Welcome to the fifth installment of the bi-monthly Fed Blog! Fed Blog posts are a one-stop spot to provide ya’ll with a regular update on recent FBCYICN activities and opportunities. Here you can stay in the loop without having to keep track of all our Facebook and e-newsletter updates or have to wait until the next edition of Power Pages.

View our March, 2013 update here.

Read on for a summary of what we’ve been up to since then!

2013 BC Child and Youth in Care Week: June 2-8, 2013

We are just about to celebrate the 3rd annual BC Child and Youth in Care week— celebrations are in the works in a community near you, and we will be posting a list of events on the website shortly.
Provincial Event in Vancouver June 5:
In addition to local events, the provincial event will be held in Vancouver: June 5th, 4:45-8 pm, Vancouver Public Library Main Branch, 350 W Georgia. Highlights include: a child and youth talent show, first-ever MCFD BC Child + Youth in Care Awards, two awesome youth member MCs, entertainment from hip-hop artist Dakk’One, face-painting and crafts for kids, interactive booths and activities from youth organizations, delicious catered dinner, humongo cake, speeches from the Deputy and the Rep, keynote from Hon. Landon Pearson, free raffle and SWEET swag bags for every child and youth in/from 0-24!! If you are able to attend in Vancouver, please RSVP to Jessica at MCFD: Jessica.M.Shaw@gov.bc.ca! All children and youth in and from care 0-24 and their allies are invited to RSVP (children and youth given priority, of course:).

BC Child and Youth in Care Week Planning Committee:

This year, the week’s celebrations are being planned by MCFD in partnership with Adoptive Families Association, BC Federation of Foster Parent Associations, Federation of Aboriginal Foster Parents, the Fed, the Public Guardian and Trustee with support and direction from an awesome-sauce youth committee. Special shout out to youth Alden (in Prince George), Cammy (in Victoria), Alicia (in Vernon) and Caitlin (in Burnaby) for their amazing insights and initiative. In addition to helping us plan a youth-friendly week, they are working with Ministry reps in their communities to plan local events, spreading the word on social media (#standwithyouthincare, #bcchildandyouthincareweek, #youthincareareawesome), they are also about to launch a promo video for the week called “Youth in Care are Awesome”— stay tuned to youtube for that gem and spread the word!

20^th Anniversary Celebration

The Fed is officially 20 years old!!! And of course we had to bring in 20 years with a bang. We had many special guests in attendance, including many of the adult supports who have given years of service to the Network, former staff and alumni. To start off the celebration we had 3 of the founding members attend and speak about what the system was like 20 something years ago and what it means to them to see it turn 20. Big thanks to Teresa Lum, Chuck Lundie and Christina Riley for coming to celebrate with us! Next the SCM Extreme team presented a “grapevine” of our history and to close off the event we had several people come up and speak about the Network and the importance it has had on their lives. If 20 years was this amazing I can’t wait to see what 25 years has in store for us!

Achievement Awards

This year we celebrated another group of amazing young people and adults celebrated for their achievements. For those who don’t know, the Achievement Awards are our way of celebrating stand-out young people, alumni of the network and allies of youth in and from government care. We honour individuals in several categories: Personal Achievment, Community Contribution, Outstanding Alumni and Above and Beyond (for allies). Check out our Summer, 2013  edition of Power Pages to learn about our recipients in each category! What all these candidates have in common is that they inspire us. They inspire us to be better caregivers, they inspires us to give back to the community, the inspire us to grow as individuals and they inspire us to be better people. On behalf of the entire membership, staff and board we congratulate all the 2013 FBCYICN Achievement Award winners!

GOV

Every year the BC Federation of Aboriginal Friendship Centres hosts an amazing conference that celebrates Aboriginal young people and Aboriginal culture — plus tons of really cool workshops about pretty much every topic you could think of. This year the conference was held in beautiful Penticton during spring break and we brought six young people who prepresented each region in the province! Find out more about our amazing trip in the Summer, 2013 edition of Power Pages!

Dream Fund

We distributed another round of Dream Fund bursaries thanks to the selection committee! Under the Dream Fund umbrella we awarded $2500 to three wonderful applicants to help them with post-secondary school through our Education Achievement Bursary and another $1995 to four awesome people through our Reach for Success Bursary to help them with skill-building and extra-curricular activities.

