Q&A: Looking Back on Foster Care
Andre Taylor went into the foster care system when he was a baby. As an infant, he was removed from his mother’s care and was sent to live with...
06
Sep
24
Aug
Op-Ed: Why school board elections matter for West Contra Costa families
As a parent of two young girls, I often find myself wondering: Are my girls watching too much TV? Did they do enough reading over the summer? Are they taking...
24
Aug
LIFE OF A HIGH SCHOOLER: Finding Out Who Your Friends Are
Friends can be a teen’s greatest asset in high school – they help you out in your most vulnerable times, and they share memories with you, both good and bad....
23
Aug
‘Kids First’ — Well Intentioned But Where’s the Money?
Because there is no funding source other than the general fund, Kids First would simply take funding away from existing City programs and transfer the money to non-profits, probably resulting...
23
Aug
‘Kids First’ – A Challenge to Business as Usual
Truth is, at the end of the day, when adults are arguing for their piece of the budget, no one is really arguing to ensure that young people are getting...
23
Aug
Why Most Millennials Don’t Think They’ll Become Millionaires
To many of us, $1 million in savings sounds like a myth. I am sure most of my fellow millennials can barely imagine earning $1 million throughout our lifetimes, much...
20
Aug
What an Eviction Does to a Family
When my mom told me she had gotten an eviction notice, I was sad. Not because I was going to lose the house I lived in, but because my single,...
18
Aug
Why I Worked to Put ‘Kids First’ on the Ballot
The reason I’ve been working so hard on this is to give other young people a chance to get the support that I eventually ended up getting from programs like...
16
Aug
My Teacher Sparked a Lifelong Interest in Literature
On my first day of high school, I was afraid that my teachers were not going to care about me as a person. Then I walked into Ms. Bui’s classroom....
09
Aug
Going to Class Behind Bars – Youth Speak Out About Court Schools
22-year-old Ayanna Rasheed, is on the path to success now, but it’s in spite of her time in court school, not because of it. She thinks her time in detention...
01
Aug
DACA Opens Doors for Former Student Body Prez At CSULB
In 2015 Cal State Long Beach student body president and undocumented immigrant Jose Salazar made headlines when it emerged he would not be paid for the position because of his...
25
Jul
Creating Media That Reflects Our Identities
The California Endowment gave me and 11 other youth journalists the opportunity to attend the 18th annual Allied Media Conference (AMC) in Detroit in June. The conference brought together over...
22
Jul
What People Don’t Understand About Suicide
Suicide is more than just someone taking their own life. It’s a matter of someone thinking it is the only option to end their pain and suffering. The truth is,...
20
Jul
Becoming a Womyn: My Experience at Sisterhood Rising
Youth Reporter Guadalupe Reyes reflects on her experience at Sisterhood Rising and the ways that it impacted her life....
15
Jul
An Explosion of Taste – My First Time at a Farmer’s Market
On a recent Wednesday at Nevin Plaza, Richmond residents were greeted by the sight and taste of tangy, sweet fruits like strawberries and sour plums. It was the weekly Richmond...
