TheBlackList Concerns: Closing Gaps, Youth Job & Scholarship Fairs, For Our Daughters and More . . .

"Our children don't care how much we know until they know how much we care."

VOLUME 3 APRIL 2012

The National Black TEEN Empowerment Expo (www.nbtee.org) knows we have all the resources to improve the quality of life and learning for our young generation. We focus on community outreach (both on the streets and online), collaboration building and youth engagement to consistently connect more of our children, TEENS and young adults to more resources every day.

By applying a combination of live events, media and online communication tools, we've been able to engage, encourage and enrich our youth, and generate more awareness and support for many wonderful youth-serving individuals and organizations.

If you're a youth resource, we'd like to connect and promote your wonderful works; please click here to complete and return this form via email (info@nbtee.org) or fax (718.855.2411).

The NBTEE is building youth movements in communities and cities across the country. Each youth movement is a coalition of concerned community members, along with community and youth groups, who are willing to work as one for our children, and with our teens and young adults, to build better tomorrow and brighter futures every day. Today, youth movements exist in Detroit, Brooklyn (NYC) and Baltimore, and we're partnering with great souls like Sheila Ferguson of Rising Star Music Awards (www.risingstarmusicawards.com) and Kymm Barnett of The Youth Talent Expo (www.youthtalentexpo.com), to launch new youth movements in Atlanta and Los Angeles later this year. If you're in the Atlanta or Los Angeles areas, and want to learn more about these new youth movements, please call Ms. Ferguson at 951.685.3552, or Ms. Barnett at 404.610.8744. Also check out their websites to learn more about their respective initiatives that we're bringing to other communities, and, most of all, please support their wonderful works.

This newsletter now reaches more than 36,000 supporters, most of whom work with youth, and care about our communities of children. We're also connecting to thousands more via a strong social media and online presence. Make sure to become our next best Facebook friend on Youth Pages (400+ members) and The Better Detroit Youth Movement groups (1,400+ members).

The truth is we are all youth resources. We all have time, talent or treasure to invest in our children. The greater truth is there is no “youth” without “you”. That's why the NBTEE's work now and today is how we can come together to work together tomorrow to build brighter futures for our children every day and always. Together, let's prove we have all the resources to improve the quality of life and learning for our children, teens and young adults!

The National Youth Resource Network

What if there was one place we could all go to access a variety of programs, activities, opportunities and events for children, teens and young adults? Launching later this year, The National Youth Resource Network is a new website that features a variety of youth-serving individuals and youth-serving organizations -- including our existing youth movements in Detroit, Brooklyn (NYC) and Baltimore, and upcoming youth movements in Atlanta and Los Angeles. As we continue to add content to the site and build the brand, it will become an important online directory to consistently consolidate vital information that can help more children achieve in school and succeed in life.

Please become of a member of The National Youth Resource Network by signing up today at www.nyrnetwork.org.

We also need volunteers to spend a few hours each week posting resources to this website. Email us at info@nyrnetwork.org if you'd like to help, with our great gratitude.

Scholarship Information

The Shawn Carter Scholarship Foundation is unique in that it offers scholarships to single mothers, children who attend alternative schools, students who have earned a GED, students with grade point averages of 2.0 and students who have previously been incarcerated, etc., but want to pursue a higher educational opportunity. This group is generally not the recipients of college scholarships and is typically ignored by the Board / Department of Education.

The Shawn Carter Foundation offers scholarship opportunities to any under-served student across the United States who desires a higher education. One of the key questions asked by the Foundation when students apply for a scholarship is: What are your plans to give back to the community? Click here to apply today.

And since we receive alot of requests for scholarship information, here's a partial listing of scholarships to help more students reach their dreams of higher education.

And if you'd like to bring a scholarship fair to your city, please reach out to our partner, Infinite Scholars (www.infinitescholar.org).

The Better Detroit Youth Movement

Celebrating its fifth year, The Better Detroit Youth Movement is a non-profit coalition of great groups and incredible individuals committed to working together to improve the quality of life and learning for Detroit's young generation.

On June 29th, from 12:00 to 4:00 p.m., we'll be hosting "The Better Detroit Youth Job Summit", at Bert's Warehouse. Set up for the event will take place between 10:00 a.m. and noon to accomodate the large number of participating businesses and attendees. This should be an opportunity for youth, primarily middle school to college aged, to explore topics related to obtaining employment and interviewing for jobs. This will also be an opportunity for prospective employers to speak with a large number of individuals concerned about the community and prospects for employment. For more information or to RSVP, email info@betterdetroityouth.org. We are looking to create a paradigm shift whereby youth are encouraged and hopeful of their futures. We believe that employment opportunities would go a long way toward that perspective.

