April 2019 Newsletter

SUCCESS STORY: Social Justice Everyday

Studies have shown that culturally relevant instruction is vital for the academic success of African American and other children who have not been well served by public schools. This means that the instruction they receive should help them to examine cultural norms and values and critique institutions that produce and maintain social inequities. Students in culturally relevant classrooms engage the world and others critically.

Carrboro Elementary received an innovation grant to support their “Social Justice Everyday” work. The work of this grant focuses on students’ building socio political awareness and political consciousness using Social Justice Teaching Standards. The research is clear that this element of culturally relevant teaching is necessary in classrooms and dual language programs. READ MORE.

Decoding the Digital Girl
Defining and Supporting Girls' Digital Leadership

To better understand the digital experiences of girls and their use of technology to lead in their own lives and beyond, the Girl Scout Research Institute conducted a national research study with nearly 2,900 girls and boys ages 5–17, as well as their parents.

What we learned shows that many girls exhibit leadership in the digital space—an impressive number of them to a degree that, by the high standards of Girl Scouts of the USA,qualifies them as digital leaders.

Girls who are digital leaders show enhanced interest in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) overall and in tech specifically (see chart below). This interest can potentially narrow the gender gap in STEM career interest.

All girls—those who are digital leaders and those who aren’t—show the most interest in STEM fields and tech careers in middle school (see chart below). This suggests that early in high school is an important intervention point as we seek to maintain girls’ interest in STEM, including tech.

Read the complete report here.

Kidzu Pop-Up in Hillsborough

Kidzu is launching a Community Pop-up museum the week of Orange County's spring break (3/30-4/5) located in the gym at Hillsborough Elementary (flyer attached). Spread the word! They are working on translating the materials as we speak. The pop-up is completely free for all families. Click here for more information.

A Walk for Hunger

Date: April 28th at 2pm

Location: 211 W. Union Street, Hillsborough
A Walk for Hunger starts and ends at Mt. Bright Missionary Baptist Church in Hillsborough.

Registration begins at 1 p.m. and the walk begins at 2 p.m.

For more information call 919-732-6194 ext.10 or stop by OCIM at 300 Millstone Drive, Hillsborough, NC.

Conflict Resolution Training

Tuesday, April 16 from 9-10:30am, the Dispute Settlement Center will be doing a conflict resolution training for FSA in the 3^rd floor classroom. This is facilitated through Corey Roote’s “self-care series” and will be open to all service providers in the county – including any health department staff.

Orange County Commuter Options Breakfast

Date: April 18th, 2019 from 8 to 9:30 am
Location: Orange County Public Library, 137 West Margaret Lane, Hillsborough

Orange County's Transportation Demand Management (TDM) Coordinator Allyson Coltrane will give an overview of all the options available to Hillsborough commuters.

Empowerment Program and Scholarship Applications

Career Explores is a summer youth employment program that offers 40 hour a week jobs to local young people between the ages of 16 and 22. EmPOWERment partners with local area business and organizations to offer employment opportunities as well as weekly personal enrichment workshops: http://www.empowermentinc.org/career-explorers

The application for EmPOWERment's Career Explorer program is available on the website at www.empowermentinc.org. This 8 week summer youth employment program is open to Orange County youth between the ages of 16 and 22. Applications accepted now and due by April 30th

The application for the Martin Luther King University Community Planning Corp. Scholarship for graduating seniors that attend Orange County High Schools is available. Applications can be picked up from school counselors or contact the EmPOWERment Inc. office. at (919) 967-8779, for more information.

TRADES TRAINING

Learn the Skills - Get the Support - Land the Job

If you are a woman living in Orange County who is unemployed or underemployed (making less than $14.25 per hour), you will be able to apply for our trades training program! The program will be FREE to trainees.

If you've ever considered a job in the construction trades, now is the time. The industry is booming. Hope Renovations offers free, thorough, industry-recognized training:

https://www.hoperenovations.org/our-programs/trades-training/

Loretta’s Gift
by Pat Zietlow Miller, illustrated by Alea Marley (Little Bee Books, ages 4-6)

Loretta’s Uncle Jax and Aunt Esme are expecting a baby. While everyone hustles to provide gifts, Loretta has no idea what to give during the pregnancy, after the pregnancy and right up until the first birthday. She feels smaller and smaller until she realizes that her rocking and tickling and laughter has brought him the best gift he got for “her love was better than anything that came in a box.”

