1605 The Alameda, San Jose, CA 95125 - www.kidsincommon.org - (408) 795-3771
Bold Steps for Children Newsletter  
  IN THIS ISSUE 
  MISSION
Kids in Common wants every child safe, healthy, successful in learning, and successful in life!
Kids in Common advocates for policies, partnerships, and investments that improve children's lives in Santa Clara County.
The cornerstone of our work is
the Children's Agenda, a county-wide initiative working to create measurable, positive changes for Santa Clara County children and families.

reading   FOR YOUR READING OR
  VIEWING PLEASURE 
NEW! In Their Own Words: Improving the Care Experience of Families with Children with Special Health Care Needs
Straight talk from 52 parents highlights the limitations of the current system of care for children with special health care needs and their families. A new report summarizes findings from 10 focus groups in which family members discussed what their lives are like, how well their families' needs are being met and how the health care system could be improved. You can review the report from Lucile Packard Foundation for Children's Health by clicking here

NEW! Keeping Your Children Safe
Young children are accidentally being exposed to marijuana, alcohol, and prescription drugs, with potential medical consequences. Prevention Partnership International's Advisory Committee, program developers of Celebrating Families!, recently put together a handout for parents, grandparents, and family members: Keeping your Children Safe - Alcohol, Prescription & Illegal Drugs, Marijuana & Other Hazards. You can view this handout by clicking here. Feel free to copy and share it.

NEW! Andrew Hill High School Students Raise Awareness About the Dangers of Marijuana
Andrew Hill High School's Friday Night Live chapter created a PSA video to raise awareness about the dangers of marijuana. You can watch the video on YouTube by clicking here.
For More Information: Send email to Vivian Luong, Friday Night Live Coordinator, at
Vivian.Luong@AACI.org, or Betty Nelson, County Monitor, at Betty.Nelson@hhs.sccgov.org

NEW! Parenting and Safety:  
July's Free Coaching Call
Kidpower's next free Coaching Call will be on July 20 at 12:00pm! Join us for a conversation with Irene van der Zande, Kidpower Executive Director, and parents and caregivers from all over the world.  To tell us which topic interest you the most, please take a short survey by clicking here. You can register for the call or find out more by clicking here.

2014 Data Now Available on California's Homeless Students
Nearly 300,000 public school students in California were homeless at some point during the 2013-2014 school year - 5% of all such students. "Doubling up" with others for nighttime residence was the most common living situation among homeless public school students, but many lived in shelters, motels, or unsheltered during the school year. You can explore data from Kidsdata.org about homeless students in your county and school district by clicking here.

Promoting Children's Long-Term Health and Functioning: Applying a Life Course Approach to Pediatric Care for Children with Special Health Care Needs
Life Course Theory, which promotes a life-span approach to an individual's health, is taking hold in adult medicine, but adoption has been slow in pediatric practices. This paper proposes a framework to help pediatric practices become life-course settings for children with special healthcare needs. You can read the paper by clicking here.

ONLINE TRAINING: Helping Parents to Feed Well so Children Can Eat Well
Parent educators can improve their knowledge of how child development influences child eating, learn how to help parents teach their child to be a healthy eater, and learn how to support parents in having enjoyable family mealtimes. You can view the four 30-minute videos created by Childhood Feeding Collaborative of Santa Clara County by
clicking here
. For more Information, send email to Carol Danaher at carol.danaher@phd.sccgov.org, or call (408) 793-2708.

New Standards and Tests Are Worth the Effort
This article discusses the new Smarter Balanced assessments, and the challenges and opportunities involved in these new tests for California students. The author, Gina D. Dalma, is the senior program officer at the Silicon Valley Community Foundation and leads the Silicon Valley Common Core Initiative. You can read this article by clicking here.

Synchronizing Youth Programs in California Shows Signs of Success
This article from the Juvenile Justice Information Exchange describes Santa Clara County's innovative approach to better support youth involved in both the child welfare and juvenile justice systems. You can read this article by clicking here.

