SVG
.png)
Join DC Action In Urging the DC Council to Extend Rapid Rehousing
DC Action signed on to a letter written by Children’s Law Center, Legal Aid of the District of Columbia, and Washington Legal Clinic asking the DC Council to change the legislation governing the District’s Rapid Rehousing program to prevent hundreds of families from becoming homeless. We encourage other advocates and organizations in the District to support this effort.
.png)
Tell the DC Council that Police-Free Learning Environments are Safer
Join DC Action in signing on to a letter from the Police-Free Schools Coalition asking the DC Council to maintain the promised reduction and eventual elimination of school police in favor or supporting students with mental health services, violence interrupters, and safe passage programs.
.png)
College Tribe Builds Confidence and Creates Connections for Young Black Men
In OST Voices #16, College Tribe Executive Director Jeronique Bartley explains how participating in an OST program such as College Tribe helps build young people’s confidence, communication skills, and conflict resolution abilities.
.png)
Spread the Word About DC Action's Diane Bernstein Fellowship in Child and Youth Advocacy
Applications are now being accepted for summer and fall fellowships working at the intersection of racial justice and public policy with a focus on children and youth. Fellows will gain experience conducting original research and data and policy analysis, supporting public education and community engagement efforts, and working directly with young people and their families to help drive these efforts. The fellowship will primarily be virtual, with occasional meetings in Washington, DC. Fellows will receive a stipend of $3000.
.png)
Prepare for the Primary: Ballots to be Mailed out in May
While primary election day is slated for June 21, ballots will be mailed to all registered DC voters in mid-May, and voters will be able to drop their completed ballots in any of 55 ballot boxes across the District beginning May 27 through June 21. Early in-person voting will be held June 10 to June 19. Learn more about mail-in ballots, find out where to vote, and check or update your voter registration on the Board of Elections website.
While ballot eligibility will not be finalized until later this month, the list of candidates who filed as of April 5 is available here.
DC Action Staff Present Testimonies on Early Childhood Educator Compensation, Youth Workforce Development, Out-of-School Time and Health Care
Executive Director Kimberly Perry testified on the necessity of funding for early childhood education and out-of-school-time programs.
Senior Youth Policy Analyst Rachel White testified on the need for workforce development programs and mobile behavioral health services for youth experiencing homelessness and how services for homeless youth can prevent involvement in the criminal justice system.
Policy Analyst Ryllie Danylko testified on the importance of supporting the OST sector to provide accessible, affordable, and engaging opportunities for all District youth.
Director of Early Childhood Policy and Programs Ruqiyyah Anbar-Shaheen testified on fair compensation for early childhood educators.
Research and Data Manager Rachel Metz testified on recertification for the DC Health Care Alliance.
Early Childhood Program Manager Nisa Hussain testified on the importance of increasing investments in home visiting programs in the FY23 proposed budget to continue supporting DC’s families.
Early Childhood Policy Analyst Jarred Bowman testified on the importance of increasing access to child development specialists in pediatric primary care settings for thousands of young children in the District through the Department of Health’s HealthySteps program.
Research and Data Manager Rachel Metz testified on the need to ensure that WIC receives adequate funding to conduct outreach to enroll all eligible families in WIC, and reduce barriers to participation to keep all eligible families in the program.
Director of Policy and Research Carlos Manjarrez testified on the need to improve accountability for the Department of Parks and Recreation, including improving how DPR monitors and reports on facilities use and program participation and how to leverage data to help lower barriers to access and improve our understanding of the District’s OST landscape.
DC Action Intern and Children’s Hospital Pediatric Resident Dr. Melissa Delia testified on the health and medical benefits of home visiting programs.
READ WATCH LISTEN
Read, along with the entire DC Action team, The Rage of Innocence: How America Criminalizes Black Youth by Georgetown Law Professor Kristin Henning. During a recent conversation, we considered how DC Action can contribute to the essential work of dismantling society’s fear of Black youth. We discussed the value of implicit bias and racial equity trainings for community-based organizations and the importance of centering youth voices. DC Action is committed to using our collective voice and resources to address this issue and will continue to explore it as we read the book.
Watch The Queen of Basketball, which recently won the Oscar for Best Documentary Short Subject, profiles Lusia Harris, a pioneering basketball player who led her college team to national championships and was the first female basketball player to score in the Olympics. Playing long before the NCAA included women’s basketball, or the WNBA existed, in 1977 Harris became the only woman ever drafted by the NBA.
Listen to this episode of The Dose podcast, in which Dr. Kevin Simon, a psychiatrist at Boston Children’s Hospital and Commonwealth Fund Fellow in Minority Health Policy at Harvard University, talks about the increasing unmet need for culturally competent mental health services for Black and brown teens.
About DC Action
DC Action is a nonprofit, nonpartisan, multi-issue advocacy organization making the District of Columbia a place where all kids grow up safe, resilient, powerful and heard. DC Action uses research, data, and a racial equity lens to break down barriers that stand in the way of all kids reaching their full potential. We are home to DC Kids Count, Under 3 DC, DC Out-of-School Time Coalition, the DC Home Visiting Council and the Youth Economic Justice and Housing Coalition. Our collaborative advocacy campaigns bring the power of young people and all residents to raise their voices to create change.
.png)
.jpg)