.

Careers/Volunteerism 

Arlington Seeking Coordinator for Teen Substance Abuse Prevention Coalition
The Child and Family Services Division of the Arlington Department of Human Services has advertised the position of Project Coordinator for the Arlington Teen Substance Abuse Prevention Coalition (READY Coalition). The part-time position (30 hours per week) is grant-funded.

Volunteers Needed for T.C. Williams All Night Graduation Party
The event will take place on June 15 at Chinquapin Recreation Center. Volunteers are needed to set up and decorate, assist with activities, provide door security, and clean up. Shifts are available. Register online or contact Melynda Wilcox.

Two T.C. Williams Seniors Named $2,500 National Merit Scholars
T.C. Williams High School students Charlotte L. Clinger and Alexander M. Eichner are among 2,500 students – including 65 in Virginia – chosen from more than 15,000 finalists nationally to receive $2,500 National Merit Scholarships from the National Merit Scholarship Corporation. National Merit $2,500 Scholarship winners are the finalists in each state judged to have the strongest combination of accomplishments, skills and potential for success in rigorous college studies.

America’s Promise Alliance Impact Network: 2013 Youth Leadership Opportunities
America’s Promise is seeking two youth leaders for both its Board of Directors and Alliance Trustees. Each youth is a full voting member of the leadership body and plays a valuable role in the strategic direction of the organization. Applicants should be between the ages of 16-22 on July 30, 2013, and ideally will not be graduating from college prior to June 2015. Applications must be received by July 12.

America’s Promise and the Gates Foundation Seeking Stories about Financial Aid Experiences
America’s Promise is working with the Gates Foundation as part of the foundation’s commitment to make the college financial aid system work better for students. To illustrate key issues, America’s Promise wants to hear from students about their financial aid experiences. Selected stories will be featured on americaspromise.org and in other materials to show how the financial aid system affects college choices, college life, family decisions, and life after graduation. Stories must be received by midnight on June 3.

“Let’s Talk About It” Art and Media Contest
The Teens Talk Club is holding an art and media contest with the theme “Sex Has Consequences: Let’s Talk About It!” for National Teen Pregnancy Month. It is open to all forms of creativity -- from drawing and design to video and visual arts. Visit the website for more information. Email entries and questions by May 31.

SAPCA May Newsletter
According to an article in the May edition of the Substance Abuse Prevention Coalition of Alexandria (SAPCA), 23% of teens surveyed admit to driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs.

Volunteer Alexandria May Newsletter
The latest edition of the Volunteer Alexandria newsletter features photos and videos of the over 500 volunteers who participated in the 6^th Community Service Day.

Join Strong Start for Children
In April, a new early learning initiative was announced that will expand high-quality early learning opportunities for children ages birth to five. America’s Promise has joined a broad coalition of organizations to support federal action, called Strong Start for Children – Building America’s Future. Those who join the campaign will be included in a letter presented to the White House.

Multi-System Integration Certificate Program
The Center for Juvenile Justice Reform at Georgetown University’s Public Policy Institute is accepting applications for its Multi-System Integration Certificate Program to be held October 23-30 in Washington, D.C. Designed for leaders in the fields of juvenile justice, child welfare or behavioral health, the program will highlight multisystem reform efforts related to at-risk or system-involved youth (with a focus on crossover youth) and improve the ability of organizations to serve these youth; and provide participants with an opportunity to develop collaborative leadership skills and build a nationwide network committed to systems improvement. Apply by June 20.

Grantsmanship

DCHS Office of Youth Services Listing of Grant Opportunities
The DCHS Office of Youth Services compiled a listing of grant opportunities on May 10.

Research & Resources

The State of Preschool 2012
The annual report presents data on state-funded kindergarten during the 2011-2012 school year as well as documents a decade of progress since the first Yearbook was published. A press release provides an overview of state funding for Pre-K in Virginia.

Championing Success: Business Organizations for Early Childhood Investments
ReadyNation, a project of America’s Promise Alliance, and the American Chamber of Commerce Executives conducted a survey to document the breadth of support for early childhood policies and programs among formal business membership organizations.

Are Your Preteens Self-Conscious? It’s All in Their Heads (Literally)
Self-evaluations undergo significant transformation during early adolescence, developing in parallel with the heightened complexity of the social worlds of teenagers. A new study offers further evidence that as children grow, the brain changes to suit self-reflection.