Dropping Out and Clocking In: A Portrait of Teens Who Leave School Early and Work
This article from the Urban Institute looks at teens who leave school early and are employed, and how they differ from other teens who leave school early. It discusses how working youth are contributing to their families' economic support system and how this potentially impacts government programs and policies. You can read this article by clicking here.
 
DOCUMENTARY: Poverty in a Land of Riches
This powerful documentary from CNN is about being poor in Silicon Valley. It is a "must watch" for anyone concerned about how low-income families make it in this county and its high cost of living. You can view the documentary by clicking here.

Child Abuse Prevention Resources for Schools
Please share this important information with parents, teachers, and school administrators about Kidpower's abuse, bullying, abduction, and other violence prevention resources for schools. You can check out this resource by clicking here.

Drugging Our Kids
This 5-part series by the Mercury News explores the excessive use of psychiatric drugs in the foster care system. Parts 1-4 examine how psychotropic meds are being used to treat troublesome behaviors, rather than to heal kids from the trauma they've suffered. Part 5 is a 40-minute documentary that takes viewers inside these children's lives and provides expert commentary. Check out the dedicated website by clicking here.

Facing Prejudice with Compassion and Determination
This article describes how to address prejudice and work with members of our communities to keep everyone safe. See the article from Kidpower's extensive free online library by clicking here.

WEBINAR: Social and Emotional Learning
Supported by music and videos, take-home activities, and stories kids relate to, the developmentally appropriate Second Step lessons have helped teachers instill social-emotional skills in their students for over 20 years. Interested in putting the Second Step program to work for your students? Attend one of the sessions from Committee for Children to hear directly from their experts. You can see a list of live webinars and register by
clicking here
.

TeenForce Plans to Ramp Up
in 2015
TeenForce, which was founded almost five years ago by retired mortgage executive, John Hogan, specializes in finding jobs for young people who have been in the foster care system. You can read about their ambitious plans for 2015 in the Silicon Valley Business Journal by clicking here.

Foster Youth STEM and Work Readiness Program
Silicon Valley Children's Fund and TeenForce is happy to announce that Symantec will be funding the pilot and implementation of the Foster Youth STEM and Work Readiness Training Program. This program was developed as part of the Clinton Global Initiative America. You can read the press release about the program by clicking here. You can also read about this commitment to action by clicking here.

New Study: Cómo Están los Niños? The Health of Latino Children and Families in California
A comprehensive new study of California's Latino children paints a complex picture of their health and well-being, and finds striking differences within a 4.7 million-strong population that comprises more than half of all the children in the state. You can review the study by clicking here.

VIDEO: Sports Illustrated Introduces Us To America's Homeless Student-Athletes
More than 100,000 student-athletes in America are homeless, according to Sports Illustrated. While athletes such as Kevin Durant and James Jones have made headlines for overcoming childhood poverty and struggles, the magazine introduces us to today's kids who are succeeding in athletics but have no place to call "home" at the end of the day. You can watch the video by
clicking here.

FIRST 5 Obesity Prevention Efforts
The California State Association of Counties (CSAC) profiled FIRST 5 Santa Clara County's efforts to prevent early childhood obesity. Through a blog post and video, CSAC highlights how FIRST 5 programs are making healthy habits fun! You can read the blog by clicking here; you can watch the YouTube video by clicking here.

ARCHIVED WEBINAR: How to Put Legislative District Data to Work For California Children
If you missed Kidsdata.org's webinar about putting legislative district data to work on behalf of children, the recording is now available on the Kidsdata.org website. The webinar covers how to access data available by legislative district and overlay legislative district maps on many other indicators of child health and well-being available by county, city, or school district. You can view the webinar by clicking here.

Hewlett Foundation Blog Post: The Paradox of Story Telling
The Opportunity Youth Partnership (OYP) and Kids in Common Children's Summit were featured in a blog post by Elisha Smith Arrillaga, Program Fellow at the Hewlett Foundation. You can read the blog by clicking here.