We’re also hosting The Fourth Annual Detroit Scholarship Fair, at Cobo Hall, on September 25th. If you’d like to learn more or participate in this powerful event that awards free college scholarships to deserving high school students, or be an event sponsor, call Jay at 313.350.0697. And let’s make sure our juniors and seniors start preparing now.

All smiles at a recent event are attorneys Lynda White and Aisa Villarosa-Berg with the BDYM's Youth Mentor Bill Pointer, and Youth Advisors Marteise Shelton, Lanita Carter, Jessica Higgs and Sharona Dorsey-Walker. Lynda is Director of The ARK Non-Violence Program, and Aisa is Founder of the 313 Project and a member of The Michigan Children's Law Center.

The Better Detroit Youth Movement’s G.L.O.W. (Girls Leaning on Women) program consists of professional women within the BDYM coalition who are dedicated to providing positive role models, motivation and resources for young ladies. To address the HIV/AIDS and STD epidemic affecting African American adolescent females, G.L.O.W will implement SIHLE (Sisters Informing Healing Living and Empowering), a peer-led, social-skills training intervention aimed at reducing HIV sexual risk behaviors among African American teenage females, ages 14 to 18. The training consists of four sessions (three-hours each), delivered by two peer facilitators (ages 18 to 21) and adult facilitators in a community-based setting. The sessions are designed for 10 to -12 African American teenage females. The sessions are gender-specific, culturally relevant and include behavioral skills practice, group discussions, lectures, role-playing, and take-home exercises.

We are currently seeking peer facilitators to deliver this powerful training. For more info, call Cynthera McNeil at 734.560.2632.

The BDYM is also hard at work on a Teen Pregnancy Prevention Initiative to provide participating youth with information related to:

Risk vs. non risk behaviors that transmit infections
Facts about sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and prevention
Goal-setting skills
Abstinence and/or Refusal skills
Communication with family members, other trusted adults and peers about sexual decisions and potential consequences
Identifying, avoiding and escaping risky sexual situations
Setting personal limits
Methods for reducing risk of STIs and pregnancy
Legal, financial, health, social, and emotional consequences of sex
Positive relationship building skills with friends and family

We are seeking volunteers, parents, community organizations and students to join our team, and assist in developing activities and providing mentors for and to our youth. For more information contact Rae @ 313.732.7470 or rglover3@hfhs.org.

Finally, the BDYM would like to acknowledge Brianna Moore for her valuable contributions to the organization. Brianna is a 21-year-old student and freelance journalist. She's also an arts and culture reporter for The Michigan Citizen, a member of our G.L.OW. team, and an important part of several Better Detroit News media projects.

Brianna's currently completing her Bachelors Degree from The University of Michigan Dearborn, and continues to make a difference in Detroit by using her journalistic skills to inform and enrich communities and children.

Check out her recent article on the BDYM here and her new blog.

To continue nurturing her wonderful talents, Brianna is currently seeking a mentor in the journalism field who can assist her with gathering career ideas and guide her in the right direction so she sets realistic goals. Please email us at info@betterdetroityouth.org if you can help. She and we thank you in advance.

The Better Brooklyn Youth Movement

The Better Brooklyn Youth Movement (BBYM) is pleased to partner with The Gang Diversion, Reentry, And Absent Fathers Intervention Centers of New York City (GRAAFICS), an innovative, powerful non-profit group that is empowering students, schools, families and communities.

GRAAFICS was created to serve as a 'port-of-exit' for young men genuinely interested in discontinuing negative or criminal behavior. It assists current gang members, former gang members, the incarcerated, the formerly incarcerated, and absent fathers with reforming the attitudes and behaviors that directly contribute to unhealthy, counterproductive decisions.

The mission of the GRAAFICS program is to decrease criminal activity, recidivism and absent fathering by providing positive 'real-time' alternatives for people genuinely interested in change.

The organization visualizes helping children by helping 'fathers' become more responsible; helping ex-offenders' by providing healthy alternatives to reoffending; helping gang members by providing a safe 'out' that will lead to more productive lives; and helping the community by changing the way our participants think, process and approach situations.

This September, GRAAFICS will be in more than 110 schools throughout NYC. With life skills enrichment programs for disruptive, “at-risk” students during school hours, GRAAFICS provides personal attention and better outcomes for these young men and women, and, at the same time, is ensuring teachers can better focus on teaching and students can better focus on learning. GRAAFICS also delivers powerful evening programs for young fathers, current and former gang members and ex-offenders, and is providing valuable, viable opportunities for these populations when there often are few, if any.

Recently featured on ABC’s “Here and Now”, GRAAFICS uses familiar street life situations to produce 'real time' alternatives that have proven effective in saving lives. Click these images to watch the show:

GRAAFICS services include gang diversion, bullying, reentry, fatherhood, life skills, etiquette, mentoring, employment, education, anger management, pre-release, etc.

