Steadfast in Our Commitment to Equity
Dear YouthForce NOLA Family,
Before jumping into our good news and updates, I want to recognize the heartache and stress being felt by so many in our community, and across the country, as a result of the most recent deaths of multiple African-American people at the hands of white people. These murders are unfortunately not one-off aberrations, they represent centuries of disregard for the humanity of Black Americans.
The YouthForce NOLA collective vision is that our public school graduates - who are nearly all African-American - will thrive economically as a result of being the most sought-after talent for hiring and advancement in our region’s high-wage career pathways. I wake up every morning, and stay up late many nights, thinking about this vision - often worried that our talented, creative, inquisitive, and dedicated young people will not reach their futures through no fault of their own.
We must continue our collaborative efforts, we must continue our deep commitment to equity, and we must stand up against racism - in all its forms. Our future depends on this.
For resources on growing your knowledge and leadership in talking about race and racism, I encourage you to read the Racial Equity Institute’s “Groundwater Approach” and to connect with the Campaign for Equity New Orleans, of which I am an alumna. If you’re looking to support a young person in navigating race, racism, and racialized violence, here’s a set of resources from the Center for Racial Justice Education. Each of these are just a few, good starting points for needed conversation and action.
Please take good care.
My best,
Cate
Cate Swinburn
President
YouthForce NOLA
Want to know more about our impact? Check out the YouthForce NOLA annual report.
In this issue, you will find:
News about the YouthForce NOLA Soft Skills Teacher Fellowship
What's new this week
Information about our bridge year program, LAUNCH
ICYMI (In Case You Missed It)
Information on YouthForce NOLA
Valuable resources, organized for each segment of our collaborative
This year's Soft Skills Teacher Fellowship Showcase went virtual, with 50+ attendees
Being able to communicate well, think creatively, manage time, and work as part of a team are essential for thriving in just about any setting. These represent just some of the “soft skills” that our young people consistently tell us were essential in their successful navigation of the world of work. Alongside “hard,” technical skills, YouthForce NOLA is emphasizing soft skills as a core pillar of our work to prepare New Orleans public school students for success in life.
One way is through our Soft Skills Teacher Fellowship (SSTF), which trains and supports teams of teachers at public schools across the city so they can better integrate and share the importance of soft skills in their classrooms. We recently concluded this year’s Fellowship with a virtual showcase where more than 50 educators, school administrators, and non-profit professionals joined online to celebrate these educators' experiences.
Here’s some of what the Fellows had to say:
“This practice is remarkably difficult but incredibly important at the same time. Utilizing soft skills and practices daily makes you a better teacher and allows kids to develop a better classroom culture. Students build off of each other's ideas and get a communal experience.” - Kyle Smith, Livingston Collegiate High School
“There is no limit to what students can do as long as teachers demonstrate the marriage between soft skills and content.” - Greg Thompson, Einstein Charter High School
“Soft skills were necessary to build students up to show them they can do the things they think they can’t.” - Shea Turner, Edna Karr High School
Learn more about how we’re empowering young people through soft skills at youthforcenola.org/soft-skills.
YouthForce Virtual Internships Featured on Fox 8 TV
“Share” Your End of Year Celebrations - Public School Advocates created a map of New Orleans made up of Instagram images of end of year and graduation celebrations from New Orleans Public Schools, and you can add yours too!
GiveNOLA Day is tomorrow, Tuesday, June 2 - GiveNOLA Day is a 24-hour event hosted by the Greater New Orleans Foundation to inspire people to give generously to nonprofits making our region stronger, creating a thriving community for all. Learn more and donate to your favorite nonprofits (including several YouthForce NOLA partners) here.
Figuring out what to do after high school is hard. Good news: there’s a new option for New Orleans public high school graduates. LAUNCH is a free bridge year program that connects young people with brighter futures.
Students in LAUNCH:
College: earn transferable college credits
Career: train and build skills for a high paying career
Life: develop a strong and flexible five-year plan with the support of a dedicated coach
...And receive technology tools and transportation
...All for free!
Now more than ever, recent high school graduates may be wondering “what’s next?” For many, the time isn't right for traditional college or the workforce. LAUNCH is a free, one-year program that provides skills, confidence, and connections for long-term success. Our virtual programming allows students to learn from home with guidance from dedicated Success Coaches. In this uncertain time, this kind of support and coaching is more valuable than ever.
LAUNCH is accepting applications now for the 2020-2021 year.
apply.youthforcenola.org
Our immediate response to the pandemic was to restructure our programs, compile resources, maintain a web page, and help our partners and community organizations navigate the evolving situation.