Early Literacy in California's Immigrant Families

Read this report about disparities in exposure to book-sharing programs among California's immigrant families. The Chair of the Children's Agenda Vision Council is a co-author of this report. You can read it on Reuters by clicking here.

School Discipline Consensus Report
Released by the Council of State Governments Justice Center, this report presents a comprehensive set of consensus-based and field-driven recommendations to improve conditions for learning for all students and educators, better support students with behavioral needs, improve police-school partnerships, and keep students out of the juvenile justice system for minor offenses. You can read the report by clicking here.

The 2014 California Children's Report Card 
This study identifies how kids are doing in our state and what needs to be done about it
. Released by Children Now, it covers 27 critical education, health, and child welfare issues and provides a comprehensive evaluation of the current status of California's kids. You can read the Report Card by clicking here.
thebeatwithin  COLUMN: THE BEAT WITHIN 
The Beat Within is a San Francisco-
based non-profit that has been committed since 1996 to providing incarcerated youth in the Santa Clara County Juvenile Justice system with a weekly writing and conversation workshop. Below is another piece written by an incarcerated youth that was featured in their award-winning publication, The Beat Within.
 
Imagine
To love and not be loved.
helpless
worthless
so alone
but so many people around.

To want but not wanted
the feeling of death running
through my veins.
So alive
but only loving life to die.

To miss but not be missed.
Momma tucks you in
my soul to keep.
To reach out for anyone,
but no one to hold.

To trust but not be trusted
to tell
but not heard.
You scream to be heard
but unheard.

To care but not cared for.
Broken on the inside.
But looks perfectly okay on the outside.
Twisted in the mind.
Insane in the brain.
Close your eyes, go to sleep,
and dream
of an escape.
- Bailey 

To find out more about The Beat Within, please see The Beat Within Facebook page , or visit www.thebeatwithin.org . To find out more about getting involved in their weekly workshops inside juvenile hall or to get a subscription to their magazine, send email to Lisa Lavaysse at llava@thebeatwithin.org .
QuickLinks  QUICK LINKS 

Have You Signed the Bill of Rights for Children and Youth?

Kids on Grass
You can get information about the Bill of Rights for Children and Youth by clicking here.
We'd Love to Hear From You!
 
If you have a story or an opportunity that 
 you would like to share in a future newsletter, please send us an email!  info@kidsincommon.org  

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JULY 2015 


We are excited to announce that Kids in Common's Opportunity Youth Partnership is a proud subgrantee of the Social Innovation Fund (SIF) program. This funding will allow us to expand our work to improve results for Opportunity Youth - young adults, ages 16 to 24, who are not engaged in education or work. Our goal is to get these youth back on track and on a pathway to post-secondary education that will lead to career-potential employment and self-sufficiency.

In Santa Clara County, we have 13,000+ Opportunity Youth. For the past two years, we have been working with 40+ partner organizations to identify and build effective pathways to reconnect youth to education and workforce systems, use data to guide decisions, leverage resources to support and sustain innovation, and identify key policy gaps for OY, especially for youth in the foster care or the justice system, or who have experienced homelessness and/or are pregnant or parenting.

What the SIF grant will do is allow us to continue this work to improve practice, align and integrate programs and services, and engage employers. It will also allow us to collaborate with the County Office of Education Opportunity Youth Academies and the San Jose Conservation Corps Charter School to provide education navigators who will help young adults returning to school to get a high school credential to be successful. The funding will also allow us to provide employment coaching services to those youth, as well as support to get into a post-secondary education program that will lead to career-potential employment.

The SIF will allow us to continue with and build upon this work for the next 3 - 5 years. There is a lot to do, and we are grateful to those funders who see the value of this work: The Hewlett Foundation, Silicon Valley Children's Fund, Silicon Valley Community Foundation, The Walter S. Johnson Foundation, TeenForce, City of San Jose, and others.

If you want to learn more, please don't hesitate to contact me at dbunnett@kidsincommon.org, or Joe Herrity, our OYP Project Director, at jherrity@kidsincommon.org. The more the merrier!

