East Bay Asian Local Development Corporation Receives $300,000 Youth Community Access Grant from the California Natural Resources Agency
For Immediate Release: May 27, 2022
East Bay Asian Local Development Corporation Receives $300,000 Youth Community Access Grant from the California Natural Resources Agency
Grant to Further Youth Access to California’s Natural, Cultural and Historic Resources
Oakland, California – The East Bay Asian Local Development Corporation (EBALDC) received a $300,000 grant from the California Natural Resources Agency to help provide youth in East Oakland’s Havenscourt neighborhood leadership opportunities and access to the Bay Area and California’s bounty of natural and cultural resources.
Youth explore Big Break Regional Shoreline, Oakley
In a recent EBALDC resident survey conducted in the low-income/underserved area of East Oakland–Havenscourt, 92% of youth indicated they had never been outside Oakland. The California Natural Resource Agency’s Youth Community Access grant will further EBALDC youth’s access to California’s natural, cultural, and historic resources. The fund will allow 150 children to participate in field trips to places like Lawrence Hall of Science, the Monterey Bay Aquarium, the California Academy of Sciences, and to California’s national parks.
“This is a huge opportunity for our families at Lion Creek Crossings,” says Michelle Sit, Youth Development Director at EBALDC. “These trips help foster youth interest in STEAM careers, and we hope these experiences will inspire families to engage in wildlife conservation and local environmental activism,” she added.
Learning about snakes at East Bay Regional Park: Coyote Hills
EBALDC’s Youth Programs have supported youth development and leadership for over a decade. Lion Creek Crossings resident and youth programs alum, Da’Layjah Washington is a perfect example. As a young adult, Da’Layjah experienced many family stressors that made it hard for her to engage with her peers. Over time, EBALDC’s wrap-around services supported Da’Layjah and her family—helping reduce those stressors and allowing her to be more active. One of those programs is the Roaring Forward Teen Program (Roaring Forward) where she spent over 100 hours volunteering time as a classroom assistant, mentor, and leader for youth. Learning how to engage and discuss difficult issues affecting her peers, Da’Layjah started a book club for teens to come together to share ideas and experiences and read stories about Black and Brown youth. Skills she learned at Roaring Forward such as public speaking, conflict resolution, and debating prepared her to play an active role in her community. When the Oakland City Council was deliberating whether to fund the youth programing that allowed her to start the book club, Da’Layjah stepped up and gave an impassioned speech, making a strong case in front of the Life Enrichment Committee to fund youth programs. After hearing compelling testimony from the community, Oakland City Council subsequently voted in favor of allocating funds for youth programming. Da’Layjah Washington is now a high school graduate and has spoken on various public policy issues at Oakland’s City Hall.
Scientists from Lion’s Pride Afterschool Program
We’re excited to connect even more youth, like Miss Washington, to in-depth, guided youth leadership experiences while exploring California’s natural, cultural, and historic resources made possible by this grant.
“You can see our program’s impact on our youth. But the Youth Community Access grant program is a game-changer. Now we can move beyond just helping kids cope; this grant will allow us to help expand the horizons of our youth,” says Ener Chiu, Executive Vice President of Community Building at EBALDC.
To learn more about Lion’s Pride, read their latest newsletter.