CYC NEWS
CYC staff busy training in February! CYC staff have been quite busy this month! Amelia and Amy were able to train 14 new individuals in the Wyman Center Teen Outreach Program’s Changing Scenes curriculum. New facilitators are very excited to roll out this youth development curriculum in their programs. Julie had the opportunity to train staff from three organizations in how to plan with youth and Amy was able to train 28 youth workers running the AMP foster care councils and providing outreach services at Iowa Homeless Youth Centers, both affiliated with Youth and Shelter Services in Ames, Iowa.
CYC adds e-mentoring component to the mentoring program! To better meet the needs of the community and providers across the metro, we have added an e-mentoring component available for high school students. Find out more under Youth Programs – MAP!
Want to help the enviroment while promoting service? Our KWAKers (Kids with a kause) group is selling 12oz bottles of their self-made and earth-friendly Kwaker Kleaner for just $4/bottle. Proceeds go to support their future service projects. To make a purchase, or for more information, contact us!
Interested in what CYC has been doing since we started? If you didn’t happen to know about us a year ago, never fear, you can still get a feel for the type of work we do. We are in the process of loading all of our archived newsletters to the site. Find them under the E-News section of our website!
CYC announces the Mentoring Advantage Program (MAP). CYC is partnering with the Greater Des Moines Partnership, Des Moines Public Schools, Urbandale Community School District, YESS, Iowa Comprehensive Human Services, and Iowa Homeless Youth Centers to bring a unique mentoring program to Polk County. The MAP program focuses on exploring career opportunities and civic literacy. MAP is supported by the Iowa Department of Public Health and private donations. Become a mentor or a participant in the program! Find out more by contacting Michelle Raymer.
CYC to be at the Beaverdale Fall Fest, September 17! This year, join us either in the parade at 10:00 am as we hand out candy or twist away your afternoon from 2-4 pm on a giant TWISTER game on Rice Field! Volunteers are still needed for both as well. To volunteer or learn more, contact Michelle.
Youth Program Quality Assessment Basics Training helps youth-serving professionals, volunteers, and supervisors understand the key component of high quality work and how to make small changes to have a big impact. Registration is now open for four fall regional YPQA Basics trainings. Click here for the registration information.
Over 400 came out to join us for a beautiful day of chalking at the Sidewalk Chalk Flood August 20! It was a fun-filled morning of creating chalk art on the sidewalks, music, and activities! A special thanks to CITI, Principal Financial, Des Moines Parks and Recreation, Hy-Vee, Wal-Mart, O’Donnell Ace Hardware, Wellmark, and the SCF Planning Committee for their support!
Creating Community Kids, CYC’s new blog, is now up and running! Created to help connect families, parents and other adults involved in youth’s lives can expect to find ideas for engaging with their youth, activities that are fun for the family, tips on connecting with the community, and ideas for giving back. (8/12/11)
CYC worked with 120 Urbandale Middle School students completing 9 service projects! Throughout the day, youth completed team-building activities, learned from community experts, gave back to the community, and reflected on how their contribution made the community better. Special thanks to our partners – Urbandale Community Schools (Jensen, Olmsted, and Middle School), AdventureTime Family Services, Urbandale Food Pantry, Urbandale Police Department, Urbandale Parks and Recreation, Urbandale Citizen Action Network, Urbandale Senior Center, and Link Associates for making it a fantastic opportunity for the youth and the community! (8/9/11)
ID Action Youth Present Ideas, Experiences with Bullying and Disabilities This summer, the ID Action Youth Advisory Board developed and presented a series of activities and discussions around bullying and disabilities. They gave the presentation to the KWAKers (Kids with a Kause), who served as allies during their second presentation to the First Christian Church Boys and Girls Club. Youth shared their experience with bullying and disabilities, ways they’ve overcome bullying, and advice they have for others. The ID Action Youth Advisory Board is coordinated by CYC and funded by the Governor’s Developmental Disabilities Council. Special funding for this project was provided by the Iowa Commission on Volunteer Service. For more information, email Amelia. (8/3/11)
Give Five! Take five hours this summer and lend a hand! Youth can participate in service-learning brainstorming and action sessions every Monday and Wednesday from 1-4 pm at the CYC offices this summer. Dates are June 20th to August 22nd. Registration with the program is required using the Give 5 Registration form.
CYC’s KWAKERS highlighted on local “We’re Entrepeneurs” show.The KWAKers will be holding their first KWAKer fundraiser, the KWAK-WALK on Thursday, June 16 from 6-8 pm. Interested in joining us? Meet on the North side of Roosevelt High School. Expect fun, a scavenger hunt, snacks, and prizes!
CYC hires Michelle Raymer! Michelle joins the CYC team to oversee the new mentoring program (Mentoring Program Summary here) and will help us develop and expand CYC’s community engagement. She comes with a wealth of volunteer management experience and has herself been in the Peace Corps and AmeriCorps, working with diverse groups of youth and adults through both positions. (6/10/11)
What’s the BIG IDEA?? (5/6/11) What’s your big idea for community change? Find our boxes at The Village Bean Co in the East Village, Smokey Row, Ritual Cafe, and Grounds for Celebration in Beaverdale to submit your idea or your loose change to power someone else’s idea.