Have a wonderful Fourth of July weekend!

In Partnership,
Dana Bunnett, Director
Kids in Common
  feature1  FEATURE: ROOT, ROOT, ROOT FOR THE HOME TEAM!
A Health Care System and High Tech Company Went to Bat for a New East San Jose Community Baseball Field!

Kaiser Permanente, NVIDIA, the Alum Rock Union School District, and Eastridge Little League teamed up to provide Fischer Middle School and its surrounding community in East San Jose with a brand new baseball field. You can experience the journey of this wonderful project and hear from the community through an inspiring video by clicking here. Improving the health of the communities we serve!
For More Information: Send email to Melonie.R.Drotts@kp.org.


communityevents   COMMUNITY EVENTS 
Hot San Jose Nights Presents Silicon Valley S.T.E.A.M. Festival and Reid Hillview Airport Open House
Join us for the Bay Area's biggest FREE hands-on festival with 200+ exhibitors of hands-on stuff, 36 historic/exotic aircraft, hundreds of classic cars, huge RC airshow at noon, "Disaster Alley" emergency prep area, Silicon Valley RollerGirls, and amazing bands. It's all FREE, including free admission and free parking.
Date: Saturday July 11, 2015
Time: 10:00am - 4:00pm
Location: San Jose Reid Hillview Airport, 2500 Cunningham Avenue, San Jose, CA - across from Raging Waters and Eastridge Mall
For More Information: Get FREE TICKETS online by visiting www.svsteamfest.com. For additional details, send email to Dean McCully at dean@dmccully.com

Super Kids Summer Bash
This free public event is hosted by Assembly Member, Mark Stone, and  Council Member, Ash Kalra, for families with a theme of healthy living! Kids can participate in sports
demos, learn about healthy nutrition, receive free health screenings, hang out with Gigante from the San Jose Giants, and much more!
Date: Saturday, July 25, 2015
Time: 10:00am - 1:00pm
Location: Southside Community Center, 5585 Cottle Road, San Jose, CA
For More Information: Call Stacie Shih, Council Member Kalra's office, at (408) 535-4925, or Paige Garrahan, Assembly Member Stone's office at (831) 425-1503.

EARLY REGISTRATION: Kidpower Skills for Child Protection Advocates Training Institute
Learn how to use Kidpower's prevention, intervention, advocacy, and personal safety strategies and skills and Positive Practice Teaching Method in your personal and professional activities to take charge of the safety and well-being of the children and teens in your personal and professional life. Participants develop increased tools for taking leadership to protect young people, including those with special needs, from harm caused by thoughtlessness, neglect, bullying, abuse, or violence within their schools, organizations, youth programs, communities, and families. No prior experience with Kidpower workshops or training is necessary to participate.
Date: August 10 - 12, 2015
Location: California Orientation Center, 400 Adams Street, Albany, CA
For More Information: You can learn about registration, training topics, and program use by clicking here.

SAVE THE DATE! 25th Annual Latino-Latina Role Model Conference
This inspiring educational event is designed to plant the seeds of college and careers into the brains of our young people. Free registration, free breakfast burritos, free lunch, and bottled water.
Date: Saturday, October 17, 2015
Time: 8:30am - 2:30pm
Location: W. C. Overfelt High School, 1835 Cunningham Avenue, San Jose, CA
For More Information: Send email to Esau Ruiz Herrera at EsauLawyer@gmail.com, or call (408) 926-7163.
communityresources   COMMUNITY RESOURCES
Stanford Pediatric Weight Control Program
Concerned about a child's weight? Based on nearly 20 years of research, the Stanford Children's Pediatric Weight Control Program is nationally recognized for its success rate of over 80% in achieving age-appropriate weight reduction. Parents lose weight too! Classes begin August/September 2015 at 4100 Bohannon Drive, Menlo Park.
For More Information: Visit weightcontrol.stanfordchildrens.org or call (650) 725-4424. We look forward to hearing from you! 