For a complete list of its services, visit www.graafics.org, and for a visual of what GRAAFICS is accomplishing in schools, visit www.facebook.com/graafics.

The BBYM and GRAAFICS are currently producing a series of films we believe can change the ways our communities support children. One of our segments will capture the lives of young gang members, offer us insight about why young men (and young women) join gangs, and address the desire of many young "gang bangers" to lead more positive and productive lives if provided opportunities (and options) to so do.

We'd like to give a BIG thanks to Alvin of Hawk Finn Productions (www.hawkfinn.com) for generously donating a video camera to our film project. If you have any video production needs, please consider using his company to exceed them.

The BBYM and GRAAFICS are planning to host a series of youth empowerment events (one in each NYC borough) to give our young men and women an opportunity to speak about their challenges and concerns, let them know there are many of us who are here to help them overcome their circumstances and “the system”, and provide valuable resources to help them better their lives. Email us to learn more about and take part in these events.

GRAAFICS is hiring motivational speakers and classroom training faciltators. Resumes should be emailed to hr@graafics.org.

We'd like to thank the We Are All Brooklyn team for hosting a powerful youth forum at Brooklyn College. Check out www.waab.org to learn more about this diverse group of community and faith-based leaders, and many others, coming together to build young leaders and a better borough.

With the goal of creating more awareness and support for the many wonderful youth resources in and around Brooklyn, and consistently connecting them to our children and those who care about their well-being, the Better Brooklyn Youth Movement (www.betterbrooklynyouth.org) hosts “Our Communities, Our Children”, a radio show airing on WBCR (90.3 FM) and on www.allblackradio.com every Thursday at 8:00 p.m. EST. If you’re a youth or community resource, and would like to be a show guest, email us at info@betterbrooklynyouth.org .

We’re still seeking a few more individuals to serve as Better Brooklyn Youth Movement Board Members. If you’d like to learn more, email us at info@betterbrooklynyouth.org.

Limited space is still available for Medgar Evers College Summer Camp, for 6th to 9th graders. Call 718.804.8895 or 718.804.8806. MEC is also hiring camp counselors, academic instructors, sports instructors to help run the camp. Email your resume to talentsearch@mec.cuny.gov.

The Better Baltimore Youth Movement

The Better Baltimore Youth Movement is a growing membership-based organization currently in search of a Director willing to work on a quarterly stipend basis (with full-time salary potential) to carry out our daily operations and put us on a fast track to achieving our overall goals and mission. The stipend is negotiable ($300-$1,500) depending on level of experience. Must be polished, communicative and media ready to represent the face of our progressive work. If you are a suitable candidate, or know of one, please visit www.betterbaltimoreyouth.org, and forward your resume/profile information to info@betterbaltimoreyouth.org If interested you will be contacted for an in person career-briefing. Referrals are appreciated.

We are also partnering with Infinite Sholars (www.infinitescholar.org) to host The 1st Baltimore Scholarship Fair later this year. To learn more, please email us at info@betterbaltimoreyouth.org.

For Our Daughters: A Powerful, Inspiring Documentary

For Our Daughters is a new, must-see, much-needed documentary that shares stories of resilience, wisdom and a deep-rooted concern for today’s Black girls and young women who are faced with the task of growing up and overcoming a sexist, racially-challenged society.

Too many young Black girls face mounting misconceptions of beauty, and challenges of self esteem and self worth. A precious resource, our daughters are future mothers and the first and most important teachers of future children.

For Our Daughters offers an aspect of Black women that we rarely get to see in most of today’s misguiding media. This film shreds and dismantles the stereotypical images of Black women that our daughters are bombarded with daily, and provides us a way to balance their perspectives and buoy their souls.

This important documentary by our good friend and great filmmaker, Eric McKay, is truly an education and blessing for our daughters. Please click the image above to visit the website and purchase your DVD to share with the wonderful young women in your life. (When you buy the DVD using the above link, a donation will be made to the NBTEE).

Let's Make Black History Every Day !

Pick up your daily source of knowledge at www.black365.us with this 12-month wall calendar that highlights an event in Black History everyday! One of the goals of this resource is to inspire, uplift and educate all youth. People of all races, ages and backgrounds will find this unique resource to be both fun and educational! 12"x12", full of facts and full of fun - it makes a perfect gift to enhance any home or office.

The calendar was developed by Jamaal Brown, a 29-year-old Southern California native who has spent the past 16 years conducting serious self-directed African/Black studies scholarship Jamaal graduated from Lancaster High School (as its first-ever African American valedictorian), was accepted to eight universities and received a full academic scholarship to CSU, Long Beach where he received a degree in Business Management: Information Systems.

