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Back to School & Beating the Odds Again
Summer vacation is fast coming to a close and colleges and universities throughout California are gearing up for the fall semester—and we couldn’t be more proud of our 2012 Children’s Defense Fund Beat the Odds® Scholarship and Leadership Program alumni as they make the exciting transition from high school to college! These outstanding students will be attending some of the state’s premier universities, including University of Southern California, UCLA, and Mount St. Mary's College. The 2012 CDF Beat the Odds honorees are the embodiment of strength, determination, and resilience. These young people have faced tremendous hardships on the road to college, and survived childhoods marked by periods of homelessness, abuse, abandonment, and loss. Yet each of these incredible students have achieved academic excellence and personal success despite their difficult upbringings, with many going on to become class valedictorians, student body presidents, all-star athletes, and role models in their communities. Read more about our 2012 CDF Beat the Odds honorees and watch their inspiring documentaries. For more than two decades, the CDF Beat the Odds Scholarship Program has recognized outstanding high school students who have overcome adversity to excel in school and as leaders in their communities. The college prep program awards $55,000 in scholarships annually, as well as provides awardees with intensive SAT preparation, one-on-one college counseling, leadership development, college tours, career counseling, and other services to support them through their college career. The application for the 2014 CDF Beat the Odds program will become available next month. For information on the program or how to nominate a student, contact program associate Joanna Flores at jflores@childrensdefense.org. #HoodiesUp for #YouthPower at the State Capitol
Hundreds of youth and advocates representing the statewide contingent of the Alliance for Boys and Men of Color converged at the State Capitol earlier this month to attend the Assembly Select Committee Hearing on the Status of Boys and Men of Color and to raise awareness of the challenges facing our most state’s most vulnerable communities. The focus of the hearing was to identify and improve upon programs and policies to better support the success of young men of color. Youth participants spoke eloquently and passionately about the difficulty of growing up in neighborhoods marked by poverty, lack of opportunity, violence, under-funded schools and low-wage jobs—and also highlighted the types programs and policies that are giving them a real shot at a future. Watch this short video to learn the extent to which our state’s future is bound to the future of boys and men of color. The Alliance for Boys and Men of Color is an cohort of change agents committed to improving the life chances of California’s boys and young men of color. The Alliance is working to ensure that this at-risk population is physically and mentally healthy; lives in safe neighborhoods; succeeds in school and work; and possesses the knowledge, skills, and leadership to contribute to their families, communities, and the state’s social and economic well-being. Learn more and get involved » Funding for California’s Children You are invited to join fellow child advocates next month at the state’s first-ever Conference on Dedicated Funding for California’s Children. The conference, a part of the Funding the Next Generation project, is a unique opportunity to learn about dedicated public funding steams for children, youth, and families—and what it takes to enact them at the local level. The conference will take place from 9:30am to 2:45pm on September 27th at the Waterfront Hotel in Oakland’s Jack London Square, and will feature a keynote address by successful political consultant Larry Tramutola and case examples of dedicated funding steams currently operating in the state. The conference will also reveal surprising new polling data on the public’s receptivity to funding measures for children. Go to http://tinyurl.com/mbrodkin for registration. For more information, contact Margaret Brodkin at Margaret@margaretbrodkin.com or call 415-794-4963. CDFCA Spotlight: Michael Tubbs
Mr. Tubbs is also a long time champion and leader in our Young Adult Leadership Training (YALT) program—and, despite his jam-packed schedule, the councilman always makes time to help raise up and train the next generation of change makers in the state. Read CDF President Marian Wright Edelman's thoughtful words on this young change maker and listen to him discuss the importance of a high quality education for all our state’s children. Children's Defense Fund's 40th Anniversary Celebration On September 30, 2013, the Children’s Defense Fund will host its 40th Anniversary Celebration at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, DC. At the event, CDF will honor former Secretary of State and Children’s Defense Fund Alumna Hillary Rodham Clinton for her dedication and contributions to child advocacy. Learn more about the event » |
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Michael Tubbs has accomplished a lot in 23 years: graduated from Stanford University with honors, founded the 
