The Youth Voices Network at Day One is searching for poets, short story writers, essayists, and other creative writers to showcase the empowerment of New York City high school students to speak out against domestic violence. This cycle’s theme is “A New York City Fairy Tale.” What would a present-day New York City fairy tale look like? How would this feature a healthy relationship – one based on equality and respect?

Click here for the flyer.
Click here for the submission form.
The deadline for this contest cycle is Tuesday, January 19, 2010.

Day One partners with New York City youth to end dating abuse and domestic violence through community education, legal advocacy, supportive services and leadership development. The Youth Voices Network was founded in 2006 to create a space for survivors of teen dating violence to create community-wide awareness on the issue of teen dating violence.

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact jsung@dayoneny.org

FINANCIAL AID AND SCHOLARSHIPS

FOR A LIST OF SCHOLARSHIPS, SCROLL TO THE BOTTOM OF THE PAGE.
THE TWO MAIN FINANCIAL AID FORMS: FAFSA & CSS

I. FAFSA:The Free Application for Federal Student Aid must be filed by ALL Year 2 students applying for financial aid. The FAFSA can be filed as early as January 1 of Y2 (it is not available before) and we encourage families to file by January 15th or February 1st at the latest (check with the schools for their deadlines). Families should use the previous year’s income tax return forms and estimate, to the best of their knowledge, any changes. If need be, a FAFSA correction can be filed once the current year’s tax return is completed. Students can enter up to six schools on the FAFSA. Additional schools can be added by using the FAFSA correction form. Paper FAFSAs will be available in the CTO this December. However, online filing (www.fafsa.ed.gov) is recommended—it speeds up the financial aid process significantly.

FAFSA HOTLINE: 1-800-433-3243 (Open Monday thru Friday from 8 am-12:00 midnight, and Sat. 9 am - 6 pm). If you are filling out the FAFSA and have questions, this is a great resource.

IMPORTANT FAFSA LINGO:
• EFC: The Estimated Family Contribution is the amount of money the federal government determines a family can pay for college based on the information filed in the FAFSA. The EFC is the same regardless of variable tuition, room, board and fees at different schools. PREDICT YOUR EFC WITH THE FAFSA-4-CASTER!
• SAR: The Student Aid Report summarizes the information reported on the FAFSA. If the FAFSA was filed correctly, the EFC will be included in the SAR. Schools review a student’s SAR and EFC to come up with a financial aid package.

II. CSS PFOFILE: The CSS or College Scholarship Search Profile is an additional financial aid form that is required by some schools--typically private colleges. The form must be filed in addition to the FAFSA. It can be filed as early as this October at www.collegeboard.com (under “Pay for College”). To find out whether a school requires it, go to the Profile link on the collegeboard website for a list, or check with the individual college.

CSS HOTLINE: 1-800-239-5888 (Open Monday thru Friday, 9 am - 6 pm). This is a great resource if you are filling out the CSS Profile and have questions.

FOUR TYPES OF FINANCIAL AID (SEE BELOW FOR SCHOLARSHIPS)

Financial Aid Package: Students receive a letter, directly from the accepting institution with their financial aid package. Ideally, the financial aid package meets the difference between the total cost of attendance (tuition, room, board, books, fees) and a families’ EFC. To meet this difference, colleges offer a combination of some or all of the items listed below.

1. Grants are funds that do not need to be paid back and do not require an application. They are often awarded by the accepting institution. Depending on need and eligibility, there are also the following federal and state grants.
• Federal Pell Grant: The maximum award for the 2005-06 year was $4,050. The maximum is subject to change. The amount a student receives is dependent not only on financial need, but also the costs to attend school.
• TAP: The New York State Tuition Assistance Program provides up to $5,000 for New York residents to attend schools in New York State.
• HEOP: Private Colleges in N.Y. State have HEOP or Higher Education Opportunity Programs that offer excellent academic and financial support for students who meet the financial eligibilty requirements (for e.g.: to be eligible, the income for a family of four will be $32,000 or below). Click here for details of the program and a list of schools.

2. Work Study: A federal program that gives students financial assistance through campus employment.

3. Loans: Financial aid that must be paid back
• Stafford Loans: these can be subsidized (the government pays the interest while a student is in school) or unsubsidized (the student pays all the interest, although they can defer payment until after graduation). Stafford Loans are awarded based financial need.
• Perkins Loan: This is awarded to students with exceptional financial need.
• PLUS Parent Loan
• Private Loans

For further details, visit: http://www.finaid.org/loans/studentloan.phtml
Student aid packages can differ significantly and often play an important role in where a students choose to continue their education. For this reason, it is important to compare packages carefully. Advice on comparing packages is available at: “Comparing Financial Aid Packages” at www.collegeboard.com.
Financial aid web resources:
www.studentaid.ed.gov
www.finaid.org
www.collegeboard.com (“Paying for College” section)
www.hesc.org
www.petersons.com
www.princetonreview.com
www.nycolleges.org
www.foundationcenter.org
www.uncf.org

Helpful Phone Numbers:

FAFSA HOTLINE: 1-800-433-3243 (Open Monday thru Friday from 8 am-12:00 midnight, and Sat. 9 am - 6 pm). If you are filling out the FAFSA and have questions, this is a great resource.

