YouthCare - Shelter Support Success

National Network for Youth 2009 Symposium – Jan 24-28

Saturday morning, January 24, 2009 our airport shuttle van picked up the five participants headed to Washington, DC for the 2009 National Network for Youth Symposium.  It was the beginning of an immensely powerful five days in our nation’s capitol.  Jessica Big Wolf, Chris Owes, and Carnella Linder were the youth participants from YouthCare.  They were chosen from a large pool of promising youth by staff for their proven leadership, willpower, and potential over an extended period of time.  Career Coordinator Damien Debuhr, and Education & Leadership Coordinator George Lee were the staff advisors for the trip.  And lastly, our Executive Director, Melinda Giovengo, met our group at the Symposium where she was attending as an agency executive director, NN4Y board member, workshop presenter, speaker, and advocacy leader and specialist.

The National Network for Youth is led by Executive Director and former YouthCare CEO Vicki Wagner.  It is the chief federal advocacy non-profit that collects dues from, and works on behalf of, agencies serving homeless and disadvantaged youth across our nation.  The Symposium is the Network’s national gathering of youth & adult leaders for the common purpose of improving the lives of disadvantaged/homeless youth. Youth take part in an all day youth leadership institute, an all day “How a Bill Becomes a Law DC Bus Tour,” and a Hill Day to advocate to legislators on behalf of our youth issues.  Agency representatives can take part in a legal institute, an executive institute, and various workshops in addition to the concluding day on the Hill.

Sightseeing Washington DC – Day 1

On Saturday the 25th, after a late-night arrival the night before, we braved the time-change and met in the lobby of the Omni Shoreham Hotel at 8am amidst mental fog, grumbling, and emerging excitement.  While eating breakfast at a local food establishment we all browsed some sightseeing materials and made a sightseeing plan for the day.  Sunday was our day to see the capitol.
Braving the east coast cold, but enjoying the east coast clear sunny day, we emerged at our first stop at the Capitol Building.  It is a huge and magnificent building, and had a fitting effect on all of us.  We walked around and looked on the spot where the Inauguration had taken place just 6 days before, took a photo, and then moved on towards the Washington Monument.  We stopped for an hour at the Smithsonian Museum of the American Indian, then went to the National Archives to see the original copies of the Bill of Rights, Declaration of Independence, and the Constitution.  Afterwards we dined in Chinatown amidst tea, heat, food, and our increasingly bonding group!

Next stop was the White House where much of our view was obscured by Inauguration bleachers still up on Pennsylvania Ave.  However, we were all excited to be there amidst all the political excitement.  After the White House the sun started to go down and our Seattleite blood started to give out!  We walked past the Washington Monument, through forested parts of the mall, and into the Vietnam War Memorial Wall.  After walking past the immense, almost speaking-to-us black walls we continued to the Lincoln Memorial as the winter sun set.  Looking back across the reflecting pond to the Capitol was a sight to behold.  We returned to the Hotel, attended the Symposium welcome ceremony and ended our day with a highs and lows “roses and thorns” closing.

Youth Leadership Institute, Advocacy Organizing & Workshops – Day 2

Monday we woke bright and early to attend the morning plenary.  A highlight of the morning was keynote speaker Josh Shipp, a former foster care youth who now performs comedy and motivational speaking on tour, comedy central, and VH1.  Josh was hilarious, but also pushed across some powerful life lessons.

Afterwards, youth participants headed to the Youth Leadership Institute run by COHHIO, a youth led organization out of Ohio.  Among other activities, Damien went off to work on scheduling as many advocacy meetings as he could with influential leaders in DC including Senator Murray’s office, Rep. McDermot, and others.  George attended a workshop on, “Service Learning Approaches,” and, “Take it to the Hill.”  The service learning workshop provided best practices, and also included youth testimony on the service learning projects youth are leading that are funded by Learn and Serve Grants (which by the way NN4Y said we would be perfect candidates for.)  “Take it to the Hill,” was a very detailed 101 in federal level advocacy issues and techniques to use on our Hill Day the following Wednesday.  Later, Damien attended a workshop called, “Using Technology (Really!!),” where he learned about how to use Web 2.0 Social Networking technologies like twitter, myspace, and google docs to better serve our youth population.