Local Development

FBCYICN Locals are groups of youth in and from care who gather in their communities and are supported by allies and the Fed (staff and the A Team) to meet their goals. There are lots of pretty exciting things going on in the way of local development at the Fed right now, including the official launch of several new Fed Locals: Vernon Youth in Care! Victoria Youth in Care Network! Kelowna Youth in Care Network! Also, the Kamloops and Powell River Fed Locals are starting up again and Prince George is going strong!

Membership

As always, we love welcoming all the new members we connect with each month to the Fed family! We make sure to spend some time with them to learn about their needs and interests, and to inform them of our programs, services and all the different ways to get involved. New members also receive a welcome package and those that live close by are invited to tour the office to meet other members and the staff team. A new “Member Splash Page” for the website is in the works to showcase our new members that also feature a FAQ and other helpful information! We hosted a special Member Celebration at the Feb. SCM honouring all our long-time youth members— the most important people in our Fed world.

Outreach Group (the OGs)!

The OG team, comprised of six youth, one board representative/alumni member and one staff member, is a group of talented, passionate individuals selected to develop and make presentations to educate the BC community about the Fed and the issues facing youth in and from care. This incredible team of young people has been selected to bring the voice of thousands of youth in and from care to the larger community. They’ve begun delivering presentations to community partners — including the Public Guardian and Trustee and MCFD Team Leads from the Surrey-Delta-Whiterock area. If you’d like the OGs to visit your place of work/school/activism to speak about FBCYICN + the issues facing youth in and from care and what to do about it, contact Lisa_Mickleborough@fbcyicn.ca!

Power Pages

We’ve received some truly cool submissions in this edition. Check out the Power Pages web page, or your local MCFD, to check it out the latest Summer 2013 edition.

SCMs

Steering Committee Meetings are now planned, organized and run by young people!! We had a great February SCM which had a Fed focus. We celebrated our 20th b-day, gave out awards, and acknowledged our volunteers, long-term members and new alumni. We have also recruited new members for the SCM Extreme Team so these are the members for the June SCM: Eddy B, Brittney M, Tory B, Bliss G, Melinda H, Elissa R, youth SCM Coordinator Steve and Program Manager Chris. With staff support, this brave team has been working hard to plan the June SCM. This committee is haleping make our SCMs for youth by youth! We are always excepting new members from across BC after each SCM so if you are interested message Chris Buchner. Also we will be hiring a new Youth SCM Coordinator in August so keep you eyes peeled for the posting!

Transitions Kit Bursary

Last year we launched our first ever province-wide transitions kit bursary! This award gives young people who have transitioned out of care or about to transition out of care $150 towards an independent living kit. In March we awarded 10 young people with kits. This is a provincial wide bursary and we hope to keep it going for years to come!

Volunteers

We’ve had lots of young people involved in a variety of volunteer roles in the last few months— check out Summer, 2013 Power Pages to check out our roster of fantastic volunteers. We were so happy to honour our beloved volunteers at the February SCM with a beautiful ceremony at the annual Volunteer Appreciation Party.

Phew! Did you get all that? Make sure to check out the next Power Pages for more Fed scoop and look out for the next installment of the Fed Blog in July.

Until then, keep fit and have fun this summer;)

Love, 

The Fed Staff

This province-wide bursary provides youth in/from care (14-24) with a $150 transition kit – items that will support young people who are transitioning to independence.  FBCYICN “in care” definition includes: continuing custody orders (or permanent ward), temporary custody orders (temporary ward), youth agreements, kith and kin agreements (now extended family plan), voluntary care agreements, correctional facilities (secure and open custody) and various specialized government agreements.

This bursary does not replace the transition money given to some young people in care; it is meant to supplement it. Transition money varies for many reasons including care status and need. This bursary is a competitive process and only 2-3 applicants per region will be selected.

Applicants will not receive money directly. If selected to receive this bursary, FBCYICN will purchase a transition kit based on what the applicant indicates on their wish list and have them shipped directly to the young person. When this is not possible, FBCYICN will make alternate arrangements to have their desired list delivered to the applicant.

