YOUTH TOPICS WEEKLY E-NEWSLETTER
YOUTH TOPICS IS A SERVICE OF THE CHILD, FAMILY & PREVENTION DIVISION OF THE ALEXANDRIA COMMUNITY SERVICES BOARD. FOR INQUIRIES OR TO UNSUBSCRIBE, EMAIL TRICIA.BASSING@ALEXANDRIAVA.GOV

In the November 18, 2009 edition:
1. Shattered Dreams (tonight!)
2. BRYCS Webinar and November 2009 Calendar (11/18)
3. ACPS Workshop: Helping Your Child Become an Avid Reader (11/20)
4. Donors Needed for DHS Holiday Sharing Program (deadline 11/20)
5. Annual Winter Clothing Drive (deadline 12/3)
6. Volunteer with the Expect Respect Program (1/5/09)
7. Children 2010: Leading New Era Conference (1/24-27)
8. Free Booklets for Parents
9. Program To Help Parents Influence Teen Alcohol Behavior 
10. Prescription Drug Abuse Prevention Toolkit
11. The Role of Parents in Teens' Decisions about Sex

1. Shattered Dreams (tonight!)
The City of Alexandria Department of Recreation, Parks and Cultural Activities hosts Shattered Dreams, an event for middle school students through young adults and the adults that care about them. It features two of Alexandria's star athletes, Anthony Suggs and Tracey Fells, talking about how drugs shattered their dreams. The event is Wednesday, November 18 at 6:30pm at the Charles Houston Recreation Center, 901 Wythe Street, Alexandria 22314. Parental consent is required for participants 17 & under who will not be accompanied by an adult. For more information check out the flyer or call 703-746-5450.

2. BRYCS New Webinar and November 2009 Calendar (11/18)
Check out the November 2009 Update from Bridging Refugee Youth & Childrens Services (BRYCS). It includes the following & much more:

• The Webinar "Head Start 101: Getting Started with Dual Language Learners in Head Start & Early Head Start will take place on Wednesday, November 18 from 2pm - 3pm EST.  To view the Webinar, visit the  ECLKC Web site on November 18.  It will also be available for viewing on demand after this date.
• Moving to the Land of Milk and Cookies: Obesity among the Children of Immigrants by Migration Policy Institute (MPI) is an article that describes a new study finding children of the newest, least acculturated immigrants tend to have the highest obesity rates.

3. ACPS Workshop: Helping Your Child Become an Avid Reader (11/20)
Check out the English & Spanish flyers for the Helping Your Child Become an Avid Reader workshop to be held Friday, November 20 at Tenants and Workers United in Arlandria, 3801 Mt. Vernon Ave. This workshop offers tips on making reading fun and fulfilling for parents and students. Every family receives a new book. Light refreshments served and childcare provided. ATTENTION: The workshop Getting to Know Your School Support Team, originally scheduled for Saturday, November 21, is being rescheduled for a date in December; details available soon. Contact Margaret Lorber at 703-461-4084 or Margaret.Lorber@acps.k12.va.us.

4. Donors Needed for DHS Holiday Sharing Program (deadline 11/20)
Be part of the holiday spirit and reach out to eligible low income families, foster children, and elderly or disabled citizens through the Department of Human Services' Holiday Sharing Program. You will get wish lists for children or senior citizens, which will include necessary clothing (jeans, warm jacket), a toy or recreational item, a book, and perhaps one family request (used computer, towels, pots and pans). Gift cards from stores such as Old Navy, Target, and Best Buy are also needed for teens in foster care. To sign up online click here. For more information, e-mail holidaysharing@alexandriava.gov or call 703.746.5663. Donation deadline is Friday, November 20.

5. Annual Winter Clothing Drive (deadline 12/3)
Please help families keep warm this winter by bringing donations of children and adult gently used winter clothing you no longer use to the Child and Family Network Centers at 3701A Mt. Vernon Ave, Alexandria, in support of their Annual Winter Clothing Drive. The deadline is Thursday, December 3. Contact Blanca Leyva at 703.836.0214. Check out the flyer for details.

6. Volunteer with the Expect Respect Program (1/5/09)
The Office on Women's Expect Respect program is seeking a group of volunteers to present an educational program which promotes healthy relationships to Alexandria youth. The volunteers present to 7th graders and high school students throughout the school year. The expected volunteer commitment is four to six hours per month and volunteers must have the flexibility to present during the school day. Volunteers are required to complete a one day training.  The training will be held on Saturday, January 9, from 9 to 4 pm.  In-class observations will be scheduled after training is completed. For more information, please contact Kim Hurley at 703.746.5030 or kim.hurley@alexandriava.gov.

7. Children 2010: Leading New Era Conference (1/24-27)
A conference hosted by the Child Welfare League of America (CWLA) will take place January 24-27 in Washington, D.C. Come and attend sessions on topics like cultural competency/disproportionality, foster care and adoption, and health and kinship care. For more information go to http://cwla.org/conferences/default.htm.

8. Free Booklets for Parents
Check out free story booklets for parents in crises in the recent issue of Rise Magazine, a magazine by and for parents in the child welfare system. It's OK to Need Support is for parents in need of help keeping children safe or resolving family conflicts. One Step at a Time takes parents step by step through the process of reunifying with their children.

9. Program To Help Parents Influence Teen Alcohol Behavior 
Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) and Nationwide Insurance have launched a multimedia program to give parents of high school students the communication tools they need to stop teen alcohol use. The program features resources at www.thepowerofparents.org.

10. Prescription Drug Abuse Prevention Toolkit
The National Council on Patient Information and Education along with the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration has launched the Maximizing Your Role as a Teen Influencer: What You Can Do to Help Prevent Teen Prescription Drug Abuse toolkit. This comprehensive online resource, offers a complete workshop module to educate and equip teen influencers — parents, grandparents, teachers, coaches, community and school-based healthcare providers and others — with credible information addressing the growing problem of prescription drug abuse by teens and effective strategies to take action to help prevent it.

11. The Role of Parents in Teens' Decisions about Sex
Positive parent-teen relationships, high parental awareness and monitoring of whom their children are with, and family dinner routines are all linked to delayed sex among teens, according to a new Child Trends research brief. The brief, Parents Matter: The Role of Parents in Teens' Decisions about Sex, explores how parenting practices that occur before adolescents have had sexual intercourse are associated with the probability of first sex by age 16.