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Public Housing Youth Shaping the Future of Their Communities What if some of the most run-down housing in San Francisco could be transformed into a vibrant family zone with the best affordable housing, schools, and community services in town? And, what if the youth living in that housing today could be the organizers and community developers planning and leading that transformation? I am proud to say that “what if” will become “what is” on March 1 when the first 20 youth from four neighborhoods will begin internships with the newly formed HOPE SF Youth Leadership Academy (the “Academy”). The Academy will match five youth with the adults responsible for the revitalization process in each of four neighborhoods. Committing 10 hours per month, the youth and adults will work together in neighborhood-based teams to tackle real planning issues such as: *How should a park be designed? *What programs should be offered at the community center? *How do we engage more youth in helping us make the right choices in this process? Once a month, youth and adults from all four sites will come together in Academy Saturdays to do citywide learning, team building, and learn about community development career opportunities. Youth interns will gain valuable leadership skills, be exposed to community development as a career, and influence the planning decisions of their community, all while earning a stipend. Participating adults will learn how to effectively involve youth in planning decisions. Youth and adults working together will create better master plans and lasting neighborhood improvements. You can join us in this effort by helping us find our first group of youth who are: *Ages 14 to 16. *A resident of one of the active HOPE SF sites—Hunters View, Potrero Annex or View, Sunnydale, and Westside Courts. *Able to commit 10 hours per month in scheduled activities. *Passionate about their community. *Interested in developing excellent communication and presentation skills. Interns will attend workshops, advise the development teams and the Housing Authority of community needs, attend a two day summit at UC Berkeley, and receive a stipend for consistent involvement (up to $75.00 per month). DCYF is a lead sponsor of this program and is excited to join the efforts of the HOPE SF initiative leaders—the Mayor’s Office of Housing and the San Francisco Housing Authority—to create a strong youth component for their important initiative. An array of collaborators have signed on to make this program a success including: Citibank Foundation, Enterprise Community Partners, Inc.; Interagency Council; Japanese Community Youth Council; the San Francisco Youth Commission; UC Berkeley’s Center for Cities & Schools; and each of the participating development teams including: Bridge Housing Corporation, EM Johnson Interest, Mercy Housing California, and The John Stewart Company. Maria Su, Director, San Francisco Department of Children, Youth & Their Families |