Eligibility requirements (must meet all these requirements):

• Youth 14 -25 years old (cannot be older than 25)
• In or from government care in BC
• Has not received a transition kit from FBCYICN before
• Either currently living on their own or will be in eight months

Applicants will be notified by an FBCYICN staff member approximately 2-3 weeks after the application deadline.

Application deadline is Friday June 14, 2013.

E-mail: jessica_chu@fbcyicn.ca

Phone: 604-527-7762 or  Cell: 604-353-3495 or Toll-Free: 1-800-565-8055 (ext. 104)     

Facebook: “Jessica Chu at Fbcyicn” Deadline to Respond:  Friday, May 17^th, 2013 @4:30pm                                                                                               

What is it?

We’re looking for two confident, experienced, passionate public speakers to represent the FBCYICN at the Vancouver BC Child and Youth in Care Week provincial event at the Vancouver Public Library!!!  Do you have some public speaking experience?  Would you like an opportunity to further develop these skills with an FBCYICN staff?  Would you like an opportunity to network and speak in front of a room full of people (like the Minister, the Representative for Children and Youth, as well as adult and youth leaders in the child and youth sector) about what the week and the youth in/from care movement means to you? Would you like 5-7 hours counted toward a cash honorarium?  If this sounds like you, great!!!  You don’t need tons of experience, just confidence speaking in front of a group, availability to meet beforehand and attend the whole event, and passion for the youth in/from care movement.

Key Responsibilities:

• Create a script with supervisor and co-MC during an in-person, 2 hour meeting on Friday, May 24^th from 3-5pm (if the time does not work, we are flexible to arrange an alternative meeting time and date, so please still apply!)
• Show up early and co-MC the provincial BC Child and Youth in Care Week celebration, (4-8:30—the event is 4:45-8)
• Introduce speakers, entertainment, talent show participants, lead an icebreaker, and write a 4 minute speech on the meaning of the week (“What does BCCYICW means to me?”)   

Skills/Knowledge we’re looking for:

• Public speaking experience
• Facilitation experience
• Confident, friendly and energetic in front of a diverse crowd of adults and youth
• Punctuality and reliability   

Training provided and required:

• One 2 hour meeting with supervisor to plan and practice the script and your introductions     

What you’ll get:

• Time counted toward an honorarium (Every 20 hours, receive $100)
• Experience MC-ing an official MCFD event and celebration
• Networking opportunities with the minister, other government/sector representatives and youth
• An opportunity to represent the FBCYICN in a super important way!
• An opportunity to speak to the reason youth in care week, and the youth in/from care movement, is so important in front of decision makers and other youth
• Recognition in our provincial magazine, Power Pages
• Invitation to our annual Volunteer Celebration
• Reference letter if requested

Please indicate interest by:  Friday, May 24th 2013 at 4:30pm

SCMs are a great opportunity to build on your leadership skills in a safe, welcoming, and comfortable environment!  Not to mention, you get to meet and work alongside other amazing people (both volunteers and staff), and earn volunteer hours toward a cash honorarium!

You must be registered and approved to attend the upcoming SCM (June 7th-9th 2013) to volunteer!

Here are all the different ways you get involved:

(click on each role for more info):

Greeter

We are looking for friendly and energetic members to greet SCM participants as they arrive at the office on Friday and help us get organized and ready!   As a Fed Greeter, you are the lead in making sure new participants feel comfortable and welcomed at the start of their SCM experience!  Other responsibilities include organizing SCM supplies and doing a role call of the participants on both the Friday and Sunday of the SCM.

MC

Are you interested in helping to host the SCM?  As a MC, you’ll be responsible for a portion of the agenda for the weekend and help participants create and understand the common purpose and goals of coming together, keep everyone on track, provide opportunities for them to share knowledge, and create space for everyone to be heard and included while remaining neutral in discussions (not taking sides).

Mandatory MC meeting Wednesday, May 29th 4:30pm – 5:30pm either in person or by toll-free conference call—due to the important nature of this role, if you are not able to attend the meeting or follow through on prep-time, you will not be able to MC

Photographer

Do you like to take photos?  How about becoming an official FBCYICN photographer and help document the great things we do?  You don’t have to have any skills related to photography, but if you do, that’s a great!