CSS HOTLINE: 1-800-239-5888 (Open Monday thru Friday, 9 am - 6 pm). This is a great resource if you are filling out the CSS Profile and have questions.

4. Scholarships are funds that do not need to be paid back. Sometimes scholarships are awarded by the accepting institution. Students often apply for outside scholarships offered by community organizations, foundations, corporations, employers and the like.

There are many scholarship web resources, some of our favorites include:
• One of the best scholarship resources is the New Visions Guide to Scholarships for NYC Students. Click here to download. A limited number of copies are also available in the CTO.
• Another fantastic scholarship resource, that includes links to scholarship websites and to specific scholarships, is posted by the OPTIONS program at Goddard Riverside. Click here to go to their site.
• The BHSEC calendar has a limited number of scholarships posted. There are many events on the calendar though, so to make your search specific to scholarships, go to the search function along the upper right of the page and type "scholarship" (not scholarships). This will generate a list of scholarships. Click here for the BHSEC calendar.
• www.fastweb.com
• http://www.intellistudent.com/academiclife/scholarships.php
• Unusual Scholarships
• www.hesc.com
• www.foundationcenter.com
• www.uncf.com (United Negro College Fund)
• www.hsf.net (Hispanic Scholarship Fund)
• www.wiredscholar.com

Green Construction Training Program

STRIVE is recruiting for its Green Construction Training Program – Starts Friday, January 8th, 2010!

STRIVE has been a recognized leader in securing jobs for the chronically unemployed for over 24 years. We currently operate one of the most comprehensive Green Construction Training programs for the hard-to-employ in New York City. This training cohort has been exclusively designed for disconnected youth ages 18 to 24.

You must enroll by Wednesday, January 6, 2010 at 12 noon.

STRIVE’s Green Construction Training Program is a holistic program – and includes the following components:
--- CORE+ (Soft-Skills, Career Development, Job Readiness, Computers, Customer Service, Civics) (120 hours)

--- Green Speaker Series: Intro to Global Warming (3 hours)

--- Green Speaker Series: Green Jobs Overview (1 hour - overview)

--- Green Speaker Series: Environmental Justice (1 hour - overview)

--- Basic Construction: Electrical (35 hours)

--- Basic Construction: Carpentry (35 hours)

--- Basic Construction: Plumbing (35 hours)

--- OSHA Construction Health/Safety (10 hours)

--- HAZWOPER - Hazardous Waste (40 hours)

--- OSHA - Confined Space (16 hours)

--- Asbestos Abatement (32 hours)

--- Energy Auditing (35 hours)

--- Weatherization: Building Retro-fits, Energy Audits, Air Leak Testing, Insulation (35 hours)

--- Solar / Photo Voltaic Installation (35 hours)

--- Green Custodial Building Maintenance Training


The program is 14 weeks in length and is for both men and women – ages 18 to 24. Participants must have a strong desire to work in the construction industry and be physically fit (see below). Carfare will be provided for the entire 14 weeks and a modest stipend will be paid during the hard skills portion of the program (the last 8 weeks). All participants must complete the month long CORE+ component in order to be eligible for construction training.

In addition, applicants must:
--- Be between the ages of 18 and 24.

--- Have no physical barriers to working in the construction industry (and be able to lift at least 50 lbs.).

--- Achieve a 6th grade reading and 6th grade math level on the TABE Survey (testing will take place at STRIVE).

--- Be carefully assessed and interviewed by STRIVE staff before being accepted in the program.

Please refer qualified participants to STRIVE at 240 E. 123rd St. / 3rd Fl. (Manhattan) Monday through Friday between 9am and 4pm – or call (212) 360-1100.

Click here to see the NY1 segment on STRIVE’s Green Construction Training Program.

NYC Ladder for Leaders 2010 Summer Internship Program

Launched by Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg in 2006, NYC Ladders for Leaders is a college and career readiness program offering New York City high school and college students’ professional paid summer internships, college scholarships opportunities, free college preparatory and SAT courses, career guidance, and leadership development workshops.

The application is available online at https://www.nyc.gov/html/dycd/html/jobs/ladders_for_leaders.shtml. The deadline to apply is Monday, December 14, 2009.

Who can apply?
Anyone with prior work experience (paid or volunteer) who is:
--A permanent resident of one of the five boroughs of New York City
16 to 21 years of age
--A current high school junior, high school senior, college freshman, or college sophomore
Legally allowed to work in New York
Please Note: Alumni of the NYC Ladders for Leaders program (or its parent programs NYC GirlsREACH and BoysREACH and CAPITAL) are not eligible to apply for the 2010 program.