Tapping into Mobile Learning: Parents’ Thoughts about Mobile Devices for Early Childhood and K-12 Learning
An infographic highlights findings from Living and Learning with Mobile Devices and features key data about ownership, use, and learning benefits of mobile devices as reported by parents.

Mobile Apps Make Field Trips More Interactive
Researchers and educators in a symposium at the American Educational Research Association conference in San Francisco suggested the next generation of field trips may use “augmented reality” to make traditional museum or zoo tours more interactive or even create a field trip in a neighborhood or empty lot for a school that otherwise could not afford one.

The Healing Power of Video Games
The countless hours children and teens spend playing on video game consoles, computers or cell phones are often a distraction from homework, exercise, or face-to-face interaction. At Children’s National Medical Center’s Pain Medicine Care Complex, the distraction provided by these games is key to treating young people suffering from chronic pain.

Students Need 8 Critical Conditions for Success
Results have been released from the latest “My Voice, My School Survey” developed by the Quaglia Institute for Student Aspirations and administered by the Pearson Foundation. The survey reveals troubling responses about student perceptions of adult support and student engagement in the school experience. Only 42% of those surveyed say that students are supportive of each other; 55% feel that teachers care about them as individuals.

Grad Nation Community Guidebook Provides Roadmap for Increasing High School Graduation Rates
America’s Promise has released the updated Community Guidebook, a research-based toolkit for communities working to raise graduation rates and better support children and youth from birth through college.

Early College Readiness Assessments for High School Students Growing
Concern over high school graduates being unprepared for college-level work has educators and policymakers looking for ways to identify leaning gaps earlier. A new review by the Community College Research Center finds some form of early college readiness assessments are offered in 38 states, and 29 states have structured interventions to help reduce the need for remedial coursework for incoming college freshmen.

What Does It Really Mean to Be College and Work Ready: The English and Mathematics Required by First Year Community College Students
According to a new report from the National Center on Education and the Economy (NCEE), students are failing to learn the basic math and English skills and concepts needed for success in community colleges. The American Association of Community Colleges estimates roughly 45% of the nation’s undergraduates are attending community colleges.

CEOs Want Hard-Working, Decision-Making Team Players
A survey of chief executives indicates that 92% say education is a very important national competitiveness issue. While three-quarters of the CEOs think U.S. higher education is better/much better than competitors, only 23% and 14%, respectively, say the same about U.S. secondary and primary education. In addition to weak writing and communication skills, the CEOs are worried about the physical and health readiness of the workforce.

Improving the Financial Aid System to Increase College Completion
For a variety of reasons, students and families are finding it difficult to be smart consumers when it comes to choosing a college that provides a quality education at a reasonable cost. Many students end up saddled with enormous college debt. Others who avoid student loan burdens run out of resources while still others – including many from lower income backgrounds – don’t apply to elite schools because they are unaware of financial aid packages that could make these colleges affordable. Some find the system so intimidating that they needlessly miss opportunities to attend any four-year college at all despite their academic qualifications. America’s Promise convened a unique roundtable discussion to pursue these issues and a report produced that captured the key ideas.

Colleges Shortchanging Needy Students in Battle for Prestige, Money
A new analysis of college aid by the New America Foundation, a Washington-based nonprofit public-policy institute, looked at the share of undergraduates receiving Pell Grants and the net price they paid. It found hundreds of public and private nonprofit colleges expect the neediest students to pay an amount that is equal to or even more than their families’ yearly earnings. Nearly two-thirds of the 426 private institutions examined charge students from the lowest-income families (those making $30,000 or less a year) a net price of more than $15,000 a year. Although public universities are more supportive of low-income students, the analysis notes that state funding cuts for higher education have led many public colleges to reduce aid as well.

Academic Pediatric Association (APA) Task Force on Childhood Poverty
One in five children lives below the federal poverty level in the United States and almost one in two are poor or near poor. The effects of poverty on children’s health and well-being are well documented. The consequences of poverty for child and adolescent well-being are perhaps even more critical than those for health. At present, there is not a consistent and unified pediatric voice speaking out about childhood poverty, the most important problem facing children in the United States today. Therefore, the APA Task Force on Childhood Poverty has as its mission to pursue an agenda to address childhood poverty.