Interested? Contact:

Who: Jessica Chu, Youth Participation Coordinator

E-mail: jessica_chu@fbcyicn.ca

Phone: 604-527-7762 or Cell:  604-353-3495 or Toll-Free: 1-800-565-8055 (ext. 104)

Message me on Facebook: Find me as “Jessica at Fbcyicn”

• Attend and participate in 1 consultation meeting and 9 working sessions ranging from May 21^st – Aug 6^th (1- 2 hours once a week)
• 6 hours on the day of video shoot

Jessica Chu, Youth Participation Coordinator

E-mail: jessica_chu@fbcyicn.ca

Phone: 604-527-7762 (ext. 104) or 1-800-565-8055

Facebook: “Jessica Chu at Fbcyicn” Deadline to respond: Monday, May 13^th 2013 at 4:30pm

What is it?

The FBCYICN is very excited to announce that a MULTI-MEDIA VIDEO is being produced to promote The Fed’s history, membership, and programs and services.  With this video, we are hoping to spread the word about the FBCYICN provincially to help grow our membership!  We are looking to form a special committee of creative youth members (six youth members and one alumni) who are interested in participating in consultations, making the video, and providing input on the video’s art direction.  Being involved could include things like writing the script, making the story board, and providing voice overs. 

Key Responsibilities:

• Attend and participate in 1 consultation meeting and 9 working sessions (2 hours once a week)
• Help us choose a film/production company
• Provide input on story boards and video concepts
• Share and vote on ideas
• Help the FBCYICN write the script for the video and provide voice recordings

Skills/Knowledge we’re looking for:

• Creative, idea-generators that are great at communicating their vision
• Good at writing and drawing to create scripts and story boards
• Excited to learn about and promote FBCYICN services
• Great at participating with a team

Training provided:

• How to write scripts and create story boards
• How to do voice-overs for multi-media projects

What you’ll get:

• The opportunity to participate in a creative project with other FBCYICN members
• Participation in this committee will count towards volunteer hours for youth members (every 20 hours means $100 in your pocket)!
• Recognition in Power Pages (our provincial magazine)
• Invitation to our annual Volunteer Celebration where you’ll be acknowledged
• Reference letter if requested

Power Pages, your FBCYICN provincial magazine, needs YOU to send us stuff for the up-coming Summer edition; it will be published just in time for our June, 2013 SCM (Steering Committee Meeting) and will be sent to more than 5,000 young people, service providers, care givers and community members across BC, Canada and around the world!

Send us your:

• Stories
• Poems/lyrics
• Cartoons/comics
• Artwork (you can send us the hard copy or take a photo of your work and e-mail it in)
• Photography (either artistic photography or just photos of an experience)
• Reviews of a program or service (tell us what you liked or didn’t like)
• Letters to government or decision makers
• An interview with someone you think is interesting
• Reports (facts) or opinion pieces (what you think) on a community event or an issue affecting youth in/from care

The sky is the limit! If you can create it we would like you to share it with us. This is an opportunity to share your creativity, have your voice heard and make a difference for other youth in/from care. Not to mention, MAKE SOME $$! If you are a youth in/from care under 25, you will receive an honorarium of up to $50/edition for everything of yours that gets published. Plus, it looks great in a resume/portfolio.

Please send Lisa Mickleborough, Communications & Project Coordinator, your piece as well as a completed submission coversheet (print one out here: http://fbcyicn.ca/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/submission-coversheet.pdf) attached to us by no later than 4:30 pm on Friday, April 5th.

Here’s how:

Email – powerpages@fbcyicn.ca
Facebook – Lisa Mickleborough Work
Regular Mail or In Person – 625 Agnes Street, Suite 500, New Westminster, BC V3M 5Y4

Phone – (604) 353-3525 or toll free at 1-800-565-8055
Fax – (604) 527-7764

Feel free to contact us with any questions about the magazine—we can’t wait to see what you’ve got to say!

For more information about Power Pages, or to see past editions, click here: http://fbcyicn.ca/programs/power-pages/

-To join the team you need to be able to attend an orientation/work weekend on April 5^th-6^th and the full Steering Committee Meeting on June 7-9^th. Supervising Staff:  Paula Knowles, Local Development Coordinator Interested?  Contact:

Who:Jessica Chu, Youth Participation Coordinator

E-mail: jessica_chu@fbcyicn.ca

Phone: 604-527-7762 (ext. 104) or Toll-Free: 1-800-565-8055 (ext. 104) or Cell: 604-353-3495

E-mail: “Jessica Chu at Fbcyicn” Deadline:  Thursday March 28^th at 4:30pm

Description:

Want to get involved with an amazing team and help out youth in/from care from all around the province?!?