CalFresh Application Assistance: Same Day Service  

Community members now have faster access to CalFresh Benefits at 5 locations (listed below) around Santa Clara County! Eligibility workers are stationed at 5 Emergency Assistance Network Agencies (EANs) alongside Food Bank representatives to assist people with CalFresh. In 1-2 days, community members can be screened, apply for CalFresh and have their County interview. If approved, a client could pick up their EBT card on the same day at the Social Services Agency or the next business day at the EAN agency.
Locations:

(1) InnVision, Palo Alto - 33 Encina Avenue, Palo Alto, CA; Wednesdays, 9:00am - 4:00pm; drop-ins only.
(2) St. Joseph's Family Center - 7950 Church Street, Gilroy, CA; Mondays, 9:00am - 4:00pm; for an appointment, call (408) 842-6662.
(3) Sunnyvale Community Services - 725 Kifer Road, Sunnyvale, CA; Mondays, 9:00am - 4:00pm; for an appointment, call (408) 738- 4321.
(4) Community Services Agency of Mt. View & Los Altos - 204 Stierlin Road, Mountain View, CA; 1st and 4th Thursdays, 9:00am - 4:00pm; for an appointment, call (650) 968-0836.
(5) West Valley Community Services - 10104 Vista Drive, Cupertino, CA; 1st and 3rd Tuesdays, 10:00am - 7:00pm; for more information, call (408) 255-8065.

East San Jose Futbol Club 
There's a new youth soccer program for low-income East San Jose kids that promotes not only soccer, but gang prevention, child obesity awareness, academic support, and referrals to parent services. Youth play at Clyde L Fisher Middle School, 1720 Hopkins Drive, San Jose. The club is always looking for players who reside in East San Jose, coaches that can be positive role models, and office volunteers to help in administration of the club, which is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization.
For More information: Send email to Luciano Zamora, President and Co-Founder, at Luciano@LucianoZamora.info, call
(408) 968-9571, or visit www.EastSanJoseFC.org.


Access Opportunities for Incarcerated Youth

The Santa Clara County Office of Education (SCCOE) in collaboration with Santa Clara County Juvenile Probation have partnered to bring Community College (Gavilan and Evergreen) access to our students at Blue Ridge and Osborne schools during the 2014-15 school year. Over the last year, 35 students have taken classes in Astronomy, College Success, Chicano/a Studies, and Mexican History. Each class is three units, and students complete all college entry paperwork at their school site supporting their expedited admission to their local college upon release.
For More Information:
Call Yvette Irving, Director of Alternative Education, Santa Clara County Office of Education, at
(408) 453-6998.

10 Steps to a Healthier You! 

A FREE, three-class series for parents and caregivers about implementing a positive, healthy lifestyle into home environments. Classes are for residents of Santa Clara County, and are held at various dates, times, and locations throughout Santa Clara County year-round.
For More Information:
To sign up for the free three-class series or to host the free classes at your site, call Healthier Kids Foundation at (855) 344-6347. You can get more details about the program by clicking here.

Eastside Elite Basketball League

If you want a basketball program for your child, this program offers both non-competitive and competitive programs. The Co-Ed Non-Competitive League is for 6 - 9 year olds with little or no basketball experience who would benefit from participation in a structured program with a focus on skills development, basketball fundamentals, and structured game time. The Eastside Elite Competitive Basketball League is for 10 - 16 year olds with emphasis placed on good sportsmanship and skills development.
For More Information:
For program details and fees, call Eric or Rhonda at (408) 794-1060.

FOR EDUCATORS: Embrace the Core Website and Communications Toolkit

The Embrace the Core website and Communications Toolkit are designed to help educators cut through the noise and communicate to parents about California's Common Core State Standards in their classrooms. Teachers, principals, district leaders, after-school program administrators, and anyone else who regularly fields questions from parents can use the posters, sample letters to parents, talking points, and various other resources to drive those conversations.
For More Information:
Visit the website at www.embracethecore.com. You can get to the toolkit by clicking here. If you have questions, send email to Neha Singh Gohil, Silicon Valley Community Foundation, at nsgohil@siliconvalleycf.org.

