Join an exciting team providing progressive empowerment opportunities for youth in Wichita

Hope Street Youth Development has been on the forefront of progressive youth leadership development and empowerment in Wichita, Kansas since 1990. We are currently seeking an energetic and committed candidate for the position of Reality Project Team Member. This person will work with the Project Director to oversee the production of an anti-tobacco television commercial funded truth® or Consequences grant from the American Legacy Foundation. This is a two year project running from April 2008 until March 2010.

Responsibilities:
! Attend and participate in weekly meeting with Project Team.
! With other team members, recruit 30 students from around the state to serve as student leaders for the project
! Attend training sessions in both tobacco statistics and marketing strategies, with the help of sub-contractors
! Create campaign message ads following the time line objectives created for the project (available for review)

Required Qualifications:
! Energetic self-starter
! Communicates clearly and effectively
! Experience in managing multiple priorities with an ability to organize large tasks into achievable pieces
! Currently enrolled in High School with a minimum GPA of 2.5

Suggested Qualifications:
! Experience with Tobacco prevention and research
! Experience with marketing and design
! Be willing to commit for the duration of the grant period

Hours
2-4 Hours, weekly required meetings. Additional time as needed during late afternoons and evenings and occasional weekends.

Salaries and Benefits
$100 per month stipend. No Benefits.

CONTACT OR SEND RESUMES TO:
Brad Thomison, Project Director
Hope Street Youth Development
1157 N Piatt
Wichita, KS 67214-3174
(316) 263-7325 (voice)
(316) 263-4835 (faxed resumes)

Sometime between May 25 and May 27th someone pulled into the Hope Street parking lot and stole our bus! This has caused a great hardship on our ability to continue to provide opportunities for the students.

A police report has been made, but they have not found it (kind of hard to miss a PINK 1968 BUS!). Please keep your eyes open for it and if you see it, please call Hope Street at 316.263.7325. If you can help with replacing it please call Aaron at the same number.

The building at the corner of 11th and Piatt in North East Wichita, KS was first built in the late 60’s as a “Model Cities Program” project, part of President Lyndon Johnsons’s War on Poverty. Central to the mission of the War on Poverty was the idea of community action, the participation of people in framing and administering the programs designed to help them.

The building was child care center which provided affordable, high quality child care for neighborhood families in what was, at that time, a very modern child care facility.

In the early 1980’s, the building became the site of a Head Start program, another initiative of Johnson’s War on Poverty. Head Start is a unique, comprehensive program for children and families., emphasizing not just the quality of education for the youth, but also social services, health and dental care, and significant parent and community involvement.

Now this humble abode is the home of Hope Street Youth Development. The building has always been about young people - their hopes and dreams, and what they could become if they were given a chance and the tools they needed.

This building has always been about community involvement and community action.

Hope Street Youth Development offers a unique opportunity for youth to take an active role in the improvement of their own lives. This approach to youth development is unparalleled in producing informed, confident, and successful youth who believe in meaningful civic contribution and social responsibility.

Written by Karen Fitzgerald

Hope Street is in the process of hiring a new Director of Academics and a Lead Organizer. If you are interested in either of these positions please visit Idealist.org or call 316.263.7325 for more information.

On Monday, May 12, the Board of Education ammended its anti-bullying policy, which now includes sexual orientation. Students United members applaud and thank the Board of Education for taking such an important step in ending harassment of LGBT students by other students.

In order to protect all students from discrimination, Students United members continue to urge the Board of Education to add sexual orientation (actual and perceived) to the district’s anti-discrimination policy.

On May 10, 2008, Students United hosted a successful public meeting to discuss needed changes to USD 259’s anti-discrimination policy. Nearly 100 students, parents, educators, and community members gathered together to urge the Board of Education to include sexual orientation (actual and perceived) in the district’s policy. The community heard from students, educators, and legal experts about the need to adopt the proposed changes. Following the close of the meeting, students and several community members delivered an educational packet to Board President Connie Dietz, who had not attended, asking her to support the proposed changes and meet with Students United.

To support the campaign to end discrimination in schools, please contact 263-7325, or for more information about the May 10 events, visit www.smashapathy.org.