Want to further develop your great leadership skills and have a place to share your phenomenal talents? 

Want to make a difference and get the bonus of beefing up your resume?  Even make a bit of cash?!

Come join the Local Development Team (a.k.a. A-Team)!    We’ve got 2 spots available!!!

We’ll be working on a video, on the Local workshops for the upcoming SCM, Youth in Care week promotion with Locals, and any other meaningful ways to support Local Youth in Care Networks around the province from now until the end of June. 

What are Locals?  Locals are groups of youth in/from care that get together in their own communities, with supportive adults, to connect, learn, and have fun.   The Local Development Team exists to learn about the experiences of Locals and support them with various projects.

Key Responsibilities:

• Ability to commit and participate in weekly or bi-weekly meetings from April-June, 2013
• Uphold the FBCYICN Code of Conduct  
• Assist with promotion of BC Child and Youth in Care week with Locals
• Help with the planning and promotion of the SCM in June because it will have a focus on Local Development
• Assist with supporting Locals to attend and participate in BC Child and Youth in Care week and the June SCM
• Create and lead workshops about Local Development at the June SCM
• Work on a video about Local Development

Skills/Knowledge we’re looking for:

• Commitment to bringing all of your fabulous skills to the group
• Follow through all your responsibilities and tasks
• Access to a computer and phone
• Willingness to help and learn
• Respect and understanding of diversity
• Interest and experience in facilitation, public-speaking, community development, youth engagement, and creative expression, a bonus!

Training provided and required:

• Must attend Orientation/work weekend on April 5^th and 6th
• Must attend the full Steering Committee Meeting from June 7^th-9^th, 2013

What you’ll get:

• Be a member of an exciting team of young people in and from care from across the province!
• Support other youth in and from care to connect in their local communities, raise their voices, and take action on issues impacting their lives!
• Receive training and develop skills in: facilitation, community development, public speaking, youth engagement, workshop development, creative expression, and more!
• Develop a variety of resources, videos, and workshops promoting and supporting Local Development
• Youth volunteer hours counted towards honorarium (for every 20 hours, receive $100)
• Recognition in Power Pages and our annual Volunteer Celebration
• Invitation to our annual Volunteer Celebration
• Letter of reference if requested

- Must be able to attend the orientation day on April 6^th(travel, food and accommodations are covered)

- Must be able to attend the Steering Committee Meeting  from June 7^th – June 9^th,  2013 Interested?  Contact:

Who:Jessica Chu, Youth Participation Coordinator

E-mail: jessica_chu@fbcyicn.ca

Phone: 604-527-7762 (ext. 104) or Toll-Free: 1-800-565-8055 (ext. 104) or Cell: 604-353-3495

E-mail: “Jessica Chu at Fbcyicn” Deadline to Respond:  Thursday March 28^th at 4:30pm

Description:

Do you love SCMs and want to help with the planning, organizing, and the facilitation of the weekend?  Want to be a part of an awesome youth team, and further develop leadership skills and experience while earning some $$$?  How about joining the SCM Extreme Team?  We are looking for 3 additional SCM Planning Committee Members to plan, organize, and lead our Steering Committee Meeting (SCM) from June 7-9^th 2013 at Camp Easter Seals in Squamish, BC.

As a SCM Planning Committee Member, your role will be to:

• Attend weekly planning meeting conference calls
• Plan the SCM agenda including workshops, consultations, fun activities, and events
• Assist the staff with running the SCM and leading groups of 6 – 8 young people.

During the SCM, your role will be to:

• Support new young people
• Create group guidelines
• Lead check ins and outs
• Provide peer support and opportunities for members of your group to share knowledge, create space for everyone to be heard and included, and remain neutral in the discussions (not taking sides).

