YP! is pleased to report that four of the five Regional Centers of Excellence Teams now have youth involvement. We are excited to collaborate with the Office of Mental Health and regional stakeholders to ensure that the young population is represented during this important phase of systems transformation. At this point, the Central Region is the only region that does not have authentic youth voice. YP! applauds the efforts of the community as well as individual Regional Youth Partners in advocating to participate on these teams.

Youth representatives on each of the teams is as follows:

Long Island: Nicole Giambalvo, Nassau County Family Support System of Care Youth Engagement Specialist

(631) 264-5438 x104 or youthengage@lift4kids.org 

New York City: Pauline Gordon, YP! NYC Regional Youth Partner

(347)880-2735 or pgordon@youthpowerny.org

Hudson River: Carrie Holmes, YP! Hudson River Regional Youth Partner

(518) 432-0333 ext. 34 or cholmes@youthpowerny.org

Western Region: Jessica Hollins, YP! Western Regional Youth Partner

(585) 314-2452 or jhollins@youthpowerny.org 

The long standing GED test will be going away in several states starting next year. The familiar test was recently bought by Pearson's Inc.  Since buying the test the new owners have made many changes to the test; all of which will take effect in 2014. The new version would have doubled in cost, been more difficult with content not yet taught in schools and done away with the use of pencil and paper.

  

Many states including New York have decided to choose a new test. Several different tests have been offered as alternatives. New York as well as Indiana have chosen the Test Assessing Secondary Completion (TASC), which is developed by testing company CTB McGraw-Hill. Several other states chose to go with HiSET another test that has been offered through the Educational Testing Service (ETS) since the new pathway to a high school diploma was unveiled.

The new test keeps costs down, as New York pays the bill for people. The state did not want to decrease the number of people they were able to pay for. The time allotted for phase in for the harder content and the retention of the pencil and paper method will allow many more testing centers to remain open and functioning. Keeping these testing centers open and the price down are very important to making sure people have access to the test. As New York's pass rate is one of the lowest in the country, test takers are also going to have to go through prep programs to help increase pass rates.

Additionally anyone who needs to finish a GED test from the current GED, whether they are in a state to change their test or not must finish before January 1, 2014. If you do not have it completely finished before the end of year your test will not count and you will have to start over.

To learn more about changing testing requirements and pathways to high school graduation, contact Brett McMullin, YP! Systems Advocate at bmcmullin@youthpowerny.org or 1 (518) 432-0333 ext. 14.

October is a time to recognize several events that affect our day to day life; without recognition or awareness it would be almost impossible to continue to see improvement.

National Youth Justice Awareness Month

 Did you know that October is National Youth Justice Awareness Month? National Youth Justice Awareness Month, (Y-JAM) is a chance for people all over the country to raise awareness about the issue of youth being sentenced and incarcerated as adults.  Various states in observation of Y-JAM are hosting community-led events to raise awareness of this cause. As advocates, we must get involved and educate ourselves about local campaigns challenging to reform our juvenile justice system for the better.

 Y-JAM was created by Tracey McClard, an advocate and parent whose 16 year old son, Jonathan McClard was tried and incarcerated as an adult in Missouri's criminal justice system.  Jonathan had pleaded guilty for shooting an unarmed teenager three times at a local car wash in July, 2007.  Several days after his 17th birthday, Jonathan was found dead in his prison cell. Jonathon had committed suicide.

Mrs. McClard gave a compelling testimony before the House Committee on Education and Labor Full Committee Hearing on "Reforming the Juvenile Justice System to Improve Children's Lives and Public Safety." Mrs. McClard spoke of the horrific circumstances her son faced in the adult prison system. "He was a 140 lb., slight built, 16 year old child among much older, bigger men." During one of her visits to meet her son, McClard describes that "Jonathan had cuts and bruises all over his face, ears, and head. His hair was shaved off and he had a tattoo under his eye. He was told by the other inmates in the facility he needed the tattoo to survive."  According to Jonathon, every day was a fight for survival in the prison. Although gang violence wasn't allowed in the prison, it seemed to be a regular lifestyle for the inmates. While in the adult prison system both of Jonathon's medical and educational needs were neglected. As co chair of Y-JAM, Mrs. McClard advocates that no child, regardless of the crime, should be tried as an adult. 

As a community we commit a bigger crime than our "juvenile offenders" when we fail to provide appropriate services to rehabilitate our troubled youth. It is saddening that instead of rehabilitation services, we erase the innocence of our children and force them to live in inhumane conditions.  To commemorate Y-JAM it's important to shed light on the story of George Stinney Jr. In 1944, George Stinney Jr. was the youngest American to be sentenced to capital punishment at the tender age of 14.  In North Carolina during the rise of Jim Crow Laws, George Stinney Jr. was found guilty for the killing of two white girls. The case to this day is deemed controversial because there was insufficient or barely any evidence to prove he committed the crime.

