September 2011

Primary Sources: Out of the Frying Pan, Into the Fire: Trauma in the Lives of Homeless Youth

Out of the Frying Pan, Into the Fire: Trauma in the Lives of Homeless Youth Prior to and During Homelessness, Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare, Vol. 37, No. 4, December 2010.

What it’s about:  The authors interviewed 102 homeless youth in Canada about trauma in their lives, both before and during homelessness. They found that trauma is both a cause and a consequence of youth being homeless.

NCFY Recommends: Ending Homelessness Webinar for Runaway and Homeless Youth Programs

The United States Interagency Council on Homelessness (USICH) is offering a webinar called Ending Youth Homelessness by 2020: What Runaway and Homeless Youth Program Grantees Can Do on September 29th from 1:00-2:00 pm.

New Podcast: A Youth Traveler Carves Her Own Path

In NCFY's latest podcast, we talk to Maggie, a 19-year-old who travels the country playing accordion on the street and living out of her van. Just don't call her "homeless;" Maggie rejects that word and its implications, and isn't looking for help from youth workers or shelters.

NCFY Recommends: Technology Challenge to Prevent Violence

Nearly 1 in 5 women report experiencing sexual assault while in college. Many of these assaults occur when the offender, often an acquaintance, has targeted and isolated a young woman in vulnerable circumstances.

Primary Sources: Does Parental Relationship Happiness Improve Outcomes for Children?

Parental Relationship Quality and Child Outcomes Across Subgroups,” Child Trends, April 2011.

What it's about: Researchers analyzed over 64,000 responses to the 2007 National Survey of Children’s Health, from parents of children between the ages of 6 and 17, in order to find out whether positive parental relationships affected their children’s social competence, school engagement, or communication with parents.

Right on the Money: Working with Local Homeless Education Liaisons to Raise More Money for Homeless Students

“In this economy, what’s a better investment? Kids or the stock market?” Alison Draheim asks a group of people gathered at a community event.

She’s trying to raise money for the over 800 students in the Green Bay Area Public School District who are homeless. As Family, Community and Homeless Resources Coordinator, Draheim helps enroll homeless students in school and provides backpacks with school supplies, but she realized several years ago there were still a lot of basic needs going unmet.

Primary Sources: Guide to Effectively Serving LGBTQ Youth

"LGBTQ Youth Issues: A practical guide for youth workers serving lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and questioning youth," Child Welfare League of America, 2010.

What it's about: This comprehensive, research-based resource on LGBTQ issues has concrete tips at the end of every chapter about what youth workers can do to engage and support LGBTQ youth.

Q&A: Green Chimneys on Helping Youth Secure Meaningful Internships and Employment Opportunities

Green Chimneys, a New York-based nonprofit organization, uses animal-assisted therapy and nature-based activities to strengthen the emotional health and well-being of young people and families and to foster independence. The organization recently received a grant to establish a career development program for foster care and runaway and homeless lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender youth living in New York City. NCFY interviewed Theresa Nolan, NYC Division Director, and Sarah Miles, Career Training Director, about the program.

Bright Idea: Mobile Apps Foster Community and Combat Abuse

As the director of Students Against Domestic Abuse (SADA) in Newport, RI, Jessica Walsh saw youth during regular program meetings, but some came more often than others and she wasn’t having much luck contacting them by phone or text messaging. After talking to a few young people, she realized, to her surprise, that youth would respond much more quickly through Facebook or Twitter than through the more seemingly immediate means.

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