| Conference Opportunities |
Conference scheduled for Foster Youths or Youths Adopted Out of Foster
Care - March 3rd
Independent Living Resources, Inc. (ILR), LINKS, and SaySo, Inc. (Strong
Able Youth Speak Out) are
sponsoring a FREE conference for foster youths or youths adopted out
of foster care. SaySo Saturday is a one-day youth conference for SaySo
members and anyone interested in being a member (14 - 24 year-old
youths who are or have been in foster care). The conference has advocacy
workshops for youth. Details: Saturday, March 3 9:30 AM - 3:30 PM at
GTCC in Jamestown. Visit online for more information http://www.saysoinc.org.
|
| Science Matters |
 Key Facts: Race, Ethnicity, & Medical Care, 2007 Update
The
Kaiser Family Foundation released an updated version of the report entitled "Key
Facts: Race, Ethnicity, & Medical Care, 2007 Update." This publication
serves as a quick reference source on health disparities, presenting the best
available data and analysis. To view the report click here.
*For more resources on minority health issues, go here. Study Says Some Doctors Do Not Tell Patients about Contraception
A
new study says some physicians do not tell patients about treatments that they
are morally opposed to, such as contraception. (Curlin, F.A. et al. (2007). Religion,
Conscience, and Controversial Clinical Practices. New England Journal of
Medicine, 356(6),593-600). Survey Shows Support for School-Based Healthcare
According to a
nationwide survey conducted on behalf of the WK Kellogg Foundation, the majority
of voters support providing health care in schools. Support for this service
crosses demographic, partisan, and regional boundaries, and this support remains
strong in 2007. For more information, click here. Teen Pregnancy Rates Down
According to new data from the CDC, the
birth rate for teen mothers (aged 15 to 19 years) declined by 2 percent between
2004 and 2005, falling to 40.4 births per 1000 women, the lowest ever recorded
in the 65 years for which there are consistent data. (Hamilton, B.E. et al.
(2007). Annual
Summary of Vital Statistics: 2005. Pediatrics, 119 (2),345-360).
The Impact of After-School Programs that Promote Personal and Social
Skills
The Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning
(CASEL) recently posted a review of analytic research about the impact of
afterschool programs on children's social and emotional development and school
success. To view the report, visit http://www.casel.org/downloads/ASP-
Full.pdf.
NIH Cites Disproportionate Burden of
HIV/AIDS on African Americans
The director of the National Institute on
Allergy and Infectious Diseases in the National Institutes of Health said that
although African Americans are 13 percent of the American population, in 2005
they represented approximately 50 percent of new HIV/AIDS diagnoses. "African
Americans have long been disproportionately affected by HIV/AIDS, and that
disparity has only deepened over time," Anthony Fauci said. To read more about
this issue, click here.
|
| Funding Opportunities |
 Tribal Youth Program Training and Technical Assistance
Funded by the
US Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, this grant opportunity
is designed to provide training and technical assistance to enhance the capacity
of Tribal Youth program grantees and American Indian and Alaska Native
communities to develop and implement comprehensive systemwide approaches that
prevent, reduce and control juvenile delinquency.
Deadline: March 5,
2007 for more information, click here.
Improving the Health of Immigrant and Refugee Communities
Funded by
the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, this grant opportunity is designed to
support new community-based approaches to health and health care problems faced
by immigrants and refugees, specifically addressing ways for improving the
health of new residents by linking how social factors affect health
outcomes. Deadline: April 13, 2007 For more information click here.
HIV Transmission Prevention Research
This funding opportunity will
support research in the United States to determine the efficacy of adapted
evidence-based behavioral interventions (EBIs). EBIs will be adapted through a
systematic process for new populations at high risk for acquiring or
transmitting HIV.
Deadline: February 28, 2007 (Letter of Intent),
March 30, 2007 (Application)
For more information, visit http://www.cdc.gov/od/pgo/fund
ing/PS07-004.htm#SectionII.
The Rosenberg Fund for Children
Funded by the Rosenberg Fund for
Children, this funding opportunity is designed to support counseling, school
tuition, camp tuition, cultural lessons, after-school programs, prison visits,
educational or therapeutic travel, and post-high school books and supplies for
college or other educational training. Deadline: March 21, 2007 and
October 13, 2007
For more information, visit www
.rfc.org/basicinformation.htm or contact (413) 529-0063 or rfc@rfc.org.