In the evening, after a big day of organizing, learning, and networking the five of us headed to a local Thai Food Restaurant to get grubbin’.  It was a leap above and beyond our food so far and all were happy!  Lots of laughter, sharing, getting to know one another, and fun was had.  This was a new way for all of us to hang out with each other, outside of the OC, and we were enjoying ourselves!  Especially with some coconut lime soup!  That night some youth got together to listen to music and hang out in Youth Space.

David Plouffe, Movies, and the Congressional Awards Ceremony – Day 3

The youth bus tour of Washington, DC was cancelled due to weather so after all this excitement, early wake-ups, and new environments our group decided to fill Day 3 more with what the youth wanted to do that day instead of youth going to workshops meant for adults.  Youth decided to rejuvenate with a little extra sleep, go to the fancy luncheon to see Obama’s Campaign Manager David Plouffe speak, see a movie, and then go to the Congressional Awards Ceremony in the Senate Office building on the Hill.

In the morning, Damien and I listened to keynote speaker and author Jack Calhoun.  Mr. Calhoun served as president of National Crime Prevention Council for 20 years where he revolutionized his organization’s crime prevention approach to focus on building community and services to prevent the escalation of problems to the criminal justice level.

At lunch, we all dressed up and got a front row table to see David Plouffe speak.  Mr. Plouffe spoke eloquently on the ways the Obama campaign succeeded by frequently bucking convention, focusing on developing a real relationship with their supporters, putting real pressure on their volunteers, trusting in grassroots organizing, and the importance of the youth vote in winning the election.  Carnella asked the last question to Mr. Plouffe, asking why the youth were important to him and this country.  We all got to shake his hand, get a photo with Mr. Plouffe, and in general enjoy his inspirational speech and presence.

After lunch, we headed to the Capitol to buy souvenirs and see the pseudo culturally interesting film, “Gran Torino,” which actually ended up to be about multiculturalism, at-risk youth, and gangs!  Damien and George developed quite a liking for speaking like Clint Eastwood after seeing the movie.

The day concluded with an interesting, but dry, Congressional Awards Ceremony in the Senate Building.  Many awards were given out in addition to a young actor who played a homeless youth on The Wire, and a couple congressional representatives speaking.  It was pretty dry, but an interesting view into the social networking, “schmooze,” that happens on the hill to get things done.  We headed home and did a closing.  Youth did some packing, but had the option of going to Youth Place again for some music, dancing, and karaoke.

Hill Day – Day Four

This day started a little rough since we hadn’t slept much with planning, packing, and a late night agenda the night before.  But after we got some food in us we excitedly headed to the office of Representative Jim McDermott on the metro.  In a surprise change, our meeting grew to include the Network’s paid lobbyist, and the Executive Directors of YouthCare, the DC Shelter Obama went to on MLK day, and The National Network for Youth.  Suddenly our YouthCare Washington meeting turned into the highest-level meeting to get money into the Federal Stimulus for Homeless Youth!

Our youth represented us excellently.  The meeting began with our youth telling how they were involved with Orion, why that was important, and a little bit more about their personal paths/stories.  Afterwards, the “big wigs” started some DC-speak advocating about money and the stimulus.  First we were talking to a staffer, but then McDermott came in to speak with us and we definitely taught him a few new things about homeless youth!  At one point Carnella spoke up with some very convincing words to Rep. McDermott.  We left that meeting with McDermott saying he had some ideas for how to get money in the stimulus and he’d try and get something going.  In the hall outside, our youth were showered with praise for their contribution, all of us citing how powerful it was to have them share their stories and be there in the flesh!

Before heading to Murray’s office we got tickets to go and see the House of Representatives Gallery in the Capitol Building.  So, we did that and watched Reps debate amendments to the Federal Stimulus that they later passed that same day.  It was a historic time to be there watching our representatives.

Our next meeting with Murray’s office was the same deal, with our young people blowing everyone away and Murray’s office learning new things about funding and homeless youth services.  They said they would look out for how to work with McDermott and other supporters to see what they could do.  Also, Geri and the Murray staffer invited our youth to please offer their input to several committees Murray was on addressing similar issues.  It was another super interesting meeting.

After all this excitement we rushed back to the hotel, grabbed our luggage, rushed to the airport, and boarded a plane home.  Our incredible trip was over.

Youth took turns being photographer, were active partners in developing daily agendas, and were responsible for daily journaling about their day’s experiences.  We are currently working on narrated edited slideshow put to music to use as the prime record and celebration of our trip!