Bullying Prevention Awareness Month

 Bullying Prevention Awareness is among October's recognition list; bullying has always been present through the years but now with social media so readily available bullying has become an increasing problem. It's time to help those who have been or are being bullied, it's time to stand up against bullies and put an end to bullying; October brings the chance to make your voice be heard and raise awareness that bullying is a crime. YOUTH POWER!  not only acknowledges "bullying as discrimination [and] will not be tolerated [we also acknowledge] victims deserve the highest level of respect and protection. Furthermore, we feel bullies need youth-driven support and positive interventions. We call on every person in New York State to address this important community problem. It's important to support bullying prevention and intervention programs not only in schools but across state systems, in local communities and on the Internet. Peer mediation programs should be available in all school settings."

National Disability Employment Awareness Month

Held each October, National Disability Employment Awareness Month (NDEAM) is a national campaign that raises awareness about disability employment issues and celebrates the many and varied contributions of America's workers with disabilities. The theme for 2013 is "Because We Are EQUAL to the Task." The awareness first started back in 1945 when Congress enacted a law declaring the first week in October-later changed to a month-"National Employ the Physically Handicapped Week." However, in 1962 "physically" was removed to include a broader pool of disabled individuals. Then, in 2001 the law was changed to "National Disability Employment Awareness Month." It's held through the years and it's only right we continue using October to raise awareness.  

Youth History Month

Hardly recognized, barely remembered October is Youth History Month, a month of educating youth on past successes of other youth. It is not only meant to be a reminder but also an inspiration, a if only a speck of hope for youth now who know the impossible is indeed possible. Some familiar and not so familiar youth worthy of reorganization and remembrance have touched our history in many different aspects. History (Eliza Lucas age 16 took over her father's South Carolina plantation and became one of the wealthiest business leaders in the American colonies); culture (Jane Austin age 14 when she wrote Love and Friendship); literature (S.E. Hinton age 15 when she wrote The Outsiders); literacy (Louis Braille age 15 when he created the Braille writing system); math and science (Évariste Galois who by the age of 20 created an entire branch of Algebra). If there ever was a time to recognize the past youth successes the month of October would be it, their stories and accomplishments are histories worth repeating. 

Pauline Gordon, New York City Regional Youth Partner and Terri Lewis, Network Assistant, contributed to this story.

When: October 25, 2013          

9:30 AM - 4:30 PM   

Where: Albany NY

The College of St Rose

Events and Athletic Center

Standish Room, 2nd Floor

If you are stressed at work or at home, this is the training for you. If you work with individuals who are living stressful lives, this is the training for you.

Come join us and learn about tools and techniques that you can start to use immediately or slowly work into your daily life.

$85 includes continental breakfast, lunch and materials, register here.

For additional information, please contact Lorraine McMullin at mcmullil@strose.edu or call 518-944-0737.

On Saturday, September 28th, at the Hillside Phoenix Center in Syracuse, sixty youth gathered for the first ever Onondaga Youth Involvement Conference. The conference was organized by the Center for Community Alternatives and a planning team that included Central Regional Youth Partner Colleen Deitrich, as well as several local and regional youth.

The morning was filled with motivational speakers, including DJ Maestro, a local radio DJ on station HOT 107.9, Amelia Ryan, a fourteen year old girl who gained national recognition for an essay she wrote about her experiences , and YOUTH POWER!'s Executive Director Stephanie Orlando, who was the keynote speaker for the day.

DJ Maestro talked passionately about how important it is to overcome setbacks and to set goals for yourself. Amelia Ryan, having won an essay contest, talked about "how one small voice can teach the world a song," an inspiring idea that she learned while doing mission work in Africa. Stephanie Orlando spoke about her personal experiences with the mental health system, as well as how she overcome adversity and got to where she is today as, among other things, a Presidential Appointee to the National Council on Disability.

The rest of the day was filled with breakout sessions, where the youth went to different stations with topics that interested them. Stephanie Orlando led a session on changes in the systems and how they directly affect youth. In the afternoon, Colleen Deitrich presented on the concept of using art and Artivism to express your story. The day ended with a Mental Health-themed version of Family Feud.

"If we have enough success this year, we may make it even bigger next year," says Bruce Brumsfeld, the Youth Engagement Director of the Center for Community Alternatives, and the head of the conference planning team. "Maybe expand it so it goes region-wide in a few years. But we wanted to test the waters first and keep it limited and close to Syracuse." 

Colleen Deitrich is the Central Regional Youth Partner for YOUTH POWER!. For more information, contact Colleen at cdeitrich@youthpowerny.org or (315) 679-1476