Center for Disease Control and Prevention Funding Opportunity
Announcement (FOA): HIV/AIDS Risk Reduction Interventions for
Heterosexually-Active
African-American Men (UR6) FOA Number: RFA-PS-07-002 A complete description of this
"Funding Opportunity Announcement" (FOA) can be found on GRANTS.GOV.
Application
Closing Date: March 30, 2007 2007 EC Access Campaign Grant Program
The Institute for Reproductive
Health Access is currently accepting proposals for local projects that work to
expand access to emergency contraception (EC) by effecting EC policy change
and/or related EC advocacy efforts at the city, county, or state levels in the
new "dual-label" EC environment. Deadline: March 1, 2007 For more
information, contact Christina Tenuta at ctenuta@prochoiceny.org or fax (212)
343- 0119.
National Fatherhood Initiative Grants
These grants are available for
organizations wanting to strategically develop responsible fatherhood programs
for their communities.Deadline: March 6, 2007 For more
information, visit http://www.fatherhood.org/grant/.
Orphan Foundation of America & Casey Family Scholars
Program
Orphan Foundation of America (OFA) in conjunction with Casey
Family Programs and other generous sponsors offers approximately 100 new
scholarships annually for young people out of foster care. Deadline:
March 31, 2007 For more information visit: http ://www.orphan.org/scholarships.html or contact Tina Raheem at
scholarships@orphan.org.
|
| In the News |
Success After Foster Care: In Their Own Words
The latest issue of
Youth Communication's Foster Teen magazine features youth-written
accounts of "aging out" of foster care or residential treatment, and what can
help make the transition to adulthood less jarring. A separate series focuses on
overcoming sexual abuse. For more information, visit http://www.youthcomm.org/Publications/FCYU.
htm. *See also the article, "For Former Foster Care Youths, Help to Make
It on Own" (Source: New
York Times, 127/2007)
Merck Encouraging States to Mandate HPV Vaccine
Merck recently has
been providing lobbyists throughout the country with information about its human
papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine Gardasil in an effort to encourage states to
mandate that middle- school age girls receive it. (Source: Smitherman, Baltimore
Sun, 1/29/2007).
National Condom/Contraception Awareness Week
This week brings
awareness to the importance of protecting oneself from STIs, HIV, and unwanted
pregnancies. Dates: February 12-17, 2007, with February 14th,
Valentine's Day, as National Condom/Contraception Awareness Day For
more information, click here.
February Issue of Health and Health Care in Schools Online
In
this issue of Health and Health Care in Schools , you will find articles
on relevant topics including "Texas Is First State to Require Pre-Teen HPV
Immunization." To view the e-journal, visit http://www.healthinschools.org/ejournal/ejournal.htm
.
|
| Teen Time |
 One Voice: Reproductive Health and Population Summit - Essay
Contest
Advocates for Youth, Population Connection, SIECUS, and the
Sierra Club invite youth advocates, ages 16-24, to tell us in an essay of no
more than 500 words about the potential roles youth can play in advocating for a
world where all people have access to sexual and reproductive health services
and a healthy environment, and how you will bring your experience from a
training in Washington, DC, back to your school, campus, and/or community in
order to create change and further dialogue on these issues. Deadline:
February 20, 2007, at 5:00pm EST. For more information, contact
submissions@advocatesforyouth.org.
Colin Higgins Youth Courage Awards
Funded by the Colin Higgins Foundation, this grant opportunity is
designed for individuals who demonstrate courage in the face of adversity and
discrimination based on gender and/or sexual orientation. Deadline: March
2, 2007 For more information, visit www.colinhiggins.org/courageawards/index.cf
m.
|
Take Action
|
 Back Up Your Birth Control Campaign
The Back Up Your Birth Control
Campaign launched its new 2007 campaign this month. Advocates will now have
access to the 2007 campaign Web site, plus a new emergency contraception (EC) Web
site for teens. For more information and resources, visit http:/ /www.backupyourbirthcontrol.org/. |
|
| Legislative News |
The Cost of Childhood Poverty
In testimony before the U.S. House Ways
and Means Committee, visiting fellow Harry Holzer says the costs to the United
States associated with childhood poverty total about $500 billion per year, or
the equivalent of nearly 4 percent of GDP. This suggests that investing
significant resources in poverty reduction might be more cost-effective than
previously thought. For more information, visit http://www.urban.org/u
rl.cfm?ID=901032&renderforprint=1.
