PW was launched in 2006. By December 2009, the PW team had reached over 3,500 people through 50+ presentations and trainings. Workshop audiences include social workers, teachers, probation and parole officers, attorneys, doctors, public officials, administrators, incarcerated parents, foster parents, CASA volunteers, and youth. A few of the places we have presented include the San Francisco Department of Children, Youth and their Families Children’s Summit; Casey Family Programs Annual “It’s My Life” Conferences; CASA volunteer trainings; Teachers 4 Social Justice Annual Conferences; and Alameda County First 5. For a full list of our presentations, see the past events page.
The PW team also developed the Resource Guide for Teens with a Parent in Prison or Jail. The eighty-page guide answers common questions that children have when a parent is incarcerated. It has an entire section that explains complex jail and prison visiting procedures in plain language. It also includes compelling stories written by youth, along with a CD of the stories read aloud. More than 4,500 copies of the guide have been distributed since May 2007. It is available by contacting Community Works. It’s also available through other community agencies, via free download on our website, and at conferences. Youth who want a free copy should contact the Community Works office.
Project WHAT! was launched with a generous grant from the Zellerbach Family Foundation. We have also received support from the June & Julian Foss Foundation, Youth Funding Youth Ideas, San Francisco Department of Children, Youth and Their Families, East Bay Community Foundation, Alameda County Health Care Services Agency, Youth Grants 4 Youth Action, Bank of the West, GGS Foundation, Morris Stulsaft Foundation, and generous individuals.
HIRING YOUTH
Now Hiring! Applications are due April 9, 2010.
In order to work with Project WHAT!, at least one of your parents MUST have been incarcerated at some point in your life, and YOU must be willing to speak publicly about how their incarceration affected your life. These are PAID part-time positions. Pay starts at $8/hour for the summer training. If you complete the summer training, you will be paid $10/hour at the beginning of the school year, and can work your way up to $12/hour. We ask for a one-year commitment from you.
Project WHAT! Job Description
Project WHAT! Application (due 4/9/10)
Project WHAT! Recruitment Flyer
UPCOMING EVENTS
Saturday, February 6, 2010, 9:30am-4:30pm: San Leandro, CA.
Project WHAT! will present to the California CASA Association during an all-day training focused on children of incarcerated parents. This training is free and open to the public, and includes lunch. It will be held at the Seneca Center at 15942 Foothill Blvd in the lower training room, San Leandro. Please RSVP to jbrown@californiacasa.org
Thursday, February 11, 2010 from 12-1:30pm Pacific (3-4:30pm Eastern): Phone Training
Project WHAT! will participate in a phone training on the role of schools in supporting children and families of the incarcerated, sponsored by the Families and Corrections Network. The panel will consist of a Superintendent from PA, a school counselor from Austin, TX, and two youth who have been personally impacted. To learn more or register, visit: http://fcnetwork.org/training-technical-assistance/telephone-training
Friday, February 12, 2010: San Francisco, CA
Project WHAT! will present to mothers in two different parenting classes in the San Francisco jail through the One Family Program.
Wednesday, February 24, 2010: San Francisco, CA
Project WHAT! will present to men in the San Francisco Sheriff’s Department’s Resolve to Stop the Violence Project, as part of the survivor restoration component of the program.
Friday, March 5, 2010: Pleasant Hill, CA
Project WHAT! will present at “Arrested Development: A New Direction for Incarcerated Women”, a conference for service providers in Contra Costa County sponsored by Contra Costa County Family, Maternal and Child Health Programs, First 5 Contra Costa, and March of Dimes. For more information, contact Jeannie Cummings at: JCummings@hsd.cccounty.us
Saturday, March 20, 2010: Sacramento, CA
Project WHAT! will present at the California Appellate Defense Counsel’s Annual Conference. The conference is for appellate attorneys handling dependency appeals from around the state, including project staff.
Thursday, June 3, 2010, San Diego, CA
Project WHAT! will present at the 2010 Beyond the Bench Conference, an annual conference for professionals in the field of juvenile dependency and delinquency. For more information, visit: http://www.courtinfo.ca.gov/programs/cfcc/resources/calendar/BTB.htm
Click here to view past Project WHAT! events.
RESOURCES
NEW! Download the Project WHAT! Resource Guide for Teens with a Parent in Prison or Jail, updated May 2008 PDF (This file is very large--11.4 MB. It may take a while to download, especially over a slow internet connection. Please be patient as it downloads).
The 80-page guide answers common questions that children have when a parent is incarcerated. It has an entire section that explains complex jail and prison visiting procedures in plain language. It also includes compelling stories written by the Project WHAT! youth, who themselves have dealt with a parent’s incarceration, along with a CD of the stories read aloud.
We want to hear from you! If you have used our guide and have feedback, please email us at projectwhat@gmail.com.
To get copies of the guide:
If you are a YOUTH, we will mail you a free copy. Please contact us and give us your name, age, phone number and full address. Also let us know how you heard about us. Thank you.
If you’re an agency or individual, for one guide, send us a check for $5 made out to Community Works, along with your name, full address and phone number. If you want multiple copies for your staff or youth, please contact us. If you cannot afford the $5 fee, please contact us and explain your situation, we can send limited copies to individuals free of charge.
Download the Project WHAT! Research Summary published in March 2007 pdf
Download a one-page fact sheet about Project WHAT! updated January 2010 word
MEDIA COVERAGE
Project WHAT! Alumni Tanea Lunsford was featured on CBS5 News on December 8, 9, and 12, 2009. The segment is about her participation in a scholarship program called Students Rising Above, and she speaks about what having a father in prison was like. View the segment here: http://cbs5.com/video/?id=59022@kpix.dayport.com
Read a commentary written by Project WHAT! member Tanea Lunsford for New America Media.
Posted June 6, 2009 on the New America Media website.
Posted June 15, 2009 on WireTap Magazine.
Watch Tanea’s video about how finances affect college choices, posted July 9, 2009 on the Youth Outlook Website.
Project WHAT! was featured on Bay Area ABC7 News. It aired on May 27, 2009, you can watch it here.
Two Project WHAT youth were interviewed for a show on children of inmates which aired on Childhood Matters on March 14. A one-minute Public Service announcement that Project WHAT created was also aired.
Watch a youtube video that tells you all about Project WHAT in less than 8 minutes!
part 1 part 2
Read personal stories from Project WHAT! youth, as published in The Beat Within:
Demel’s story—issue 12.27
Tiffany’s story—issue 12.28
Luis’ story—issue 12.29
Zoe’s story—issue 12.30
Anthony’s story—issue 12.33
Kashka’s story—issue 12.34
Marriah’s story—issue 12.35
Therese's story—issue 12.37
Kyle's story—issue 12.38
RiRi's story—issue 12.39
Joy's story—issue 13.39
Dominique's story—issue 13.40
Cheyanne's story—issue 13.41
Articles about Project WHAT!:
What Kids Can Do Feature Story link pdf
Vacaville Reporter pdf
Vallejo Times Herald pdf
Connections, the Journal of the National School Reform Faculty pdf
Radio Interviews:
Project WHAT! youth were interviewed for a half hour radio show broadcast on KALX/North Gate Radio. To hear our four-minute segment, click here.
If you would like to donate to Project WHAT!, please click on the link below.
