[THP/FANet] Care about youth in our community?

Wed Apr 23 19:13:44 EDT 2008

*You are invited. . . . To the Youth Empowerment Summit!*

It's time to come together to support the youth of our community.  If you
support or work in the youth service field you should come to see this
elaborate event.  Fully created and lead by youth and funded by multiple
organizations this will be a great opportunity for networking and community
building.  If you can't make it May 9th pass this letter along to someone
who can!

*Say YES!*

Youth know what is happening in our community and have fresh ideas to
address social issues.  Eight groups of youth allied with community
organizations have prepared presentations on solutions to social issues in
our community.

Please come take part in this unique opportunity to hear from proactive
young leaders.  The Youth Empowerment Summit (YES) is an opportunity for
youth to create change by presenting to community decision makers on youth
identified community issues.

YES is a youth led event which is designed to stimulate awareness by giving
voice to youth as they speak about issues of oppression and create positive
community solutions.

*Where:* The Shedd Institute for the Arts

          868 High St. (Use High St. Entrance)

     Eugene, OR 97401

*When:* Friday, May 9th 2008

        12:00 – 7:00pm (breakout sessions from 1:40pm to 4:30pm)

         * Lunch will be provided at noon.*

*Schedule for the day:*

*12:00* – Lunch

*12:30-1:30* – Opening Presentation

*1:40-3:00* – First Breakout Session

   - Juventud FACETA
         - Youth Council
         - LGBTQ Issues
         - Sexual Health

*3:10-4:30* – Second Breakout Session

   - Communities Empowering Youth (CEY)
         - Oregon Family Support Network (OFSN) And MindFreedom
         International
         - ACT-SO
         - Student Peace Alliance

*4:30-5:00* – Closing Presentation

*5:00-7:00* – Networking Opportunity and Open Mic Celebration

*Please RSVP to Cheryl Bondy by **May 2**nd*

682-2331 or *cheryl.bondy at co.lane.or.us* <cheryl.bondy at co.lane.or.us>

*If you need a translator, sign language interpreter, large print material,
or other accommodations, please call or email Cheryl Bondy.*

*Take a Look at the YES Presenters and Choose which presentations you would
like to see!*

   - Looking Glass/CEY (Communities Empowering Youth)

This presentation was created by youth who care about the issues of homeless
youth.  Most of these youth have been homeless or at least in extreme
poverty most of their lives. This presentation will work to end the stigma
of homelessness and show common members of the community what it's really
like to be homeless. The workshop will feature a video created by youth,
followed by an interactive audience discussion.

   - Student Peace Alliance

This program will talk about creating a culture of non-violence through the
creation of a multi-cultural center downtown.  A coalition of community
organizations have been working on this project for over a year.  Come see
how you can help create a more vibrant and welcoming downtown!

   - ACT-SO (Afro-Academic, Cultural, Technological, & Scientific
   Olympics)

ACT-SO is a year-long enrichment program designed to recruit, stimulate,
improve and encourage high academic and cultural achievement among
African-American high school students.  This presentation will focus on
community leadership through creative expression.

   - Dept. of Human Services – Adolescent Sexual Health

With the new Oregon Administrative Rule, sex education in Oregon is changing
and we want to be heard! In this workshop, youth will offer their vision of
what sex education should look like and what you can do to help meet the
needs of the youth demographic not represented in Oregon Healthy Teens.
Participants will be provided with skills, tools and suggestions for
promoting healthy and inclusive sexuality education.

   - Back to Back/CALC (Community Alliance of Lane County)

LGBTQ people are a hidden minority. . .this is even more so when they are
youth.  It is easy for young LGBTQ people to hide and remain silent about
who they are.  In an effort to break the silence, this workshop focuses on
issues affecting LGBTQ students in our local schools and in the wider
community and ways that adults can be allies to LGBTQ youth.

   - OFSN (Oregon Family Support Network) and MindFreedom

A panel of youth will discuss their experiences with mental health
diagnosis.  They will provide a youth point of view on how it feels to be
stigmatized and provide insight about needed services and support.  The
presentation includes each youth sharing their life experience along with a
series of questions and answers.  The youth are open and honest about their
past and readily answer participant questions.

   - Department of Children and Families – Youth Council

How can we bridge the gap between the problems of today and ideas for the
future?   By installing the Youth Council as a fourth committee within the
Human Rights Commission, we can create those connections. A diverse group of
youth representing a wide range of backgrounds getting this direct access
will be enabled to act as advocates for the ideas they believe in, as
advisors giving information to policy makers, and as equals working with
lawmakers.  Decisions that affect one fifth of the population should not
exclude that population in the process. The Youth Justice League, a group of
youth dedicated to creating a city forum for youth, hopes to jumpstart
change in partnership with the Human Rights Commission and the City
Council.  By starting dialogue, we hope that the Human Rights Commission
joins with youth to represent a significant portion of the population, and
for the City Council to consider a work plan session to form a sustainable,
institutionalized Youth Council.

   - Juventud FACETA

      Negligence in the education system looking at language, family
culture, level of acculturation, economic inequalities, societal attitudes,
lack of culturally appropriate services, anti-immigrant policies, the impact
of stereotypes, nationality, immigration status, appearance, lack of
recognition and deprived guidance from school counselors as obstacles to the
education that immigrant students desire, need and deserve. Internalization
of these challenges as well as pressure to assimilate to the US culture
gives Latino students the sense that they are unwelcome here and are not
worthy of education. Join Latino high school and university students to
discover what they have to share: their goals, challenges, special assets
and how they are contributing to the advancement of their communities.

This workshop is experientially based and designed by youth to encourage a
deeper understanding and appreciation for Latinos/Latinas youth! *
Prerequisite*: Be ready to participate, go beyond reactions to self
reflection in an honest conversation with Latino youth and their ally.  Come
with an open mind and open heart.

*The Youth Empowerment Summit is a project of the Lane County Department of
Children and Families' Positive Youth Development Initiative.*

On Wed, Apr 23, 2008 at 12:38 PM, Cheryl O'Neill <director at enddv.com> wrote:

> A forward from MB Barlow, LCSW at Center for Community Counseling
>
> Cheryl O'Neill
> Executive Director
> Womenspace
> PO Box 50127
> Eugene, OR 97405
> 1577 Pearl, Suite 400, Second Floor
> director at enddv.com
> Ph: 541-485-8232
> F: 541-686-6664
>
> _______________________________________________
> Community mailing list
> Community at healingattention.org
> http://lists.healingattention.org/mailman/listinfo/community
>
>

-- 
There is nothing in a caterpillar that tells you it's going to be a
butterfly.
R. Buckminster Fuller
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