KWAKers Community Parties a huge success! (4/27/11) Check out the link to see pictures from the 6th and 7th grade Merrill KWAKer program’s community parties, coordinated by Jennie Groves! The parties culminated two service-learning groups operating at Merrill during the spring semester. Over 200 youth were engaged in service through the two groups.
KWAKER KLEANER highlighted in service-learning guru Cathryn Berger Kaye’s Take Action Guide (4/20/11) called “Down the Drain: An Action Guide for Water Quality”, which focuses on efforts to improve water quality. Download the guide here. The KWAKER project is found on page 14.
Scavo Urban Garden’s highlighted in the Des Moines Register! (4/19/11). Over 64 people came out to celebrate CYC’s Global Youth Service Day celebration held at Scavo High School on April 15, 2011. Youth from PACE, Scavo, and Simpson College presented their ideas for impacting change in the community. We were joined by Dick Murphy and Patti Link of the Des Moines School Board, representatives from United Health Care and Staples Foundation. Many thanks to Urban Ambassadors who have given great support as technical allies to the Scavo Urban Garden.
H.E.A.T. (Healthy. Eating. Active. Teens)launched their Youth Venture designed to support scholarships for youth to attend the YMCA Trim Kids program. The team is selling recyclable, collapsible water bottles. Order your water bottle and learn more about their project here.
Dreams to Life raise over $1600 during their auction on April 9, 2011. All proceeds will benefit their Youth Venture project, which will provide technology and train elementary students at King Elementary school on how to use it. Dreams to Life is still selling t-shirts. Scroll down for a picture and ordering information.
TEDxYouth@DesMoines! Up to 10 area youth, ages 5-25, will be selected to share their stories and talents through a TEDx youth event in the spring of 2012. TEDx events (“Ideas Worth Spreading”) are exciting independently organized programs at which dynamic people present talks, demonstrations and performances on a wide range of subjects to foster learning, inspiration and wonder — and to provoke conversations that matter. Speakers will be provided resources to implement great ideas through RandomKid and CYC. No speaking experience required, different is good. To nominate and learn more, visit: http://www.tedxyouthdesmoines.com/?page_id=12
KWAKERS expand to Merrill! Check out the Des Moines Register article here! (April 7, 2011)
Youth Venture team Dreams to Life is selling awesome 8/7 Central printed to help raise funds for their Youth Venture project to purchase technology for students at King Elementary. Shirts can be purchased for $15.00 each and can be ordered in S, M, L, and XL. Find out more about their project here!
CYC’s East High Youth Venture team Flipped highlighted on Channel 5. (Feb. 25, 2011)
CYC Youth Venture team Battle the Cavities highlighted in the Des Moines Register! (Feb. 22, 2011)
CYC receives Staples Foundation for Learning grant to support a youth empowerment group. (Feb. 11, 2011)
CYC received $1,000 grants from Metro Waste Authority, UnitedHealth, and State Farm Insurance to support the Youth Venture Environmental Challenge! (Feb. 1, 2011)
CYC launches the newest Youth Venture – the King Dreamers! (Dec. 21, 2010)
King Dreamers is an ambitious group of Van Meter high school students who want to bring technology to the youth who attend King Elementary in Des Moines. Students hope to raise over $6,000 to help the students at King get access to technology to document their community. CYC will help jump-start their efforts with $1,000 in seed funding. Find out more and donate to their cause here!
CYC’s work with East High School highlighted on Des Moines Public School’s website.
CYC Geocaching workshop fun and successful
Thirteen people participated in the CYC geocaching workshop, learning how to use GPS equipment, finding caches, and learning about Cache In, Trash Out. CYC will more than likely sponsor another geocaching workshop this winter.
Youth Venture Team Battle the Cavities partner with sponsors to protect kids from cavities. Read the Des Moines Register article.
Sidewalk Chalk Flood Youth Celebration a HUGE success!
Over 350 youth and adults joined us to decorate the sidewalks at the Pappajohn Education Center! Many positive comments were made the day of the event. Many thanks to all of the participants, United Way of Central Iowa, Principal Financial Foundation, and Citi for their support of Youth Venture and the youth/community celebration. Click here to see the results!
Youth Venturers and Culture, Inc youth help put the finishing touches on the CYC mural
Two youth share their PSA on protecting the environment
See the PSA put together by two of the participants in a recent Metro Arts Alliance Green Arts workshop held at CYC!
ID Action Youth Advisory Board
The ID Action Youth Advisory Board is designed to empower youth ages 16-22 to generate strategies to address the barriers youth with disabilities face when participating in school and community life. If you are interested in learning more, please let us know.
Need a space to hold your event?
The CYC Tree House is a 600 square foot open space available to rent with a discount to non-profits. It’s a great place to have club meetings, baby showers, birthday parties, trainings, or any other social function. The rental reservation must be made with Amy Croll and a rental agreement is required. Please call 515-243-4292 or email Amy to see if your date is available. All proceeds go back to support the work of CYC.
Are you ready for a fresh perspective?
CYC provides internship and practicum placement opportunities for up to two students per semester or per year. If you like to be challenged and learn macro-level social work skills, please contact Amy.