CYF Grant Opportunities

Youth-Led Projects in the U.S. and Canada Funded
Do Something Seed Grants
http://www.dosomething.org/grants/seedgrants

Do Something is a national nonprofit organization that inspires young people to believe that change is possible, and trains, funds, and mobilizes them to be leaders who work to strengthen their communities. Do Something Seed Grants are available to U.S. and Canadian citizens, age 25 or under, who want to create a community action project or further the success of an existing program. Examples of funded projects include a community-run organic farm, a youth-written literary magazine for women of color, and an organization that teaches sick kids how to fly. One grant of $500 is awarded each week. Applications may be submitted throughout the year.





Support for Nutrition Programs Worldwide
Allen Foundation
https://www.allenfoundation.org/

The Allen Foundation supports nonprofit organizations and higher education institutions worldwide that promote human nutrition in the areas of health, education, training, and research. The Foundation's grantmaking priorities include the following: nutritional education for mothers during pregnancy and after the birth of their children, training for educators and demonstrators of good nutritional practices, and the dissemination of healthful nutritional information. Relevant nutritional research projects are also supported. Preference may be given to proposals that include matching funds from the applicant or other partners, including in-kind contributions. The upcoming application deadline is December 31, 2011.

Upcoming Bullying Workshop

Breaking the Cycle of Violence - The Bully, The Bullied & The Bystander" is being presented by Barbara Coloroso at the St. Cloud Civic Center on September 26th. Sponsored by Resource Training & Solutions. Cost is $5 in advance and $10 at the door. You can register at www.resourcetraining.com. Download the flyer here.

Early Learning Digest

Check out the July/August 2011 issue of the Early Learning Digest. The Early Learning Digest is a result of a partnership between the Minnesota Department of Education and the Working Family Resource Center.


WFRC works with over 100 businesses, and this digest is primarily designed to be distributed by these business to their employees. The goal of this effort is to reach parents in their workplace with Help Me Grow information and evidence-based child development and parenting information.


All issues are available on http://www.mnparentsknow.info/ for ongoing access under Parenting A-Z. If you'd like to subscribe online, and have the Early Learning Disgest delivered to your email box every other month go to http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/KFGXSS7.

Complex Trauma in Action Training: Aug 1

Plan to attend "Complex Trauma in Action: Tools & Techniques for Parents, Foster Parents & Social Workers". August 1st from 9 - 4 at Immaculate Conception Catholic Church, Becker, MN.


Presented by Krista Nelson, Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker and Marriage & Family Therapist, this training will provide you with need-to-know information about hands-on strategies for dealing with childhood trauma, and the resulting symptoms and behaviors.


Registration fee is $10 and includes a light breakfast, luch and 6 CE hours. Registration is expected to fill fast --register early! Priority registration is given to providers and residents of Benton, Stearns, Sherburne & Wright counties. For more information, click here.

Fifth Annual Nancy Latimer Convening for Children

Jane Ellison & Linda Kaufmann accept
"The Nancy" award on behalf of
the Initiative Foundation.

On June 29th I had the distinct pleasure of attending the Fifth Annual Nancy Latimer Convening for Children in which the six Minnesota Initiative Foundations were the recipients of "The Nancy" Award for their work with the Minnesota Thrive Initiative. The Thrive Initiative was launched in 2007 to promote the healthy social and emotional development of our youngest children.

Right here in Central Minnesota, the Greater St. Cloud Area Thrive Initiative is working to ensure that all families have access to the information and resources they need. Their current focuses include:

• Integrate medical and mental health, school and childcare services in a family centered manner.
• Create a grassroots movement to make early childhood mental health funding a priority with policy makers.
• Ensure that every parent and every expectant parent understands the importance of healthy social and emotional development and has access to community based resources.
• Increase the number and enhance the skills of mental health providers and other professional working with young children.
• Increase early childhood mental health education and resources for child care providers.

Remembering Nancy Latimer: 

As a longtime senior program officer at the McKnight Foundation, a leader of the Minnesota Early Childhood Funders Network, and a lifelong advocate for children, Nancy made many contributions to the healthy development of young children, the prevention of child abuse, and the creation of public and policy support to improve the lives of Minnesota's children and families. In addition to her work across the entire developmental continuum for children, Nancy was especially dedicated to enhancing early childhood care and education.

Nancy's leadership, passion, creativity, and commitment to children were recognized in 2005 with the national Council on Foundation's Robert W. Scrivner Award for Creative Grantmaking. In her acceptance speech she said, "It's important to use both head and heart. Our society seems to be losing that kind of heart - the kind that cares for the common good, rather than frontier individualism. My final message to all of you is: Be persistent in reaffirming values for the common good." 

Following her untimely death, the Minnesota Early Childhood Funders Network held the first annual Nancy Latimer Convening for Children and Youth in 2007 to continue Nancy's commitment to building connections and communication to benefit children. The Network's annual "Nancy" Award honors Nancy's memory and legacy by recognizing the contributions of others to the lives of Minnesota's children and their families.

Thank you to the Minnesota Early Childhood Funders Network for selecting the Minnesota Initiative Foundations for this award and special thanks to the Greater St. Cloud Area Thrive for all of their amazing work and dedication!

Father's Day Events

With Father's Day just around the corner, here are two upcoming events we thought you might be interested in:

On Saturday June 18th
District 742 Early Childhood Family Center is co-sponsoring the 17th annual Celebration of Fatherhood at Lake George, St. Cloud. The event which runs 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. is free for dads and children through age eight. All family members are welcome. Activities include music, fishing, paddle boats, hook-a-book, face painting, craft projects, parent-child activities, food & beverages, story-telling and more. View the flyer or call 253-5828 for more information.

On Sunday June 19th
The Pine River Backus Area ECC is sponsoring a bus to the Father's Day Lunker's Baseball Game. The bus departs from the Pine River School in front of Circle Drive at 12:00 p.m. sharp! For more information or to register, click here for flyer.

"Nurturing Nature" with the Minnesota Children's Museum

Yesterday, several Early Childhood Coalition coordinators and some special guests got to join us here for "Nurturing Nature" with Nichole Polifka from the Minnesota Children's Museum. "Nurturing Nature" is just one of the six Professional Development Workshops offered by the museum that, "will travel" and promises to ignite ideas, spark creativity and delivers practical skills and activities that can be readily implemented in the classroom.

During our short two hours, we were able to play games, create simple art projects, browse resources and enjoyed an interesting conversation about the contrast of what " experiencing nature & the environment" meant to us as children and what it means for future generations.

The conversation got me thinking and I began to wonder if the children I work with will ever canoe with their family along the river and find the perfect sand bar to stop and have a picnic? Will they make up games while chasing their friends or siblings in and around the barn at Grandma & Grandpa's house? Will they learn to make "stew" out of dirt, water, sticks, leaves, berries & rocks and try to feed it to their younger brothers? What do you think?

With the competition of x-box, i-pods, soccer practice, dance class, mom's schedule, dad's schedule and our society's push on "faster, better, stronger" I don't feel very confident about our young people "experiencing nature & the environment" in the easy ways that I did when I was a child. 

Feel free to comment and let me know your thoughts. I've added a few pictures of the resources, materials and projects that Nichole brought with and shared with us. ENJOY it and then GET OUTSIDE!