Please keep in mind that submission of an application does not guarantee acceptance into the NYC Ladders for Leaders program or placement in a summer internship position. The NYC Ladders for Leaders program is NOT the Summer Youth Employment Program (SYEP) and students should still apply to SYEP when the application is released in the spring.

Below are instructions on how to apply for program.

What is the application process?
There are three phases to the application process.

1. Application
2. Pre-Employment workshops and mock-interviews
3. Interviews with Potential Employers
Participants selected into the program must complete each of the three phases. Note: Failure to complete or attend mandatory program events will result in dismissal from the program.

How do students apply?

1. Complete all sections of the online application form. This includes:

Responding to each mandatory essay question in the corresponding text box;

--Providing your resume in the appropriate text box.
--Resume should include any of your previous and current jobs, internships, leadership roles, volunteer commitments, extracurricular activities, and club involvement;
--Agreeing to the NYC Ladders for Leaders guidelines (if under 18, must be agreed to by a parent or guardian as well);
--Listing your official scores from any college entrance exams you have taken (such as PSAT, SAT, ACT);
--Listing a valid email address that you check frequently. If you do not have an email address, you can create a free email account at various web hosts including but not limited to www.yahoo.com; www.hotmail.com; www.aol.com; www.gmail.com; etc.(Note – all program communication, including invitations to mandatory program events, will be sent by email only); and
--If you attend Boarding School or College/University located outside of NYC, providing a copy of your School Calendar (including winter and spring breaks, last day of classes and last day of final exams).

2. Mail a copy of your most recent semester report card or college transcript. If you are a college freshman, please mail your last high school report card along with proof of college enrollment (i.e. class schedule) to below address.

3. Complete and mail required applicant recommendation form (must be completed by a referring community based organization, teacher, guidance counselor, past or present employer) to the address below.

NYC Ladders for Leaders 2010
c/o Ms. La-Dana Jenkins
NYC Department of Youth and Community Development
156 William Street, 4th Floor
New York, NY 10038

When is the deadline to submit my application?
The deadline for submitting your application is Monday, December 14, 2009.

If you are unable to complete the online application, you may obtain a paper version of the application by emailing NYCLaddersforLeaders@dycd.nyc.gov. Return your completed application to the above address.

For more information about the program, check out our website at http://www.nyc.gov/html/dycd/html/jobs/nycladders_for_leaders.shtml. You can also email us at NYCLaddersforLeaders@dycd.nyc.gov.

APPLICATION DEADLINE: MONDAY, DECEMBER 14, 2009

ABENY Awards & Scholarhsip Opportunities

There are several awards and scholarships offered by the Association of Black Educators of New York (ABENY).

Bridge from Africa Essay Contest: The deadline for submission of essays is January 8, 2010. Winning students will be honored and will receive awards at a reception in the Cadman Plaza Library on February 6, 2010, 1-2 PM. Click here for the guidelines for the essay contest. Teachers may wish to have students work on their essays during the approaching Thanksgiving recess.

Human Service Awards: Each school is invited to select one student who has demonstrated outstanding service and brotherhood to others to receive an ABENY Human Service Award. (See attached letter to principals, for details). The deadline for submitting the name of the student who is to receive the award is March 26, 2010.

ABENY Scholarships. ABENY awards several scholarships to students in the public schools, among them, a $4,000 Elaine A. Davis Scholarship. Click here to see the ABENY Scholarship Applications. Click here to see the criteria for the ABENY Scholarship.

To learn more about the history and work of the Association, go to www.abeny.org.

Please note in the disclaimer that students of all ethnicities are eligible to apply for ABENY awards and other opportunities.

Year Up

Year Up is a one year, intensive training program that provides urban young adults, 18-24, with a unique combination of technical and professional skills, college credits, an educational stipend and corporate internship.

The success is the graduates, enabling them to move on to full time employment and higher education. Their record is quite impressive. Click here to check the site: Year Up.
Click here for the application.
To get answers to Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs), click here.
Click here for the 4 Steps of the Admission Process in Year Up.
Click here for the Interest Form.

The Application Deadline is January 20, 2009.

Angelo Del Toro Puerto Rican/Hispanic Youth Leadership Institute

The Manhattan/Staten Island BETAC at Hunter College invites you to nominate students in grades 11 and 12 to participate in the 2009 Angelo Del Toro Puerto Rican/Hispanic Youth Leadership Institute. This innovative program, sponsored by the NYS Senate/Assembly Puerto Rican/Hispanic Task Force and the New York State Education Department, engages students in developing valuable leadership skills and in gaining understanding of the NYS legislative process. Selected students will attend a Saturday Institute in Albany where they will participate in a mock assembly and interact with legislators at the annual Somos El Futuro Legislative Conference.

For a detailed overview of this innovative program and its different phases, please refer to the official website click on to this link http://prhyli.org/ or you can copy and paste it to the browser. You can also click here for the student application packet, checklist, as well as a flyer.

THE DEADLINE FOR STUDENT APPLICATIONS IS NOVEMBER 25TH, 2009.