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America's Promise Bulletin - February 19, 2021

americaspromise.org ([link removed])

A Conversation on Racial Healing

Throughout this challenging year, young people have done what so many generations of young people have done before: taken the lead. From addressing climate change to developing school reopening plans amidst the pandemic, young people have shown immense leadership in working to create a more hopeful future. The movement toward racial healing is no exception. While many adults have been stalled by the discomfort and uncertainty that often comes with conversations about race, young people have been demonstrating what it looks like to navigate that discomfort, lean into those important conversations, and translate their ideas into meaningful change. Once again, our nation’s youth leaders are letting us know that the time for conversation, the time for action, the time for healing is now. 

Through this year’s Power of Youth Challenge: ([link removed])Youth Leading Racial Healing ([link removed]), America’s Promise is investing in young people through mini-grants to support their ideas for local service projects that promote racial equity and addres  systemic racism. This Challenge is part of a larger effort to recognize and amplify the important work being done by young people and community organizations that are moving us toward a more just future. As part of that effort, America’s Promise recently partnered with Peace First, The Education Trust, and Youth Service America to host a Twitter conversation about what racial healing looks like, the role young people are playing, and the ways in which adults can support and elevate their work. 

Here are a few of our favorite insights from that conversation: 

Question: What does racial healing look like in your community?  

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Question:  What tangible actions can be taken to address racial inequities in your community? 

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Question:  What role can youth play in addressing racial injustices in this country? 

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Question: How can adults best listen to and support young people when it comes to racial healing?

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Question: What steps can organizations and individuals take to support young people who are working to address racial inequities?

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Overall, this conversation reinforced both the power of young people’s leadership and the necessity of adults’ and organizations’ listening and acting to make meaningful progress toward justice and healing.

LEARN MORE ABOUT THE CHALLENGE ([link removed])

Youth Leading Racial Healing is made possible with support from The Allstate Foundation, and builds on previous Challenges supported by the Charles Stewart Mott Foundation.

We know that many organizations around the country are  listening to young people when it comes to navigating racial justice and healing in their own school and out-of-school environments. We hope the following resources can be useful in facilitating those important conversations.

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A new Youth Discussion Guide ([link removed]) from America’s Promise was designed for school, district, out-of-school time, and other community leaders or youth-supporting adults who wish to partner with young people in their communities to better understand their experiences with issues that matter to them—including how the topics of race and racism are addressed in their various learning environments.

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Youth Service America ([link removed]) has released a suite of downloadable resources and video trainings to help plan and implement anti-racist service projects. In addition to these tools, they also share important questions to help guide the work and robust reading lists to inform various anti-racism efforts. 

Check out #HowWeHeal ([link removed]) for more resources on racial healing.

Join us for a Roundtable Discussion: Game Changers: Celebrating & Learning from Black Youth Leadership

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From leading conversations about racism in their own communities to working with local leaders to build a more inclusive curriculum, young people across the country are making their voices and their power known. While the energy of youth leadership is valuable in its own right, it can have even more impact when combined with support from adults who hold power. This Black History Month, America’s Promise Alliance invites you to join us in a conversation with Black youth and adult leaders to explore how we can share power and work across generations to write the next chapter of progress for the United States.

Friday, February 26, 2021 
1:00 – 2:30 PM ET

REGISTER NOW ([link removed])

Youth Leader Spotlight 

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Maria Salmeron-Melendez 
Senior, Lafayette College
Montgomery County, Maryland

This month, we give thanks and recognition to a remarkable student leader promoting racial healing through her work and life: Maria Salmeron-Melendez. In addition to serving on America’s Promise’s Board of Trustees, Maria is lending her expertise as a youth coach for the 2021 Power of Youth Racial Healing Challenge. As a coach, Maria will review applications from young people across the country seeking to receive a grant for a service project in their communities related to promoting racial healing and equity, and will work hand-in-hand with applicants to strengthen and clarify their project ideas. Maria is passionate about mitigating racial academic disparities through equitable, trauma-informed policies and social and emotional learning initiatives. As an aspiring policymaker and education researcher, Maria looks forward to spurring racial healing by introducing educational policies that prioritize Black and Brown students' mental health and deconstruct toxic resiliency as a coping survival mechanism during adverse times. 

Learn More About Maria ([link removed])

More from America’s Promise and Partners:

WORKSHOP: Finding a Way Forward: Actualizing the Ways to Prepare Young for the World of Work ([link removed])  

NEW PARTNER: The Center for Promise congratulates CERES Institute for Children & Youth ([link removed]) on their formal launch

Resources We Love:

ARTICLE: What lessons does special education hold for personalized learning? ([link removed]) | The Hechinger Report 

PODCAST EPISODE: Discussing Relational Schools ([link removed]) | RadioTalks ft. CERES Institute for Children & Youth  

RESOURCES FOR PARENTS: Paths to Success: How to Jumpstart Your Child ([link removed]) | Learning Heroes 

FUNDING OPPORTUNITY FOR YOUNG PEOPLE: #Rebuild100 ([link removed]) | Peace First 

Mark Your Calendar:

February 25: Celebrating Black History Month: Meet Trailblazers Creating Equitable Access to the Workforce ([link removed]) | Symba ft. Nathaniel Cole, Senior Director, America’s Promise Alliance 

February 26: Game Changers: Celebrating & Learning from Black Youth Leadership ([link removed]) | America’s Promise Alliance

Ongoing: Webinar Series on Family Engagement ([link removed]) | Learning Heroes

America’s Promise Alliance is the driving force behind a nationwide movement to improve the lives and futures of America’s youth. If you would like to help make the promise of America real for every child, consider donating below.

Donate ([link removed])





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