The highlight of Jamaal’s studies comes in the form of the 365 Days of Black Facts Calendar that he created to highlight an event in our history everyday: www.Black365.US
Also, as a result of his studies, he now provides interactive power-point lectures (a partial list of speaking topics can be found at www.JamaalBrown.com).

He also created and hosts a community event, the Black365 Knowledge Bowl - a Jeopardy-style quiz competition among competing high school students. Check out www.Black365KnowledgeBowl.com (click here to read The Los Angeles Times article about the event: http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-black-knowledge-bowl-20120317,0,5395827.story).

According to Jamaal, "The Creator and my ancestors keep me focused." He always welcomes opportunities to collaborate, create synergies and uplift communities. You can learn more about this powerful brother on the rise at www.jamaalbrown.com, and reach out to him directly at 661.609.8193.

How You Can Help The NBTEE

We'd be greatly grateful if you'd consider: 1) sharing this newsletter with your family and friends; 2) participating in or starting up a youth movement where you live; 3) alerting us to youth resources, programs, events or activities; and, 4) advertising in this newsletter to support our urgent efforts to connect more youth to more resources, more often.

And, together, we will help more of our children believe, achieve and suceed.

Shop, Save & Support

Here's an easy way to save money just about everywhere you shop, and help the NBTEE: just sign up for The ClubCard National Discount Shopping Program that donates $10 to the NBTEE for every new member. Your annual ClubCard membership is $29.99, and if you enter promo code "PM13", you'll receive a free $25.00 gift card from www.restaurant.com.

Thank you for your support!

Special Report: Closing The Gaps

The National Black TEEN Empowerment Expo is always actively discussing, determining and delivering better ways to reach and teach our children.

We know what’s not working, and we know we can no longer risk doing the same thing the same way if we expect to better tomorrows and brighten futures.

Thus, we’re pleased to share the findings of a new report entitled A Crisis in Our Community: Closing The Five Achievement Gaps written by Jeffrey A. Hassan, Esq. and Eric Mahmoud, and published by The Twin Cities African American Leadership Forum's Education and Life Long Learning Work Group. This report unravels and demystifies what needs to be done. It provides a road map based upon clear and irrefutable evidence of what works as demonstrated in practices at Harvest Preparatory School and other high performing schools throughout the country.

Click here to read this insightful report, and let us know what you think.

Now, let’s give a shout out to some of our wonderful supporters:

The Wendy’s High School Heisman (WHSH) Award program is now accepting applicants for its 2012 class.

The 2012 class will join the more than 305,000 esteemed alumni who have demonstrated a commitment to academic achievement, community service involvement, leadership and accomplishments in the athletic arena.

Eligible students can apply at www.WendysHeisman.com for a chance to earn the honored title of WHSH and “Like” WHSH on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/wendyshighschoolheisman to receive program updates and to connect with alumni. Students can also contact their high school principal, guidance counselor or athletic director for more information.

Twelve national finalists and their families will receive an all-expenses-paid trip to New York City where they will attend and be recognized at the official Heisman ceremony. Winners – one male student and one female student – will be honored with the WHSH Award during a national ESPN telecast and receive $10,000 for their school, as well as a $500 Wendy’s gift card.

What are you waiting for? Apply today!

UniTee Design is a Black Youth Empowerment Enterprise all about helping our children find purpose, so they grow proud of their accomplishments, and have the power to improve not only themselves, but our communities.

Working with young, talented graphic designers, we create custom RBG tee-shirts called “UniTees”. Every UniTee celebrates our beautiful culture in style. And every UniTee has a message so you can wear something that means something.

UniTees can be customized for special events and causes, and are great for group or school fundraising efforts. To learn more, call 1.888.OUR.RBG.TEES.

Check out our newest designs at www.uniteedesign.com today, and support Black Youth Empowerment every day!

"When a young person takes The Educational Pledge, we make a promise to help him or her achieve in school and succeed in life!"

The Educational Pledge Partnership is based on the literary works of Puerto Rican poet / writer Alberto O. Cappas. The Educational Pledge has been widely published in local publications and utilized by many New York City schools and community groups, as well as throughout the country. We encourage children and teens to take the pledge, and then we'll fulfill a promise to help them by providing information, resources and contacts for college and higher learning access, financial aid, and positive personal, social and professional self-development tools.

Check out The Educational Pledge's great books and merchandise at www.educationalpledge.com.

You are receiving this newsletter because you’re a friend of The National Youth Resource Network, The National Black TEEN Empowerment Expo, The Better Detroit Youth Movement, The Better Baltimore Youth Movement, The Better Brooklyn Youth Movement, UniTee Design (or one of our partners / supporters). If you’d like to unsubscribe, click here Unsubscribe / Change Profile.

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Thank you for being an important part of the progress. Together, we will build better communities for our children, and brighter futures for our people and planet!