Questions inspire discussions:

What is the best present you have ever gotten? What is the best gift you’ve ever given?
What is the best present you’ve given that “didn’t come in a box?”
Do you have a baby in your life?
How do you make that baby happy?

Orange County Head Start/Early Head Start now enrolling!

Applications for Head Start can be found here:
English and Spanish.

More information about Head Start and Early Head Start.

Make the most of the Orange County Public Library’s SEA (Student Easy Access account)

Orange County Schools
If your child is in the Orange County Schools district but does not have a SEA account, please contact your school’s media center specialist and they will help your child get an account set up. Once they have a SEA account, you and your child can come to any Orange County Public Library location and check out books, movies and more. And your child can access any of the library’s digital resources from home.

Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools
If your child is in the Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools district they already have a SEA account. This means you and your child can come to any Orange County Public Library location and check out books, movies and more. And your child can access any of the library’s digital resources from home.

Find out everything you need to know about SEA accounts here.

Reading Opportunities at the Library

Hora de Espanol
Main Library, Second Tuesdays @ 4:30 p.m.
Join ISLA (Immersion for Spanish Language Acq uisition) for 45 minutes of stories, games, songs and great fun! Native and non-native Spanish speakers are welcome. Best for children ages 3-7 and their families.
Vengan para 45 minutos de cuentos, canciones, y juegos en espanol para ninos y sus familias. Ideal para ninos de 3-7 anos.

More Reading Opportunities in January:

ORANGE COUNTY LIBRARY EVENTS CALENDAR.

CHAPEL HILL PUBLIC LIBRARY EVENTS CALENDAR

Preparedness Workshops for the Limited English Proficiency (LEP) Community

Sunday, April 28th 2:30 to 4:30 pm at St. Thomas More Catholic Church. 940 Carmichael St., Chapel Hill Interpreters: English and Spanish

Thursday, May 9th 9:00 to 11:00 am at Seymour Center, 2551 Homestead Rd., Chapel Hill Interpreters: English and Mandarin

Saturday, May 11th 10:00 am to 12:00 pm at Southern Human Services Center, 2501 Homestead Rd., Chapel Hill Interpreters: English with Arabic, Burmese, Kinyarwanda and Karen.

Questions? Contact Daniel Kashdan or Mike DeFranco.
Daniel Kashdan: 919-245-2431 or dkashdan@orangecountync.gov
Mike DeFranco: 919-245-2077 or mdefranco@orangecountync.gov

More information, including flyers in multiple language HERE.

Our Vision:

Break the cycle of poverty so that ALL children and families in Orange County thrive in school, jobs, and life.

Our Mission:

Through collaboration on shared goals, connect families in poverty to resources and uncover their power in driving equity and systems change.

Want to know more?
Read the FSA Strategic Plan

Family Success Alliance

300 W. Tryon St., Hillsborough, NC 27278
919-245-2071
www.FamilySuccessAlliance.org

FSA backbone staff work at the Orange County Health Department.

Director of Programs and Policy: Coby Jansen Austin
(919) 245-2070 or caustin@orangecountync.gov

Program Director: Meredith McMonigle
(919) 245-2071 or mmcmonigle@orangecountync.gov

Manager of Family Engagement: Dana Crews
(919) 245-2458 or dcrews@orangecountync.gov

Zone 4 Navigators
Angela Clapp - (919) 695-2158 or anclapp@orangecountync.gov
Antonia Cortes Sanchez - (919) 695-5982 or acsanchez@orangecountync.gov
Claudia Yerena - (984) 209-3864 cyerena@orangecountync.gov
Rhonda Morales - (919) 698-3925 or rmorales@orangecountync.gov

Zone 6 Navigators
Erika Cervantes - (984) 209-3723 or ecervantes@orangecounync.gov
LaKaya Craig - (919) 695-2271 or lcraig@orangecountync.gov
Mariela Hernandez - (919) 695-6969 or mhernandez@orangecountync.gov
Ling Oy - (919) 257-9960 or loy@orangecountync.gov
Jena Dolby - (919) 698-9152 or jdolby@orangecountync.gov

Community Outreach Specialist: Dominika Gazdzinska
(919) 245-2468 or dgazdzinska@orangecountync.gov

Communications Manager: Kristin Prelipp
(919) 245-24662 or kprelipp@orangecountync.gov

Communications Specialist: Zannie Gunn
(919) 245-2410 or agunn@orangecountync.gov