List of Youth Serving Resources (in and around Silver Spring)

The Neighborhood’s Committee of the Silver Spring Citizens Advisory Board is meeting on Monday, January 23rd at the Civic Building to continue the dialogue regarding how our schools and communities intersect. The focus will be on youth-centered activities. Volunteers on the Committee developed this amazing list as a starting point to highlight some of what is available already.

PLEASE JOIN US AT THE MEETING TO CONTINUE THE CONVERSATION! 7:30 Civic Building

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REFERENCE LIST FOR
SILVER SPRING CITIZENS ADVISORY BOARD’s NEIGHBORHOODS COMMITTEE
Work on Youth Issues
 A WORK-IN-PROGRESS
 Note: This is NOT a comprehensive list; it is the start of a list. Additional descriptive information and/or contact information is needed for some listings (noted with an *). Also: Web-links and/or FaceBook pages will eventually be added to each listing, if available.

PLEASE HELP US GROW THE LIST BY LEAVING A POST ON THIS BLOG WITH CORRECTIONS &/OR ADDITIONS!
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SAMPLE OF ORGANIZATIONS THAT WORK WITH YOUTH (with contact information)

Community Bridges is based in Silver Spring and partners with area schools to provide programs to empower immigrant and low income girls. Programs include LUNA for Hispanic girls and Jump Start Girls. They currently provide services in 4 elementary schools, 5 middle schools (including Eastern) and 2 high schools throughout the county. Contacts: Lauren Wetherell, Marialuz Johnson, Jacilyn Smith, Melissa Gudiel, Crystal Adegbola

Passion for Learning is committed to developing innovative partnerships between businesses, members of the community, and schools to enhance student learning in reading, writing, math, science, and technology. Their goal is to nurture a lifelong passion for learning in all children to help them achieve their full potential. Their strategic focus is to work exclusively with those schools where student achievement is impacted by the challenges of dealing with family poverty and learning English as a second language. The organization is located in Silver Spring. Contact: Cynthia Rubenstein - Executive Director

Global Kids originated in New York City with the goal of improving school attendance by providing programs in digital media and the arts that can connect teens’ own lives to their worlds. They also have social workers on staff. They have now begun a program in a D.C. public school and would be interested in extending further into D.C. and Maryland. Contact: Eddie Mandhry – Director, DC Program

Gandhi Brigade is based in Silver Spring and provides training to youth in multi-media productions that address social justice issues. They develop youth into peer instructors as well as provide well-being counseling to Gandhi Brigade members. A recent project is the “Rights of Butterflies” documentary which was conceived and directed by Laura Moya, a Montgomery College student, and focuses on the difficulties that an undocumented student has in continuing her college education. Contact: Richard Jaeggi - Director

Conflict Resolution Center of Montgomery County conferences with all parties involved in a conflict to find an agreed upon resolution. Conflicts are often referred to them from the school staff. In 2010-11 school year, they handled 70 conflicts of which 99% reached an agreement among the parties involved. The center is located in Bethesda. Contacts: Gertrud Mergner, Wolfgang Mergner

Crossroads Youth Opportunity Centers provide services to youth who are risk or have become involved in gangs. Case workers and specialists from five partner organizations collaborate and staff the center: Identity Inc., Pride Youth Services, YMCA Youth and Family Services, the Montgomery County Hispanic Chamber of Commerce and the Maryland Office of the Public Defender. The down county center is located in Takoma Park. Contact: Luis Cardona – MC Youth Violence Prevention Coordinator

Linkages to Learning is a school-based collaboration among the Montgomery County Department of Health and Human Services, the Montgomery County Public Schools and non-profit, community based service providers (including Silver Spring YMCA). Non-profit partners include Catholic University School of Nursing, Children’s National Medical Center, GUIDE Youth Services, Holy Cross Hospital, Mental Health Association, Silver Spring YMCA Youth Services and MC Collaboration Council for Children, Youth and Families. The program provides accessible services to at-risk children and their families to improve adjustment to and performance in school, home, and community. Prevention and early intervention services include health, mental health, social services and educational support. The program can be reached at 301-431-7703 and is based in Rockville.

M.A.N.U.P., an acronym for Making A New United People unites communities by bridging the gaps between individuals with different socioeconomic statuses, racial and ethnic backgrounds, without regards to gender or age. The term “Man Up” is used to motivate individuals towards achieving their goals and overcoming whatever obstacles or challenges they may face. Contact: Brandon Johns, Executive Director

The Montgomery County Collaboration Council for Children, Youth and Families is comprised of public and private agencies, faith-based organizations, families, elected officials, businesses and community advocates. Their main purpose is to assess community needs, identify priorities, target resources and oversee service delivery on initiatives that require collaboration between two or more child, youth- and family-serving entities. Contact: Carol Walsh, Executive Director

Latin American Youth Center:*

Identity:*

Impact Silver Spring:*

GapBusters:*

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SCHOOLS

Blair High School: Renay Johnson, Principal; Jacob Lee, faculty; Leah Mushkin-Pierret, student

Northwood High School: Dr. Henry Johnson, Principal; Deangelo Graham, Student Government Association

Eastern Middle School: Casey Crouse, Principal

Silver Spring International Middle School: John Haas, Principal

Rolling Terrace Elementary School: Jennifer Connors, Principal

Takoma Park Middle School:*

Takoma Park Elementary School:*

Division of Food Services with Montgomery County Public Schools: Marla Caplon, R.D., L.D., Director

Street Outreach Network (SON). Its mission is to prevent, neutralize, and control hostile behavior in high risk youth and youth gangs through the development of positive relationships between youth/community stakeholders and the outreach workers. The outreach worker will utilize positive youth development programs and leisure time activities as the intervening vehicle for redirecting antisocial and aggressive behaviors. Contact: Luis Cardona, Program Director

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RECREATION CENTERS

Long Branch Recreation Center: Morris Buster, Director

Coffield Recreation Center:*

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LIBRARIES

Takoma Park Library:*

Silver Spring Library:*

Long Branch Library:*

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OTHER RELEVANT ORGANIZATIONS, INITIATIVES, ETC.

African Immigrant Refugee Foundation: The mission of the African Immigrant and Refugee Foundation (AIRF) is to facilitate the effective transition of African Immigrant to American society and to support their productive, sustainable integration into their new homeland. Contact: Najima Bawa

Safe Silver Spring: The mission of Safe Silver Spring is to develop strategies, partnerships and goals to keep Silver Spring a community where people can live, work, travel, shop and play safely. Contact: Woody Brosnan & Tony Hausner

CHEER: The mission is to provide people with the knowledge and ability to create healthy, thriving communities. CHEER is a community-driven process for identifying community vision and goals, and for gathering the information and resources needed to measure and fulfill them. Contact: Bruce Baker, Kathy Porter

County Executive’s Youth Advisory Council:*

Note: This is NOT a comprehensive list; it is the start of a list. Additional descriptive information and/or contact information is needed for some listings (noted with an *). Also: Web-links and/or FaceBook pages will eventually be added to each listing, if available.

PLEASE HELP US GROW THE LIST BY LEAVING A POST ON THIS BLOG WITH CORRECTIONS &/OR ADDITIONS!