DAYS Long Beach

YOUTH PROGRAMS: The Summer Program is offered free of charge for a 6-week day program for children ages 5 and up. In 2022, 155 children and youth participated in the program, with 20 high school and college age students volunteering daily. Ths program engaged in topics that increased youth engagement in school by learning through activities directly linke to Long Beach Unified School District goals and objectives. We increased youths desire to learn while applying and delivering a variety of concepts and methods, including but not limited to academic enrichment, field trips, videos, guest speakers, hands-on activities, cooking, craft and science activities, engleish language development through storytelling, music, technology instruction, recreation, physical activity to increase a sense of belonging and social understanding. We incorporated activities to address in an age-appropriate manner issues that have affected the youth and their community over the previous year and to provide continued support through our after-school program.Our age format allows for an entire family to attend the program, freeing the older youth, who traditionally were responsible for providing child watch while parents worked, to attend as well. Staff is comprised of former summer participants and an army of volunteers. CSULB service-learning students joined the summer staff and introduced specific workshops to address self-identity, art expression, nutrition, and the impact of social media platforms, to name a few topics.

Leadership and Academic Success: Leaders Long Beach (LLB) is a youth-led program that has been successfully addressing critical issues in the Long Beach community since 2012. The program focuses on developing essential skills in youg people, such as communication, teamwork, and conflict resolution, and provides year-round volunteer opportunities and summer employment opportunities to youth who demonstrate an interest in the program. The programs unique design empowers young people to take ownership of the program and develop their leadership and community organizing skills.

Community Engagement: Our free grocery distribution/delivery program served over 125 families weekly, totaling 17,596 lbs of produce. We were awarded a grant specifically to purchase dairy and protein to add to the grocery packs. The entire process of grocery distribution and delivery is labor intensive, requiring a substantial amount of coordination and time. We have been fortunate to have a cadre of volunteers to work alongside us.The Churchof Latter-Day Saintes Long Beach volunteers join us to prepare the produce bags, and pack the cars with produce, milk, protein, and eggs. CSULB service-learning students have participated, ensuring that grocery bags are complete and then help distribute the grocery packs. This program has enabled us to stay connected and engaged with families and children. In addition to delivering groceries, we distributed informational flyers on topics such as the Census, LA County Helpline, food resources, and COVID-19 safety measures. Over the last several years, in response to the pandemic, DAYS LB, along with its partners and LLB members, came together to create Wellness events designed to address the challenges faced by local schools in engaging parents as partners in their youths education, interrupting learning loss, as well as the related social isolation and mental health challenges experienced by youth. The program targets local elementary and middle schools with a disproportionately high number of underrepresented students, inviting students, families, and school staff to participate in a variety of school site activities and wellbeing workshops, promoting vaccine education, distribution groceries, art, and school supplies. We held six community school events in the highest unvaccinated zip codes within the city, with approximately 1,000 individuals attending. DAYSLB launched Academy for Parents: Learning to Live Better, a project which focused on Conflict Resolution within the family. Funded by Best Start, led by community members, topics included factors that affect inter-family relations including generational, language and cultural gaps, increasing communication skills, reducing abuse, and introducing tools to de-escalate family situations. The successfuul on-line workshops were offered for 10 weeks to over 25 families.