Good. To Go. Is in San Jose!
Good. To Go. (G2G) is a community-based marketing campaign aimed at increasing San Jose residents' purchase of "fun, fast, and fresh" items such as fresh produce and kid-friendly 'grab n go' snacks at participating G2G outlets: Healthy Corner Stores, Fresh Cart mobile produce vendors, and PCFMA farmers' markets. To find G2G locations in San Jose, visit our online interactive map by clicking here. To stay up to date on events, new products, and program updates, be sure to "Like" our
G2G Facebook page.
For More Information: To learn how to spread the word about G2G within your network and become a G2G brand ambassador, please contact Misha Taherbhai at mishat@healthtrust.org or call
(408) 513-8716.

New Teacher Intern Credential Program: Education Preparation for Inclusive Classrooms 

In Fall 2014, the Inclusion Collaborative started an education specialist credential program focusing on inclusion: Preliminary Early Childhood Special Education, Preliminary Moderate/Severe Special Education, and a Clear Education Specialist Induction Program. Classes are held in the evenings and occasionally on Saturdays. These are alternative pathways to acquiring a teaching credential, allowing students to earn their credentials while interning with a school district. Education Preparation for Inclusive Classrooms (EPIC) accepts new students every two years, so if you are interested in one of the three programs, plan to apply for Fall 2016.
For More Information:
To learn about the program, see the FAQ page by clicking here. For additional professional development opportunities and resources, visit www.inclusioncollaborative.org.

FREE
Kids' Vision and Dental Screenings
Healthier Kids Foundation FocusFirst and DentalFirst programs are conducting FREE (donor-funded) vision and dental screenings for children ages 6 months - 18 years old. Vision screenings are performed with a high-optic digital camera, and dental screenings are performed by a licensed dentist, Monday through Friday, at your school, church, daycare center, community center, after-school program, or community-based organization. For dental screenings, all children will receive a FREE toothbrush, toothpaste, and floss. Healthier Kids Foundation staff will help parents with any follow-up as needed.
For More Information: This program is done on a first-come, first-serve basis. Schedule your screenings by calling Sunny Ochoa at (408) 564-5114, Ext. 206, or send email to  sunny@hkidsf.org.

Personal Safety Workshops   
Kidpower's Public Workshops for ages 3 years to adults offer personal safety skills training that is relevant to the ages and life situations of the students. These dynamic, upbeat workshops teach skills such as boundary setting, advocacy, stranger safety, safety with words (spoken or online), help-seeking, and de-escalation. There are multiple workshops for different child age groups coming soon. Classes fill-up quickly, so let Kidpower know right away if you're interested! 
For More Information: See the public workshop schedule for Palo Alto by clicking here; you can get registration information by clicking here. For questions, call (800) 467-6997 Ext. 1#, or send email to safety@kidpower.org.

Get Help with College Planning  
The Online Colleges Database helps to make the college planning process easier for future students. It provides an easy-to-use search tool with relevant data and integrated Google Maps. The site also includes expert-driven topical guidebooks that aid specific demographics, such as minorities, students and families with disabilities, and veterans who may need a different set of advice and information.
For More Information:
Visit www.onlinecollegesdatabase.org.

GED Preparation Classes 
These classes target older youth, ages 17 - 24 years. An assessment of a student's basic skill level will determine placement. Classes include both lecture and computer-based learning. The GED program is open-entry/open-exit during the school year.
Date:
Monday through Friday
Time:
8:30am - 11:40pm
Location:
749 Story Road, Suite 10, San Jose, CA
For More Information:
Contact Mariah Artley at (408) 213-0961,
Ext. 27, or Caroline Sailor at Ext. 30.
 
