2009 was filled with successes, challenges and amazing opportunities. Although the economic downturn posed some difficulties, the young women in CYWD’s programs remained committed to their collective and personal journeys of transformation.

2009 Highlights:

Nadiyah Sherref, a graduate of the Sister’s Rising Internship and now CYWD’s youngest board member, testified at the judiciary committee’s congressional hearing on Girls in the Juvenile Justice System: Strategies to Help Girls Achieve Their Full Potential.

Young women from CYWD sat on panels and provided keynotes and workshops on various topics ranging from Young Mothers in the System to Women Led Policy Change in Atlanta, Tennessee, Boston, New York and Los Angeles.

Of the 17 initial Sisters Rising participants, 13 young women graduated from the program. Of those 13 young women, 4 completed their probation and 4 graduated from high school and went on to pursue higher education.

All 17 young women helped plan, facilitate and participated in CYWD’s Know Justice Conference that brought together 250 young people to learn about their rights in the system and connect with community resources.

A Challenge of Note:

Many of CYWD’s corporate job placement partners suffered in the economic downturn. With reorganization, some key contacts were laid off and some companies eliminated their placement programs all together. In response, CYWD is actively cultivating new relationships with local companies. They also provided financial planning workshops to program participants to help young women cope with extended job seeking timelines.

2009 Program Overview:
Job Preparedness Outcomes:
13 set clear educational and vocational goals.
13 reported that they now know how to write a cover letter and resume.
13 reported that they now feel comfortable articulating their strengths to a potential employer.
13 reported that they now know how to use the Internet for research and Microsoft Office programs.
6 were able to gain and sustain meaningful employment and/or engage in an educational or vocational program.
13 reported increased understanding and application of work-ethic accountability.
13 disengaged from the underground street economy, completed probation and did not recidivate.

Health and Wellness Outcomes:
36 reported an increase ability to develop healthy and supportive relationships with their peers.
62 reported an increased understanding of how their health impacts their lives.
5 young mothers gained/retained custody of their children and report creating a healthy environment for their families.

It has been quite a year. We couldn’t have done this without you. Thank you for your support. We look forward to what we can achieve together in 2010.