California Center for Civic Participation and Youth Development
Organization Overview
The California Center is best known for our flagship program Capitol Focus and our lively fundraising dinner, the California Roast. For twenty-five years, Capitol Focus has provided a cross-section of California youth with the opportunity to build their confidence, knowledge and skills while becoming immersed in the issues of state and local government. Our more recent work has focused on supporting youth directly engaged in planning and policymaking processes on topics including land use planning, educational reform, young worker safety, and access to health care. The California Center is distinguished by a commitment to include a cross-section of youth, our ability to mobilize hundreds of adult professionals, and by our balanced, non-partisan approach to civic education. Our work is supported by educators, parents and elected officials from all parties. The California Endowment, the California Wellness and Robert Wood Johnson Foundations, and Kaiser Permanente are among those who support our work, along with more than one hundred other respected associations and corporations. More information about our work can be found on our web site: www.californiacenter.org/
Technical Support for HEAC Grantees
The California Center for Civic Participation and Youth Development will provide youth from each of the six HEAC communities with opportunities to participate in a variety of local and statewide activities to promote healthy eating and physical activity, including an established Statewide Youth Board for Obesity Prevention (SYBOP). Participating youth from each of the six core communities targeted by HEAC (Chula Vista, Santa Ana, Baldwin Park, South LA, Oakland, and Shasta County/Anderson) will join their peers from four at-large communities (Santa Barbara, Stockton, Sacramento, and Ukiah). Participating youth will be prepared to serve along side adults in leadership positions, to encourage youth engagement in each sector of the HEAC Program, and to promote their own (youth) strategic priorities within the framework of the Program. Our staff and a local coordinator drawn from each community will provide related training and support.
Youth Engagement Activities and Training:
The California Center will provide youth in each participating community with the following opportunities:
- Participation in a Fall Youth-Full Government Training: During this three day-two night training conference in Sacramento, three youth and one adult coordinator from each community will assemble to study obesity prevention strategies and government processes, to form a policy platform reflecting youth priorities, and to develop local youth-led research and action plans consistent with the HEAC framework. More than thirty public health and government officials contribute their time to these trainings. Youth and adult participants will also attend workshops to promote strong youth-adult partnerships.
- Participation on Statewide Youth Board and a Link to Related Activities: All participating youth will serve on an established Statewide Youth Board to Prevent Obesity. This Board was formed two years ago at the request of legislative and executive branch officials who desired youth input and action on this issue. Youth Board members will participate on a program, media or policy subcommittee. Activities will include presentation of youth perspectives at statewide media and policy making events, testimony at legislative hearings, grant-making and program evaluation. Participating youth from HEAC communities will also be encouraged to form their own local Youth Advisory Boards (where they don't already exist), and to participate alongside adults in local decision-making venues, policymaking groups and committees.
- Local Project Support and Stipends: Each team of three participating youth leaders from each HEAC community will receive a $500 local project budget to support the participation of additional youth from their community in one or more top priority prevention strategies consistent with the HEAC framework for their community. In return for this and their service on the Statewide Board, each of these three youth leaders will receive a $200 stipend. An adult coordinator drawn from each HEAC community will receive a modest stipend ($500-$750) in return for supporting their youth and serving as the liaison to our staff.
Contact Information
Website: www.californiacenter.org/