Department of Education Eyeing Changes to Definitions of Poverty of School Children
A white paper by the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) proposed changes to how the U.S. Department of Education classifies the socioeconomic status of children. It is proposed that federal government agencies incorporate U.S. Census information (including data on average neighborhood home size and local unemployment rates) as factors that could alter results on National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) tests.

U.S. High School Students Report Relaxation, Having Fun, and Feeling Good as Top Reasons for Misusing Prescription Drugs
Nearly one-fourth (24%) of U.S. high school students reported using prescription drugs without a prescription in order to get high or change their mood.

Synthetic Cannabinoid Use Among College Students
Synthetic cannabinoid use among college students at a Southeastern University is concentrated in males and in the lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender (LGBT) community, according to the first known study to obtain a detailed profile of users of any type of synthetic cannabinoid.

New Project in Georgia Targets Prescription Drug Abuse
A new campaign by the Georgia Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities will focus on curbing the rates of prescription drug misuse by the residents of the state ages 12 to 25 in three counties in the metro Atlanta area.

SAMHSA Kicks Off Media Campaign to Prevent Underage Drinking
The national mixed media campaign “Talk. They Hear You” includes commercials, print PSAs, community and partner toolkits, and a new resources website.

Challenges of Pregnant Teens in Substance Abuse Treatment
A new SAMHSA report shows that among the approximately 57,000 teenage (ages 12 to 19) female substance abuse treatment admissions each year, about 2,000 (4%) involve pregnant teens. SAMHSA concluded these pregnant teen admissions tend to involve greater challenges than other female teen admissions in a number of key areas, such as financial and educational status.

New Teen Pregnancy Prevention Resource Center
The Office of Adolescent Health has launched a new Teen Pregnancy Prevention Resource Center. It is a collection of federal training materials and resources for professionals working to reduce teen pregnancy. The site features skill-building materials, direct resources, podcasts, and e-learning opportunities.

North Carolina Bill Would Severely Limit Teen Access to Pregnancy, STD Care
A bill recently proposed in the North Carolina House of Representatives would place tight restrictions on access to a number of services for minors, including health care related to pregnancy, sexually transmitted diseases and infections, and substance abuse. While the bill contains certain exemptions, it will be the nation’s strictest health care law pertaining to adolescents and teenagers if passed.

What Makes Some Young Mothers More Likely to be ‘Harsh’ Parents?
Researchers from Temple University wanted to know whether a mother’s age and other factors (like the level of social supports she has and whether her child’s father in involved in the child’s upbringing) influence the mother’s interactions with her children. They found adolescent mothers were indeed more likely than older moms to use harsh parenting. Hispanic mothers were less likely to be harsh compared to white and African American mothers.

Without Fathers, UK Researchers Say Girls More Likely to Become Depressed as Adolescents
A new study from the United Kingdom indicates that girls whose fathers were not present in their early childhood are likelier to display symptoms of depression as adolescents.

Children’s Mental Health Report
The National Center on Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities (NCBDDD) announced the release of CDC’s first-ever comprehensive report on children’s mental health in the United States. The Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR) supplement, Mental Health Surveillance among Children in the United States, 2005-2011, describes federal efforts to monitor childhood mental disorders, and presents estimates of the number of children ages 3 to 17 years who have specific mental disorders. This report is an important step towards better understanding these disorders and the impact they have on children’s mental health.

Birth Parents with Trauma Histories in the Child Welfare System: A Guide for Court-Based Child Advocates
The Birth Parent Subcommittee of the Child Welfare Committee of The National Child Traumatic Stress network has published a fact sheet that highlights the importance of understanding the serious consequences that trauma histories can have for birth parents and the subsequent potential impact on their parenting.

Tragic Boom of Latinos in Foster Care
A historic number of Hispanic children are in the country’s foster care system, a dramatic change brought on by immigration and the assimilation of a growing Latino population into American society. The record increase is in part caused by families breaking apart by divorce or separations caused by incarceration or deportation of one or both parents.

New Series of Fact Sheets for Parents Whose Children Have Been Affected by Domestic Violence
The National Child Traumatic Stress Network’s Domestic Violence Collaborative Group has released a new series of fact sheets created for parents whose children have been affected by domestic violence.