 
FutureArtsNow! 
This program hosts weekly Open Dance Sessions at the Edenvale Community Center for $3/session. Youth and young adults are invited to come and hone their Hip Hop dance skills during our weekly sessions inside the Edenvale Dance Studio/Gym.  
Date: Every Wednesday and Thursday  
Time: 8:00 - 10:00pm 
Location: Edenvale Community Center, 330 Branham Lane, San Jose, CA  
For More Information: Call Demone Carter, Program Director, at (408) 320-5022; send email to futureartsnow@gmail.com; or visit www.futureartsnow.org.

Youth Facing Expulsion   
If you know of youth facing expulsion, Legal Advocates for Children and Youth may be able to connect you with a free lawyer to represent your child in a school expulsion hearing.  
For More Information: Call (408) 280-2416.

Local Control Funding Formula (LCFF) Dollars

Looking for resources to help advocate for Local Control Funding Formula (LCFF) dollars to support early learning and development? Children Now can help! 
For More Information: Check out Children Now's new campaign with resources by clicking here. Sign up for The Children's Movement of California to receive more talking points, tips, and tools that will be released over the coming weeks and months by clicking here.

CalFresh (Food Stamps) Outreach and Application Assistance

Second Harvest Food Bank of Santa Clara and San Mateo Counties can do pre-screening, answer questions, and help clients complete applications for CalFresh benefits. Application assistance can be arranged for weekdays, weekends, and evenings at community locations throughout Santa Clara and San Mateo Counties. 
For More Information: Call Second Harvest's Food Connection, 8:00am - 5:00pm, Monday through Friday, at (800) 984-3663, or visit www.shfb.org/getfood

Free Food for Low-Income Families
Free food resources are available to low-income families through Second Harvest Food Bank of Santa Clara and San Mateo Counties. Our region's Family Harvest, Produce Mobile, Pantries and Prepared Meal programs can accept more participants. Food distributions and meal programs are available weekdays and on weekends at community locations throughout Santa Clara and San Mateo Counties. 
For More Information: Call Second Harvest's Food Connection, 8:00am - 5:00pm, Monday through Friday, at (800) 984-3663, or visit www.shfb.org/getfood

For All of Our MFCCs and Other Professionals Under the Board of Behavioral Sciences
 
Kidpower is now certified as a Continuing Education Provider under the California State Board of Behavioral Sciences!
For More Information: Visit www.kidpower.org
.

Kaiser Permanente Child Health Program
Did you know that Kaiser Permanente in California insures low-income children who are not eligible for Medi-Cal or Covered California through its Child Health Program? With all of the confusion surrounding the Affordable Care Act (ACA), many mixed status and immigrant families do not know that the program is an option for their children. The Child Health Program is pleased to offer a quality option in California that gives children the healthcare they need for just $0, $10, or $20 per child, per month, for up to three children, depending on the family's income. Additional children are covered at no extra premium. There are also no co-pays (no charge) for services at Kaiser Permanente facilities.
For More Information:
Send email to Sarah Hurd at sarah.m.hurd@kp.org. You can also get additional details, including eligibility guidelines and how to apply, by clicking here.

PARENT PROJECT
This 12-week program, which offers classes throughout Santa Clara County, is specifically designed for parents with difficult or out-of-control adolescents. Parents learn specific prevention and intervention strategies for destructive behaviors.
For More Information: Visit www.ParentProject.com; call
(408) 808-3794; or send email to parentproject@da.sccgov.org.

Silicon Valley Kids Climate Club 
This club offers children (and adults) important lessons about conserving energy and water, recycling trash, and finding new food sources.  Supervisor Dave Cortese started the Kids Climate Club to introduce children in 3rd through 12th grades to simple tips they can use to help protect the environment. 
For More Information: If you would like Supervisor Cortese to give a presentation to your school or youth group, call (408) 299-3050, or send email to dave.cortese@bos.sccgov.org.
volunteers  VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES 
OYP Is Seeking Youth Leaders  
The Opportunity Youth Partnership (OYP) is once again opening Youth Voice positions for youth ages 16 - 24 years who would be interested in representing their peers in this partnership. If you know of a youth who would be interested in the role, please have them complete an application. This is a wonderful leadership opportunity, and a stipend is provided for the youth members.
For More Information: You can download the application (PDF format) by clicking here.

