Job training for 17 at-risk girls in San Francisco

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.

The Center for Young Women Development works with young women of color who were formerly incarcerated, who worked in the street economies, who may have been or may not have been in school. Their programs help these young women transform into the leaders, policy-makers, researchers, employers and activists that they were born to be. These young women moved up through our programs into leadership roles. Together, they healed from past experiences. Together, they dreamed and achieved their own visions for the future.

This is one of the scholarship recipient’s story.

Kenisha, 17 Kenisha is from Bay View Hunters Point and has been a program participant at the Center for Young Women’s Development for two years now. She is currently a senior Sisters Rising organizer. We are proud to announce that she will be graduating with the class of 2009. After working hard on college applications she has now been accepted to San Francisco State University, where she plans to attend in the fall.

“The Center has taught me how to use skills I already have to achieve my goals at work and home. CYWD has been a place I can come to get support in all areas of my life including, home, school and my personal life. I don’t think I would have been able to do all the fun stuff we have done without the Center, like going to New York City.”

Help us fully fund this program for Kenisha and 33 other young women.

Kenisha and 16 incredible young women will graduate from the Sisters Rising Program at the end of the summer. We only have $1,740 left to raise to send them off into their new lives with the skills they need to grown into their promise. Fully funding this year’s group of women will allow us to support 17 more women in 2010. That’s 34 young women. 34 young women will get the chance they so desperately need.

Thank you for considering this opportunity to support the lives and dreams of these young women.