We continue to:
Provide policy guidance,
Advance soft skills building virtually,
Innovate in how young people develop career awareness and gain first-hand work experience, and
Support young people in a post-high school bridge year program in which they develop core skills, expand their networks, and embark on their post-secondary pathways.
We're also looking ahead to how to best support the ecosystem, adapt program models, and deliver on our mission, in a new, virtual or distanced, world.
Subscribe to Our Lists
We send emails to a variety of discrete stakeholder groups with information tailored to their interests, such as students, educators, and employers. If you’d like to subscribe to join one or more of these segmented email lists, click here.
There are numerous online resources for students, families, and educators being compiled by a variety of organizations. YouthForce NOLA is most frequently turning to, and pointing others to, three of our collaborative partners as the primary trusted sources for information: the City of New Orleans, NOLA Public Schools, and GNO, Inc.
City of New Orleans Covid-19 Webpage - resources available to residents, from food and housing to legal and financial support >> LEARN MORE
NOLA Public Schools Covid-19 Webpage - information and resources for schools as well as students and their families >> LEARN MORE
GNO, Inc. Covid-19 Webpage - resources and updates for businesses and workers >> LEARN MORE
YouthForce Covid-19 Webpage - information on our program and links to trusted resources >> LEARN MORE
Resources for Students and Families
Meals
The City is organizing many food programs
NOLA Public Schools is working with partners on a Citywide Feeding Program for young people
Second Harvest is providing food assistance to families in need
Lyft is now offering free rides to grab-and-go meals, tap ‘Enter promo code’ and add the code: CV19NOLAPS20
Internet - NOLA Public Schools has secured WiFi hotspots and Chromebooks and is distributing them in coordination with schools based upon need. Cox, ATT, Verizon and other providers are also offering support.
Job Openings - GNO, Inc. has compiled a running list on WorkNOLA.com of companies looking to fill immediate labor needs
Job Fairs - The Urban League of Louisiana’s Office of Workforce Development is offering Virtual Job Fairs to connect job-seekers to essential-industry jobs
Career and Technical Education - Many local training providers are offering free and reduced training and education programs
Child Care Assistance
Louisiana Department of Education opened the Child Care Assistance Program (CCAP) to support essential critical infrastructure personnel
Agenda for Children is helping connect essential workers with group and in-home child care options
Financial Aid for Gig Workers - The New Orleans Business Alliance created a relief fund for gig economy workers
Financial Aid for Hospitality Workers - The United Way of Southeast Louisiana created the Hospitality Cares Pandemic Fund
Youth Camps & Youth Employment - The Mayor's Summer Youth Employment Program and has shifted to an online process to preregister for its youth camps and employment programs
Urban League of Louisiana has created a Covid-19 web page for its various programs that serve the community
Information for Families - Agenda for Children has organized resources for families, including ideas for activities and tools for helping young children deal with hard emotions
How to talk with children about Coronavirus - Messages for parents, school staff, and others working with children
Mental Health Support - SAMHSA’s Disaster Distress Helpline is a toll-free, multilingual, confidential crisis support service that connects any U.S. resident in need to a trained crisis counselor; call 1-800-985-5990 or text “TalkWithUs” to 66746
Resources for Schools and Educators
Louisiana Department of Education released a suite of resources to support school system leaders with academic and workforce planning during this extraordinary time
NOLA Public Schools is providing resources and updates for schools, including for distance learning
New Schools for New Orleans is supporting schools, sharing resources, and providing updates
GNO, Inc. is highlighting free and reduced training and education programs
Junior Achievement is providing free online Lesson Plans to teachers and parents
LAPCS is providing charter schools with guidance and sample resources to support planning and communications to your school community
Agenda for Children has organized resources for emergency child care options, information for families, and resources for early learning centers
NGLC created an annotated list of links to high-quality tools and materials for educators
ConnectED is offering a series of free online workshops aimed at supporting educators
Learning Keeps Going, the Edsurge/ISTE resource website for free products and support, includes an index where educators can search and filter to find what they need
Resources for Employers
Greater New Orleans, Inc.
is sending daily emails with up-to-date information and resources
is compiling a running list of job opportunities
is continually updating their Covid web page
New Orleans Business Alliance is working to ensure residents and businesses have access to available resources
Louisiana Economic Development has launched a hotline (225-342-4321) for businesses to call with questions related to the impact of the coronavirus
This is but a snapshot of the efforts underway across the YouthForce NOLA network and by no means exhaustive. If you know of news or resources you would like us to share, please let us know.