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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ConnectWithRespect Youth Action
Long Beach student leaders and YO!LB members took selfies with their favorite teachers and school staff last week to highlight the role that positive and respectful relationships play in building supportive schools.
New Report Highlights Need to Address Child Trauma
Policy forum uplifts innovative community programs and policies that are helping children and youth heal Richmond, CA – Children's Defense Fund-California (CDF-CA) released a report emphasizing the need for community-based services to address and heal trauma experienced by children and youth. The report, Helping Children Heal: Promising Community Programs and Policy Recommendations, highlights exemplary programs in Oakland and Richmond that are healing children and youth and building resilience through trauma-informed mental health treatment paired with exposure to the arts. "We cannot afford to ignore the devastating impact that trauma and chronic exposure to violence have on our children and youth. New neuroscience research shows what those in our communities have long known: exposure to traumatic events in childhood harms children's developing brains so profoundly that the effects show up decades later in the form of poor health and mental health and the perpetuation [...]
Twitter chat puts the spot light on juvenile solitary confinement
Ending the inhumane practice of solitary confinement in juvenile facilities is among the greatest civil rights struggles of our time
Poverty solutions from those who’ve experienced it
Said Alex Johnson: “Thank you to the three amazing young adult leaders who spoke passionately and deliberately about one of the most critical and overlooked public policy issues impacting our communities.
Students and Parents Speak Out for Educational Equity in Long Beach
On June 2nd, we joined with youth leaders from the very Student Matters Campaign to protest Long Beach Unified School District (LBUSD)’s failure to engage students, parents and community members in decisions on how to spend new funding intended to benefit high-needs students.
YO!LB Youth Receive Young Leader’s Award
On June 27th, our YO!LB members Carlos, Mykel, and Danny were honored as Young Leaders at the Brothers, Sons, Selves Coalition’s Annual Year-End Celebration for their efforts to create and sustain change across their local communities in Long Beach.