Project Highlights
January 2021
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Will continue life skills groups for Elgin High School ESL students
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We started 4 Executive Functioning groups at Streamwood High School on January 25
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KYC collaborated with a student-led not-for-profit called Sharing Our Stories to deliver gifts (books, toys, games, hats, gloves, etc.) to families living in Oasis Mobile Home Park and the Tanglewood community. The gifts were for children in kindergarten through grade 8. Sharing Our Stories is an organization started by two students who are part of our youth committee, Youth Advocates for Change. This organization provides children’s books featuring equitable and diverse representation to families and spaces in the local community.
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We now have 4 youth advisory councils (we used to have 2) – one that services mostly D211 students, but also students in the area who attend private schools or are homeschooled (Youth Advocates for Change), one at Elk Grove High School, one at Lake Park High School, and the Rainbow Room YAC which is for students who identify as LGBTQ+
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Youth Advocates for Change collected over 2000 books from local libraries, sorted them, and donated them to 5 behavioral health hospitals for their in-patient units.
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Our Youth Experiencing Homelessness program continues to grow – we have several clients and are going to begin life skills workshops in January.
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The young adult group (for ages 18-24) meets weekly over Zoom. This group provides positive and affirming socializing and life skills education.
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On December 17, the LGBTQ+ Center held an event called Cocoa, Cookies, and Consent. This was an event where advance registration was required and KYC staff delivered packages to each participant in advance with supplies that were used during the virtual event as well as sexual health items. There was an open conversation about sexual education that folks have received in the past and then a 30-minute presentation on consent. All of the participants confirmed that they received no sexual education in school that was inclusive of their genders and identities and all agreed that this had some negative impact on their experiences and relationships. There was also a conversation about sexual health. This event was very well received and will become an ongoing series.
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The Rainbow Room Youth Advisory Council (for high school students).
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We have a middle school group that continues to meet weekly – all virtual for now.
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The monthly parent support group will continue to meet in 2021. This group is virtual and on the last Tuesday of the month from 7-8:15 pm.
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The LGBTQ+ Center staff have been asked to do competency training for staff at a local middle school. The staff has been in discussion with the administrators about what should be included and the training will be in February.
Please email lgbtqcenter@kennethyoung.org with any questions or inquiries!
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CCSD59 middle schools (Holmes, Friendship, and Grove Junior High) will begin to implement Too Good for Drugs in the next few months.
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Spring Wood Middle School has successful finished implementing Too Good for Drugs with their 6th graders. They will implement again next year, and 7th graders will receive booster sessions.
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Spring Wood Middle School, and Holmes Junior High will implement Generation Rx, a youth prescription medication misuse prevention program, and a youth vaping prevention session in February.
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Elk Grove High School Youth Advisory Council, Youth Advocates for Change serving D211, Rainbow Room Youth Advisory Council, and Lake Park High School Youth Advisory Council received Generation Rx on January 11th. We hope to have some students interested in implementing Generation Rx with their peers in future sessions
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Locally-designed Alcohol Communication Campaign has been going well, and well received by students, and school staff. Below is our second supplemental activity that was posted and reposted on social media by high school staff in December.
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State-designed Youth Vaping Prevention Communication Campaign is set to being in February at CCSD59 middle schools.
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The Substance Use Prevention Services (SUPS) team has been focused on creating social media content that provides resources for mental health, food insecurity, and healthy alternatives. In the upcoming months the SUPS team will be posting weekly affirmations, suicide prevention information and resources, and healthy alternatives video series on TikTok.
We are still looking for a middle school or high school in the Schaumburg, Hoffman Estates, and Palatine area to implement Too Good for Drugs. If you or anyone you know is interested, please contact Manager of SUPS, Michelle Barron at michelleb@kennethyoung.org.
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SMART Group being facilitated at North Cook Young Adult Academy
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Trained school staff from North Cook Young Adult Academy (NCYAA) in Narcan
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Presentation at NCYAA on January 14 on Substance Use for Parent Advisory Group
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Recruiting more youth and LGBTQ identifying individuals from the community for our SMART Groups
Learn more about Smart recovery
Learn more about Narcan training
For information on our recovery programs or to receive Narcan Training, please email us at recoveryresourcecs@kennethyoung.org
Public Health Services
Responsible Gaming
Our Responsible Gaming grant has a billboard up on Lake Street and is running a social media campaign. Keep a look for our new campaign for Problematic Gambling Awareness Month in March.
Learn more about responsible gaming
HIV Prevention, Condom & Lube Distribution
• New campaign created by and for those who are at the highest risk for:
1) HIV transmission and
2) lack of overall health care due to systemic and institutional barriers.
Follow @FlickOffHIV on Instagram!
• In partnership with Live4lali, we are providing Free safer sex supplies and rapid HIV testing every Friday 1:30p-3:30p at Trickster Cultural Center
Learn more about HIV prevention
Learn more about condom and lube distribution
For flyers visit the CPYD January 2021 Coalition meeting resource page