Key Responsibilities:

• Attend weekly conference call planning meetings (about 2 hours a week)
• Assist with creating an SCM Agenda
• Assist with organizing workshops, consultations, activities and events
• Lead small groups of participants at the SCM
• Provide peer support
• Help new participants feel welcomed
• Answer participant questions about the SCM and the agenda
• Bring any member concerns to FBCYICN staff

Skills/Knowledge we’re looking for:

• Commitment and follow through on responsibilities and tasks
• Interest and experience in planning, facilitation, public speaking, youth engagement, and creative expression, a bonus!
• Respect and understanding of diversity
• Experience attending a previous SCM

Training provided and required:

• Must attend the orientation day on April 6^th (travel, food and accommodations are covered)
• Must be able to attend the Steering Committee Meeting from June 7-9^th, 2013
• Must have attended at least 1 previous SCM 

What you’ll get:

• Be a member of an exciting team of young people in and from care from across the province!
• Help plan, organize, and facilitate a weekend long conference for youth in and from care!
• $40 honorarium to attend the orientation
• $250 honorarium upon completion of role
• Event planning experience
• Facilitation experience
• Recognition in our provincial youth in care magazine called Power Pages and at our annual Volunteer Celebration
• Invitation to our annual Volunteer Celebration
• Reference letter if requested

We know you all adore the Federation of BC Youth in Care Networks (FBCYICN) but did you know that youth 14-24 in/from care can have input on our annual goals? Well you can and here’s how! You can now share your ideas and thoughts about FBCYICN programs and services through our FBCYICN annual planning 2013 survey – hooray! This survey is an opportunity to bring your voice to the table and tell us what programs and services were most helpful to you and some of your favorite things (and not so favorite things) about the Fed. We want to know!!

Your input is important to the annual goal planning process as it helps the Fed prioritize goals for the next year. So check out the FBCYICN annual goal planning 2013 survey!!

If you have any questions or comments feel free to contact Jules Wilson at Jules_Wilson@fbcyicn.ca

To take the survey click here ——> http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/2SGT2MT

AFA BC and FBCYICN are looking for five young people from around the province to help plan 2013 BC Child & Youth in Care Week celebrations around the province by joining the BC Child and Youth in Care Week (CYICW) Youth Engagement Sub Committee!! This year CYICW falls on June 2 – 8, 2013. The CYICW Youth Engagement Sub Committee will meet 1-2 times a month between March 20^th and June 14^th and will work with the CYICW Planning Committee to shape CYICW celebrations around the province. Specifically, the committee will work to ensure this year’s celebrations engage children and youth in and from care and that events are child and youth friendly. These meetings will be held remotely using conference calling and/or Skype; there will be pieces of work each member will take on in addition to the meetings.

Key Responsibilities:

-          Meet remotely for planning meetings (1-2 meetings/month at 2 hrs each) up until the week following CYICW (March

            20^th- June 14^th)

-          Make recommendations on how to publicize and engage children and youth in celebrations around the province,

            including the Provincial Celebration held in Vancouver

-          Make recommendations on how to make the CYICW celebrations child and youth friendly, including the Provincial

            Celebration held in Vancouver

-          Decide upon and plan a province-wide, youth-driven initiative that raises awareness of and celebrates CYICW

-          Create opportunities for other young people to give input about CYICW

-          Help inform young people around the province about all of the provincial celebrations that will take place over CYICW

-          Debrief after the week and provide recommendations for CYICW youth engagement for future years

Skills/Knowledge we’re looking for:

-          Creativity

-          Ability to work as a member of a team

-          A passion to be involved in raising awareness and celebrating CYICW

-          Reliability and commitment (must be able to commit to committee work until June 14^th)

-          Access to a computer and internet connection

-          Knowledge of social movements, social media and online campaigns an asset!

Training provided and required:

-          Orientation to the role

What you’ll get:

-          $ 100 honorarium at the end of BC Child and Youth in Care Week

-          A thank you gift for all of your hard work

-          Acknowledgment in the e-news, on both the FBCYICN and AFA’s YouthZone websites, at the Provincial event and also

            in the Power Pages magazine

-          Staff support from Courtenay and Lisa, who will be available to support and encourage the group as needed

 CONTACT JESS CHU BY MONDAY, MARCH 18TH @4:30 PM IF YOU’RE INTERESTED! Please contact Jess Chu by e-mail (jessica_chu@fbcyicn.ca) or by Facebook (“Jessica Chu At Fbcyicn”).