Yes We Can...Read! Reading Mentor 
Become a reading mentor today! With just a one-hour a week commitment, you can work one-on-one with two Kindergarten or 1st grade students in East San Jose to build an intrinsic love for reading and learning. You will be trained on Interactive Reading Strategies that will boost your book-sharing skills and help you build up a little reader's confidence and literacy skills. This program requires a 24-session commitment in a school year. Fall semester sessions will begin at the end of September. One-hour time slots will occur Monday through Friday between 8:30am - 1:30pm at Dorsa and San Antonio Elementary Schools in East San Jose.
For More Information: Visit Beamentor.org/gfs, or send email to Gabriela Alvarado at GAlvarado@gfsfamilyservices.org.
 
Volunteers for Writing Workshops 
The Beat Within is looking for volunteers to support their weekly Thursday night workshops in juvenile hall. They are always looking for people of all walks of life. You do not need a background in juvenile justice or related issues; you do not need to be a great writer. All you need to have is an interest in the program and working with young people.
For More Information: Visit www.thebeatwithin.org, or send email to The Beat's Program Director, Lisa Lavaysse, at llava@thebeatwithin.org.
 
Be a Child Advocate!  
Child Advocates of Silicon Valley is recruiting volunteer Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASAs) to work one-on-one with foster children and be a mentor and their voice as they navigate the dependency system. We train and support our CASAs as they work to support foster children.
For More Information:
To learn more and sign up for an introductory session, visit www.bemyadvocate.org

Volunteer to Become a Certified Car Seat Technician 
In the Bay Area, 4 out of 5 car seats are installed incorrectly. ACCESS (a service of the Good Samaritan Hospital Auxiliary) hosts free car seat fitting inspections. Join ACCESS in our efforts to ensure infants and children are safe in their vehicles. Training is provided at Good Samaritan Hospital, 2425 Samaritan Drive, San Jose, CA.
For More Information:
Call Shannon Hickok at
(408) 559-2395, or send email to shannon.hickok@hcahealthcare.com. You can also visit the ACCESS website by clicking here

Join the LPC Council of Santa Clara County 
The Local Early Education Planning Council (LPC) of Santa Clara County is seeking individuals who are interested in applying for membership to the Council. Funded by the California Department of Education and housed at the Santa Clara County Office of Education, the mission of the LPC is to assess, represent, and promote the early care and education needs of children and families in the community. Applicants must work or live in Santa Clara County, and exhibit a strong commitment to advocating for increased quality childcare services; an ability to make information-based decisions; and excellent leadership skills.  
For More Information: If you are interested in submitting an application, send email to Michael Garcia at michael_garcia@sccoe.org, or call (408) 453-6649.

Volunteer with Junior Achievement 
Inspire students at local elementary schools with Junior Achievement! Junior Achievement prepares youth for economic success through a short series of age-appropriate lessons about entrepreneurship, financial literacy, and work readiness. You can volunteer to work in schools and teach these lessons (the teacher will be in the classroom to provide support.) The dates, times, and locations are flexible, including any school or after-school program (i.e. public, private, charter, etc.) There is a one-hour mandatory training.  
For More Information: Send email to Amanda Lopez, District Manager, Silicon Valley, at alopez@janorcal.org, or call
(408) 217-7906. 

Be a Mentor for Elementary School Children

Collaborative Community Program (CCP) is seeking mentors for children at Washington Elementary School in downtown San Jose. Mentors meet with children in Kindergarten through 5th grade on Thursdays from 3:30 - 5:00pm at the Biblioteca Latinoamericana Branch Library.
For More Information: Send email to Rochelle at  
CCPSantaClara@gmail.com , or call (408) 634-2125.  You can also visit the Collaborative Community Program Facebook page.