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| PCRC helps students talk health in community |
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Building A Stronger Neigbhorhood
Rosa Chairez (left) reviews information about summer activities for her children at the San Mateo Library during the Youth Registration Night at the 700 Block of N. Amphlett in San Mateo in June. Also offering information and registration were the Parks and Recreation Department and Samaritan House. It’s part of the PCRC Strengthening Neighborhoods Initiative. |
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News to use |
Anniversary Gala Dinner
PCRC is celebrating 20 years of conflict resolution and community building with a Gala Dinner on November 2, 2006 at the Airport Westin Hotel in Millbrae, California. Executive Director Patricia Brown will be honored for her 18 years of service to PCRC. Anyone interested in working on the Gala Committee is asked to contact Dyane Hendricks at dhendricks@pcrcweb.org.
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Donating Made Easy
Making a donation to PCRC is easier now. Using a MasterCard or VISA credit card, pledges in any amount can be made monthly or quarterly. PCRC can also take payment for events and services. Pay online by clicking on
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Progress ENews
Ensure that you get the Progress Enews, coming this summer, by sending PCRC your email addess. Just email Dyane Hendricks at dhendricks@pcrcweb.org with a note that you would like to subscribe to Progress Enews. |
Getting Involved
Get more involved with PCRC by volunteering with the Outreach Program or helping with Office Support. Training is provided and volunteers are free to select their specialities. Volunteers are needed to make presentations to community groups and staff tables at fairs and craft boutiques. Help is also needed with office services and special projects. |
For more information about all these programs, projects and events, call 650.513.0330 |
Dyane Hendricks
at dhendricks@pcrcweb.o |
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Students at Cunha Intermediate School in Half Moon Bay decided to take matters into their own hands and do something about the growing obesity problem among young people plaguing this county. Youth want teachers and parents to give them healthy nutritional options, said Michelle Vilchez, Manager of Civic Engagement Programs for PCRC. The students want to make some serious changes at their school --- and the adults are seriously listening.
Leaving A Legacy
It started in April when PCRC was asked by Youth and Family Enrichment Services (YFES) in collaboration with Cunha School to conduct a “fishbowl” focus group. Michelle who facilitated a discussion among 15 students about youth and nutrition while 15 very amazed adults watched. “These kids mean business and are really earnest about making this happen,” commented Michelle.
“I want to see our ideas become real,” agrees Jasmine, 13, in eighth grade.
The Need For Role Models
Topping the list of requests are better food options. While being told they must “eat healthy,” the students find a lack of fresh fruits and vegetables on the school menu. In abundance are frozen and fast foods. “They watch as the school staff helps themselves to soft drinks, cookies and candy in vending machines that are off-limits to them, “ explained Michelle. Many students say that options at home are not much better. Parents tell them to eat better, but snack choices are limited to candy and chips. “It is important to these students that adults are role models,” Michelle said.
The students are working to make changes through these discussions with their community partners, which include PCRC, the Cabrillo School District, YFES, Half Moon Bay Boys and Girls Club, Half Moon Bay Parks and Recreation, Seton Medical Center Coastside and the Coastside Collaborative. They want activities that include a beach event, a community walk-a-thon, a child-parent healthy lifestyle activity, and a Cunha Health Day when every class in school --- whether physical education or math --- focuses on health. The role of the community partners is to ensure that is exactly what happens. “This is a true partnership between the school, health groups, community and the students,” stressed Michelle.
Four Clear Messages
From these discussions, came four clear messages:
•more food choices at school and home are needed;
•adults need to show more support in the youths’ pursuit of healthier food and lifestyle options;
•students felt they tried to address these issues in the past but were not heard;
•students believe there is a disconnect between those youth with families active in sports and specify those whose families have little or no physical activity.
The students have had five meetings with their community partners, including PCRC, since that initial fishbowl session.
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Training in Men's Jail
Two PCRC volunteer mediators work at the San Mateo men’s jail once a month to provide minimum security inmates with communication tools to effectively deal with anger-producing situations as they re-enter the community.
Stephen Emigh of San Mateo and Matt Ahrens of San Carlos began the Anger Management Training program in June with the goal of enhancing the emotional and relationship health of the inmate population.Using active listening skills and open ended questions, Stephen and Matt generate interactive discussion with the inmates, focusing on such topics as identifying situations that generate anger, looking at the usual reaction to these situations, and identifying and learning options for dealing more effectively with anger. Co-sponsored by PCRC and The Service League of San Mateo County, the program is patterned after a similar program in the women’s jail.
Stephen expressed an interest and willingness to launch a men’s program, created a proposal and solicited volunteers. Matt expressed a keen interest in participating. They worked together to develop content for the program with the help of materials provided by Elizabeth Proctor who manages the women’s program.
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Tips for
Managing Angry People
Check in on your own emotion. If you’re angry too, you may need to cool off in order to avoid making bad decisions.
Don’t take it personally - try to put yourself in the other person’s shoes. What’s making them angry?
Try to find a location where you can both sit down and talk with some privacy.
Listen respectfully to de-escalate emotions. Try to rephrase, reflect and validate in order to bring them into conversation with you.
Use non-blaming language. Speak calmly and provide necessary information concisely and respectfully.
Whenever possible, plan ahead for these situations. |
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Spotlight: Girl Bullying
Over the past year, the Schools Program received an increase in calls to provide training on “girl bullying.” This latest trend in bullying awareness, prevention and intervention has been the focus of books, movies, and much media attention. Rachel Simmons, author of Odd Girl Out: The Hidden Culture of Aggression in Girls was in San Mateo earlier this year to share information about this topic with our community. To meet the interest of school staff and parents on this topic, we have incorporated “girl bullying” issues into our middle school classroom presentations on respect and empathy. We ask young people to identify the ways girls and boys bully differently and the impact of those behaviors.
We have also helped facilitate parent education workshops where we use the film version of “Odd Girl Out” to stimulate dialogue on this sometimes painful topic and help parents identify strategies they can use with their daughters. Although geared towards girls, this information is important to all of us, including becoming familiar with prevention and intervention strategies.
For more information on our training programs, please contact Alicia Santamaría, Schools Program Manager at asantamaria@pcrcweb.org
Schools Program Receives Grants As was reported in the last newsletter, the PCRC Schools Program is going through some exciting changes, including program expansion that better positions PCRC to support schools in overcoming non-academic barriers to student learning. A wonderful coincidence to these changes and validation for our important work in schools, is the receipt of a generous grant from the Hurlbut-Johnson Fund, a donor advised fund of the Peninsula Community Foundation.
This grant funds the Schools Program Manager (formerly called Director) position full-time and enables PCRC to add a full-time Program Coordinator for the Schools Program. The process to hire the Program Coordinator has begun and we hope to have the position filled by mid-July. We are excited to have the additional staff capacity to coincide with the changes we are undertaking. The summer will be a busy planning time and we look forward to a great start to the new school year. |
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Dyane Hendricks