Ian Leui, Jazmin de Luna, Manual Lopez, Samantha Galindo and Samarea Johnson were honored in December at our 28th annual CDF Beat the Odds® gala. They mingled with celebrities and enjoyed an evening where they were the center of attention, and their hard work – at school, home and in their community – was recognized. Now we are accepting applications for our next cohort of students to be a part of the CDF Beat the Odds family. Our online application portal is open through March 29. The program honors outstanding young people who demonstrate academic commitment, are involved in improving their community while overcoming adversity. Through a competitive review process, we will select five deserving high school freshmen from the greater Los Angeles area to receive academic support geared towards college enrollment and completion. In order to apply students must write a personal statement that describes their hardships and how they have overcome them and get a letter of recommendation from a teacher, counselor, casework or any other unrelated adult. Other requirements can be found online. Application deadline is March 29.
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Voices & Visions Town Hall and Candidates Forum
Approximately 200 youth, parents, educators, and community members in Long Beach attended the Voices and Visions School Culture and Climate Town Hall on Saturday, April 4, in partnership with our Long Beach Building Healthy Communities partners.
Sarai Mckenzie: Rapper, singer, writer, activist, scholar
Sarai McKenzie is an 18-year-old artist, rapper, singer, writer, musician, and much more.
Statement from Alex Johnson of Children’s Defense Fund-California on Governor’s May Revise Budget Proposal
In response to Governor Brown's May Revise budget proposal released today, Alex Johnson, Executive Director of Children's Defense Fund-California, issued this statement: "We were pleased to see that the Governor's May Revise proposes $2 million for the Franchise Tax Board to support additional outreach and marketing to ensure California's new state Earned Income Tax Credit reaching more eligible poor, working families. We look forward to working with the Administration and the Legislature to ensure those outreach resources are targeted effectively, including support for community-based organizations and free tax preparation services. However, the Governor's May Revise fails to include investments in critical programs for children and families and consequently ignores the reality that the state continues to have the highest poverty rate in the nation, with 1 in 4 California children living in poverty. During the recession, Governor Brown and the California Legislature balanced [...]
State Legislators Join Children’s Defense Fund–California (CDF-CA) In Calling for Action to Level the Playing Field for California’s Children
CDF-CA's 2016 Policy Agenda Provides Roadmap for Policymakers to Ensure All Children Have the Opportunity to Thrive Sacramento, CA – Joined by state legislative champions for children, Children's Defense Fund – California (CDF-CA) released a 2016 policy agenda that provides a roadmap of policy changes to end child poverty, ensure educational equity, provide access to health care, and transform justice systems for youth. "Too many children in California – especially poor children, children of color, and children with special needs – face odds stacked against their success," CDF-CA Executive Director Alex Johnson said. "We must come together to fight for policies that lift children out of poverty, connect families to quality health care, ensure fairness and equity in our schools and build a juvenile justice system that focuses on prevention and rehabilitation." The policy agenda reflects CDF-CA's whole child approach – reflecting the [...]
Youth Spotlight: Mykel Duffey
Mykel Duffey is certain that he would be failing many of his high school classes and spending most of his time at home couch surfing had it not been for Children’s Defense Fund – California.
Building Healthy Communities/Every Student Matters Retreat
The retreat offered a space for youth leaders to build community and deepen relationships among each other.