March 2012  

About Us

  

Our Promises to Youth

 

Caring Adults

 

Safe Places

 

Healthy Lifestyles

 

Effective Education

 

Community Service Opportunities

 
This Issue
Coming Up
Youth and Family Resources
Featured Article
National Youth News
Contact Us
Extra Mile Award
What Small Grants Can Do
A Healthy Start
Fatherhood Initiative

Coming Up


March 30 - Deadline for Extra Mile Award. See details. 

  

April 19 - First Rate Living Luncheon at Diamond Club at the Rangers Ballpark in Arlington.

  

April 21 - Global Youth Service Day

 

The City of Arlington has plenty of volunteer opportunities especially for youth. Want to learn more?   

Click for volunteer opportunities.

Youth and Family Resources

We provide 33 different categories of helpful resources for youth and families on our website.

  
 Grants! Grants! Grants!

 

Funding opportunities for your youth organization through grants are currently accepting applicants. These grants are notoffered through America's Promise Alliance, but they each relate to our Five Promises. Details.

National News from America's Promise Alliance.

  

Contact Us

  
The Arlington
Alliance for Youth
  
P.O. Box 13579
Arlington, Texas
76094
  
817-860-0753
Nominate Leaders for Extra Mile Award Extra Mile Award pic

It's time to nominate those outstanding teachers, coaches, counselors or adult leaders who have made a commitment to help our youth prepare for the future. Deadline for the Extra Mile Award is March 30.

 

Organizations working directly with youth can nominate their members whether paid staff or volunteers. Six winners and six runners-up will be honored by First Rate Inc., at the First Rate Living Luncheon at the Ballpark's Diamond Club on Thursday, April 19th.  All will be given trophies and recognized for their contribution to Arlington by serving our youth. 

 

Those winners will designate their non-profit of choice to receive a grant from First Rate Inc., ($1500 for winners; $500 for runners up).  "Through this process we hope to also strengthen those organizations working with youth," said AA4Y Chairman Jim Walther. "It's an important program."

 

Learn more about the Extra Mile Award.

 
Small Grants Can Create BetteYoga at Dunnr Lives 

Christin Garrison's first thought when starting a yoga class at Dunn Elementary last year: go easy. Don't do too much too fast for fifth and sixth graders whose only connection to yoga might be giggling at the poses on television. It didn't take long for this certified yoga instructor who teaches adults at LA Fitness and 24 Hour Fitness health clubs to learn that she was dealing with little sponges ready and willing to soak up everything yoga.

 

Now the class is in its second year averaging 20 to 35 students each Monday in the school's Music and Motion room. "I totally believe that yoga helps you stay healthy, helps you stay mentally focused, gives you something to be grounded in," Garrison said. "It gives you a sense of confidence."

 

Having received a Small Grant from AA4Y, Yoga will continue at Dunn. In fact, Garrison has used the funds to purchase Yoga blocks, which provides the support or height; you need to do poses safely, effectively and with better alignment.

 

Garrison and Dunn were just one of more than 20 awardees of AA4Y Small Grants. With their funds, SafeHaven will take a trip to the aquarium, Martin High School Key Club will teach CPR to more than 200 students at Corey and Little elementary schools and Walking for the Moon will provide children with Sickle Cell with homemade handbags filled with gifts.

 

Learn more about Small Grants.

A Promise of AA4Y: A Healthy StartHealthy Start pic football

Getting a healthy start is more than merely eating a hearty breakfast each morning. While that's important we must look at health as all encompassing - that growing children need healthy minds and bodies, which comes from healthy habits.

 

A Healthy Start is one of the five promises embraced by AA4Y and America's Promise. The others: Caring Adults, Safe Places, Effective Education, Opportunities to Help Others.

 

"This all happens as a result of regular health care and if they need treatment of any kind," said AA4Y Chairman Jim Walther. "Kids need good nutrition, exercise, health education and they also need really good, healthy role models who will help them along the way."

 

These promises encourage communities to support their youth by providing caring adults, safe places with structured activities, healthy start and lifestyles, effective education, and opportunities for community service, said Walther.

 

By fulfilling these promises, "The idea is to build the character and competence of our youth.

 

Coming in April: Effective Education. 

Making Fatherhood a High PriorityFatherhood image

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, 24 million children in America -- one out of three -- live in biological father-absent homes. That's not good. Here's why: Children in father-absent homes are five times more likely to be poor. No wonder there is a "father factor" in nearly all of the social issues facing America today.

 

Which is why AA4YA is starting its Fatherhood Initiative, which is designed to get Arlington dads a community and support system to offset some of these chilling statistics.

 

Co-chaired by AA4Y Board Member Marc Marchand, the Fatherhood Initiative is taking shape while planning its first few events beginning in June.

 

Learn more. 

AA4Y

A special thanks to our partners:    

  

100 Best Seal    AISD ColorArl Chamber City of Arl  2008 Lions
BoysandGirlsClubOptimistRotaryStar Telegram

State FarmUTAYouth Service AmericaYMCA
 ChesapeakeFirst Rate