The Wesleyan’s Post

So many in the Acknowledgements are folks I know, totally deserving the kudos for their work on this great program! But - one report quibble: The recommendation cites multiple things that can help workers use the Care4 application, and the report acknowledges data entry into multiple systems. But where is the recommendation for data integration? So many great systems enabling workers to track so many things and collecting so much wonderful data, all maintained in their separate silos, preventing 360 data analysis and making workers type things twice. Alas. #childwelfare #systemsintegration

Young people transitioning from #FosterCare to adulthood benefit from extra support to reach their education, career, and housing goals. The NYC Fair Futures Program is a citywide initiative responding to this need by connecting young people to coaches, tutors, and specialists who provide targeted support. It’s grown to include 25 foster care agencies and serve nearly 4,000 young people. New York's Administration for Children's Services and Youth + Families Forward asked Chapin Hall researchers to evaluate this program’s implementation:  https://lnkd.in/gtgWs9yF. Here are some top findings: ☑️ Youth appear to be centered in the program framework  ☑️ Training was extremely helpful for agencies’ staff  ☑️ An effective feedback loop has been established to address challenges and improve program implementation

Growing up in South Central Los Angeles during the late 1990s was just what you saw in movies - a life full of adversity. But it was also the place that I learned invaluable lessons that have profoundly shaped my coaching and my worldview. The best thing about South Central was probably its children, us “ghetto kids”, had nowhere to go essentially, but up in life. Despite the poverty, there was a strong sense of solidarity. My foster father played a pivotal role in my life, teaching me to appreciate our circumstances, but always emphasizing the importance of getting an education. At the age of 10, I asked him if I could receive a better education than what I was getting in my local public school, and this decision led me to spend four full hours daily on a bus to attend schools in "The Valley" over a 7-year period. This journey, while long and often isolating from both the kids in my neighborhood and ones I attended school with, opened my eyes to a world beyond my neighborhood. It instilled in me the belief that I was capable of changing my own life and that every decision has a consequence, good and bad, such as doing homework on a dark bus late at night, coming home after midnight from track meets, and trying to get breakfast during the "bus strike of 2002." These experiences didn't hold me back; instead, they strengthened my resolve and desire to want more than my circumstance. I share this with the hope of inspiring others to recognize the power of overcoming their struggles. What you are going through creates an opportunity to sculpt a life of purpose and independence. Remember, our backgrounds are merely a starting point—it is our will and determination that define our destiny. #Resilience #LifeLessons #Diversity #Overcoming #SouthCentral

Success can be obtained by helping others.

Growing up in South Central Los Angeles during the late 1990s was just what you saw in movies - a life full of adversity. But it was also the place that I learned invaluable lessons that have profoundly shaped my coaching and my worldview. The best thing about South Central was probably its children, us “ghetto kids”, had nowhere to go essentially, but up in life. Despite the poverty, there was a strong sense of solidarity. My foster father played a pivotal role in my life, teaching me to appreciate our circumstances, but always emphasizing the importance of getting an education. At the age of 10, I asked him if I could receive a better education than what I was getting in my local public school, and this decision led me to spend four full hours daily on a bus to attend schools in "The Valley" over a 7-year period. This journey, while long and often isolating from both the kids in my neighborhood and ones I attended school with, opened my eyes to a world beyond my neighborhood. It instilled in me the belief that I was capable of changing my own life and that every decision has a consequence, good and bad, such as doing homework on a dark bus late at night, coming home after midnight from track meets, and trying to get breakfast during the "bus strike of 2002." These experiences didn't hold me back; instead, they strengthened my resolve and desire to want more than my circumstance. I share this with the hope of inspiring others to recognize the power of overcoming their struggles. What you are going through creates an opportunity to sculpt a life of purpose and independence. Remember, our backgrounds are merely a starting point—it is our will and determination that define our destiny. #Resilience #LifeLessons #Diversity #Overcoming #SouthCentral

Resilience and action: keys to discerning your vocation.

Always good to be part of the conversation about pastoral care in schools and how research can help us to improve our practice, especially thinking about how we can be more proactive in how we support pupils STEER Education #pastoralcare #education #research

Hear a STEER role model talk about proactive #pastoralcare... And if you want to see what this tool is and how Emma Millo and Haileybury are using it to measure, track and improve their students' mental and social-emotional health.... https://steer.education/ Could your school become a STEER school? #proactive #preventative #precise

We are 4 days away from the C2C Oakland Policy Conference! Don't miss the panel discussion on "Youth + Opportunity: Expanding Summer Youth Employment" taking place this Friday. Robust summer youth employment programs are not just summer gigs; they're investments with exponential benefits. C2C Director Alicia Modestino brings a decade of engaged research showing how supervised work experiences during summers enhance high-school graduation rates and elevate students’ employability, work habits, and family finances. These programs play a crucial role in shifting economic disparities and fostering wellness in cities, with lasting benefits beyond the summer months. However, limited resources often force cities to prioritize quantity over quality in funding summer programs. The panel, facilitated by Sofia Navarro, Interim Director of the Economic and Workforce Development Department, will address challenges head-on. Panelists include: Quinallison Dovey, Youth Program Analyst at the Oakland Workforce Development Board Nicholas Brown, Youth Program Supervisor of Lao Family Community Development, Inc. Selena Wilson, CEO of East Oakland Youth Development Center Ximena Montes, Associate Director of Youth Services at The Unity Council Together, they'll explore how to break down silos between city departments, providers, and industries to create more inclusive and impactful summer youth employment programs. Don't miss out! Register now: https://lnkd.in/gSyWRvp4 #YouthEmployment #SummerJobs #EconomicOpportunity #CommunityDevelopment Alli Chagi-Starr

March 3-9 is National School Social Work Week, a week dedicated to celebrating and recognizing the important work school social workers do for students and families. Each day, we'll feature one of our school social workers to learn more about their careers, what motivates them, and what they'd like people to know about their work. Today's feature: Mandy Berlin Coyle, school social worker at Lincoln Northeast High School. Mandy received her post-secondary degrees from Morningside University and University of Iowa. Q: What made you want to become a school social worker? A: I originally wanted to be a school counselor, but when I discovered the role of school social work it fit much better. School is such a fabulous place to prepare children to be responsible, healthy, dynamic citizens of our communities. I wanted to provide emotional regulation skills and mental health to students so that they can make the most of all that school teaches them. I like working with individual students, their families and improving systems. Specifically, I intentionally chose public school to cast the widest net, and enable ALL children to recognize their potential.   Q: What is something people may not know about school social work? A: It's also my favorite part, see below.  Q: What is your favorite part of your job - what is your "why"? A: There is a heavy emotional labor, which some people assume is overwhelming or maybe discouraging, but the reality is that we get a front row seat to how resilient humans can be. Seeing students grow and adapt their problem-solving skills and watching families evolve through their struggles and become wiser, stronger and more capable is immensely uplifting. It's a gift to see this process. While preventing trauma and changing the systems that allow for such adversity is also part of the role of school social work, so is building hope. #LPSProud #SSWWeek2024 https://lnkd.in/gzx98_mi