Report of the Attorney General’s National Task Force on Children Exposed to Violence
The Attorney General commissioned the report as part of the Defending Childhood Initiative. It details the findings and 56 policy recommendations of the National Task Force on Children Exposed to Violence and is a blueprint for reducing the impact of trauma on children who witness or experience violence.

Georgia Brings Child Sex Trafficking Fight to School
Georgia has one of the most prevalent sex trafficking problems in the country”, in part because the state is a major crossroad of freeways and airlines. Starting this fall, students in a pilot program for Georgia high schools are set to start learning about child sex trafficking.

Children and the Prison Boom: Finding Solutions
The era of skyrocketing U.S. incarceration rates since the 1970s has been dubbed the “Prison Boom”. A major concern for policymakers and children’s advocates is that many of those incarcerated are parents.

Reorganization of Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention
The Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention announced it has completed its reorganization.

Juvenile Detention Alternatives Gain Ground in States, DC
The new leaders of U.S. federal government efforts to prevent and respond to juvenile delinquency stated young people most need three things for healthy development: a supportive adult authority figure; association with pro-social peers, and activities that encourage autonomous decision- making. “An approach that emphasizes positive youth development rather than a reliance on detention, on incarceration and other harsh forms of punishments” are more conducive to the agency’s vision of children who are healthy, educated and free of violence.

Absolutely Everything Researchers Know About Bullying
The American Educational Research Association has released a thorough new analysis on the state of bullying research in the United States.

Coaches’ Group Will Provide Training on Preventing Sexual Violence
As a result of the conviction of two Steubenville, Ohio football players on rape charges earlier this year, a national association that provides training to high school athletic coaches will provide lessons on sexual-violence prevention. Courses available at nfhslearn.com will have information about supervising and protecting students. The new resources will be available at no cost to coaches in over 18,500 schools.

Caring Adults Steered Me to My Cause
Antonio Dominquez entered high school “disengaged and directionless”, but now directs programs at a youth-serving organization in California, serves on the national Ready by 21 Leadership Council, and plans a lifetime of working to improve young lives. The key to transforming an unfocused teenager into a young man on a social mission was caring adults.

Guide for Youth Organizing
A powerful youth organization guide has been updated, inspired and influenced by the work of Millennial leaders across the country. The Mobilizer’s Workbook captures successes, mistakes and the key advice that transformed big ideas into big action.

Workshops & Webinars

Implementing a Trauma-Informed Approach for Youth Across Service Sectors (May 21 2-3:30 p.m.)
Presenters will provide an overview of the effects of trauma on youth development and discuss how the adoption of trauma-informed interventions can help avoid re-traumatizing and improve outcomes for youth.

Build Your Fiscal Fitness: An Introduction to Strong Nonprofits (May 22, 2-3 p.m.)
The focus of the webinar is building the fiscal strength of an organization and its provider network using a new, free suite of resources at StrongNonprofits.org.

Monitoring Conditions from the Inside and Out: Developing Comprehensive Quality Assurance and External Oversight Systems (May 22, 2-3:30 p.m.)
Strategies for creating, implementing, tracking, and maintaining internal quality assurance and continuous improvement systems and external oversight measures (including efforts that incorporate input from youth and families) is the focus of the webinar.

Impact of Affordable Care Act on Youth and Young Adults (May 22, 2:30–4 p.m.)
Webinar presenters will examine youth access to and use of health care; discuss components of the Affordable Care Act that will impact youth and young adults; review the unique health needs of youth transitioning out of adolescence, including those with special health care needs; and provide information of federal resources for those working with youth.

Addressing Summer Learning Loss (June 5, 2-3 p.m.)
When young people do not engage in organized, mentally-stimulating activities during the summer months, they tend to lose much of what they learned during the previous school year. The webinar will feature experts who help communities design strategies and tactics that help youth remain engaged in learning activities over the summer break. To participate, email Chrystal Morris by May 29. Webinar instruction and relevant links will be emailed to all participants by May 30.

Must Be Present to Win: How Local Communities Can Encourage Student Attendance (June 7, 1-2:15 p.m.)
The webinar will feature the initiatives of several local communities to rally their communities behind the message that going to school every day matters for success in school and in life.

Parental Views of Mobile Devices for Student Learning (Archived)
A PowerPoint presentation of the webinar provides an in-depth understanding on how parents perceive the current and potential use of mobile devices for learning, as well as the perspective of a district that is successfully using mobile learning to improve student engagement.

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