2002 Celebration
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2002 Celebration |
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Programs AIDS Education Program Nevada Hispanic Services Program Descriptions AIDS Education Program Contact Funding The program, which was developed in 1990 to target Latino families, is the only Spanish-language AIDS education program in northern Nevada. The program focuses on pláticas, or workshops, street outreach, and utilization of the Latino media to reach the community. It takes into account its clients’ acculturation level, developmental stage, language ability, and gender norms to ensure that its information is culturally sensitive. Disseminated literature includes fotonovelas and a radio novela titled Tres hombres sin fronteras that plays daily. Educators conduct outreach during soccer games, which are popular in the community. The agency also provides counseling in Spanish to families of Latino clients who have HIV/AIDS. Carson Youth Leadership Program Contact The goals of the Carson Youth Leadership Program are to promote the positive image of Latino youth by teaching youth leadership skills and providing activities in collaboration with other youth programs; to involve Latino youth in community projects by providing the community with news coverage of Latino events and youth accomplishments; and to increase the high school graduation rate for Latinos by tutoring vulnerable middle school students and promoting mentorship between successful high school youth and their peers. A variety of programs have been developed to meet these goals, including Hola Carson City, a bilingual program on cable access television. The program, which consists of interviews and information about the community, gives youth job training in communication and media coverage. Other programs include the Latin Energy Dance group, which promotes Mexican culture through song and dance. The Hispanic Youth Leadership Club provides youth with leadership opportunities, and Teen Girls gives young Latinas a place to express themselves and to learn about important issues. The program also offers parenting classes for adults. Like many programs, the Carson Youth Leadership Program began as a response to the growing Latino population in Carson City. Unfortunately, there were signs of negative gang influences, which led to the death of a young man as well as negative stereotyping by the Anglo community. To combat these two elements, a group of concerned educators, law enforcement officials, and others conducted a needs-assessment and established the program to involve youth in positive, worthwhile projects and help them find their place in the community. Hispanic Youth Image Contact: The goals of Hispanic Youth Image (HYI) are to increase the self-esteem and interest in Hispanic youth to become involved in philanthropic activities, volunteerism, and leadership programs. The outcome of the program is to have HYI youth leaders use the skills they’ve learned in order to teach others the importance of education, the danger and consequences of getting involved in gangs, and the reward of being involved in the community. The program began with 14 Latino youth from middle and high schools in the Reno area. After creating a membership of 60 youth, members decided to create an executive board that would serve as the voice for Latino youth and be the decision-making body. Today, HYI continues to reach out to youth and has 302 members. HYI is the only proactive youth program in northern Nevada that is led by youth, including the executive board, which is also made up of youth. Through HYI “chapters,” HYI partners with Latino organizations in local schools to keep youth networked and united, and to help them become involved in the community and the organizations themselves. Older youth (age 18 to 19 years) meet with assigned chapters and assist with coordination between HYI and the organizations. In addition, committees focusing on art, sports, mentoring, and community action, as well as bilingual television, meet regularly to help youth find ways to participate in activities. The art committee promotes Hispanic culture through art contests and mural projects; the sports committee sponsors seven tournaments targeting varying age groups and encompassing a range of sports. Members of the mentoring committee provide leadership and role modeling for middle school youth in academics and extracurricular activities. The Latino Community Action Team works to educate the community about teen pregnancy, an issue particularly relevant to youth in Nevada, which has the highest teen pregnancy rate in the country. Youth inform other youth about the positive aspects of being a responsible adult and provide information about career scholarship, and education opportunities, and they offer workshops focusing on resisting peer pressure and saying “no” to unhealthy choices. Finally, the bilingual television committee collaborates with the Children’s Cabinet of Northern Nevada to create and direct a TV show once a week; the goals of this project are to provide training in broadcasting and production and to inform the community about resources that are available to them. Hola Carson City Contact: Hola Carson City is a weekly bilingual television show that is produced and presented by Carson City Latino teenagers through Cable Access Television. The program is administered by Nevada Hispanic Services of Carson City as part of its Hispanic Youth Leadership initiative, which strives to increase the self-esteem and interest in Latino youth to become involved in philanthropic activities, volunteerism, and leadership programs. Hola Carson City was established in 1993 as a way to help dispel the negative perception of Latino youth and as a gang prevention program. The bilingual television committee, made up entirely of youth, collaborates with the Children’s Cabinet of Northern Nevada to create and direct the Hola Carson City show once a week; the youth cover stories that inform the community about resources available to them. The topics discussed cover a wide range of information that is informative, interesting, and entertaining. In the process, the youth receive training in broadcasting and production. Youth working on the program have the opportunity to participate in worthwhile projects that help develop awareness of their importance among their peers and in the community. The youth, who are all volunteers, conduct interviews of city, state, and federal agency representatives; politicians; and other individuals. The outcome of the program is to have youth leaders use the skills they’ve learned in order to teach others the importance of education, the danger and consequences of getting involved in gangs, and the reward of being involved in the community.
Contact Nevada Hispanic Services Carson City encourages at-risk Latino youth ages 10 to 18 to participate in their community through programs that encourage leadership skills, provide meaningful and individualized opportunities to achieve academic goals, break stereotypes, and encourage service to the community through civic, social, cultural, and community activities. The mission of the Latin Energy Dancers is to give young people the opportunity to show their cultural heritage through music and dance, to promote positive images of Latino youth, and to share the richness of the Latino culture with the community. The program began nine years ago, at a time when the Latino community was a rapidly growing proportion of the population of Carson City. An office was established to meet the unique needs of that community. At the same time, negative gang influences were taking hold and eventually led to the death of a youth. Several members of the community decided that youth needed programs that would make them aware of the importance they could play among their peers as well as in the community, and at the same time preserve their cultural heritage. Latin Energy Dancers uses traditional ballet folklórico and modern dance to highlight youth’s talents, showcase their dedication, and create an awareness of Latino culture. Performing traditional dances and new routines with an ethnic flavor helps youth strengthen ties with their heritage. In providing positive avenues and services, the program also encourages youth to take advantage of other services in the community. For many youth, the program has been a place where caring staff give them the confidence to get involved, continue their education, and serve as mentors for their peers and for younger children. The group is well known throughout the community for their dedication to promoting Latino culture. Latin Energy Dancers has been recognized throughout northern Nevada for its cultural contributions and performs regularly at schools, the university, and dinners, churches, and professional clubs. |