Bill Would Cancel Funding for Expanded HIV Services to Pregnant Women,
Infants
The $463 billion spending resolution (HJ Res 20) for fiscal year
2007 passed last week by the House contains a provision that cancels funding for
a program aimed at supporting state-level efforts to provide HIV prevention,
early diagnosis, and counseling services to pregnant women and infants. (Source:
Cohn, CongressDaily,
2/7/2007).
Survey Shows Support for School-Based Healthcare
According to a
nationwide survey conducted on behalf of the WK Kellogg Foundation, the majority
of voters support providing health care in schools. Support for this service
crosses demographic, partisan, and regional boundaries, and this support remains
strong in 2007. For more information, visit http://www.wkkf.org/default.aspx?
tabid=90&CID=316&ItemID=5000310&NID=61&Languag eID=0.
|
| Resources |
 2007 NATIONAL DAY PROMOTIONAL ITEMS NOW AVAILABLE
Materials to promote the 2007 National Day to Prevent Teen Pregnancy (May 2, 2007) are now available in the National Campaign online store. This year, the National Campaign is offering National Day wristbands, temporary tattoos, and pens. All of these items sold out last year, so place your order as soon as possible. Find out more about the National Day to Prevent Teen Pregnancy and shop at the online store by clicking here.
Also from the National Campaign:
NEW BROCHURE FOR FOSTER TEENS ON PREVENTING TEEN PREGNANCY
Teens get lots of advice from adults, but they usually aren't asked to offer their own. That's why the National Campaign asked teens growing up in foster care to tell us what they wanted to know about teen pregnancy prevention and what advice they would give to their peers. This handy, magazine-style brochure tells what teens have to say in their own words. You may download copies of "Our Story, Our Words: Youth Speak Out on Sex, Love, and Teen Pregnancy" at www.teenpregnancy.org
Additional Sex Education and Other Programs That Work to Prevent Teen
Pregnancy, HIV & STIs
This document serves as a supplement to a
previous evaluation (Advocates
for Youth, 2003) and identifies an additional five programs, bringing
the total to 24 programs that have been proven effective by rigorous
evaluation.(Science
and Success: Supplement I - Sex Education and Other Programs That Work to
Prevent Teen Pregnancy, HIV & Sexually Transmitted Infections.
Advocates for Youth, 2003).
"How Effective Are Your Community Services?" - Procedures for Performance
Measurement
The book, "How Effective Are Your Community Services?,"
highlights the steps necessary to select measures of service quality and use
them efficiently. This guide enables government agencies to assess whether they
are doing the right things and how well they are doing them. For more
information, visit http://www.urban.org/publications/611339.html
Policy Compendium on Confidential Health Services for Adolescents
The
Center for Adolescent Health and Law has produced a policy compendium that
includes material drawn from 20 medical and health care organization policies
regarding confidentiality in adolescent health care. To view the Compendium, click here.
Performance Measurement: Getting Results, Second Edition
The Urban
Institute Press is releasing an updated edition of Harry Hatry's "Performance
Measurement: Getting Results." The new edition expands Hatry's step-by-step
explanation of how to obtain and analyze outcome data and discusses the major
uses of this vital information. For more information, visit http://www.urban.org/books/PerformanceM
easurement/.
Strategies for Nonprofit Engagement in Legislative Advocacy
The
Center for Lobbying in the Public Interest (CLPI) has produced an online
resource guide for nonprofits that describes the steps and resources needed for
a nonprofit organization to use legislative advocacy to advance their mission,
build organizational capacity, and develop a strategy. The publication also
details the legal issues involved, outlining the lobbying activities nonprofits
can and cannot do. For more information, visit http://www.clpi.org/Make_a_Differen
ce_Resource_Guide.aspx.
|
|
