Announcing Canada’s New National Bilingual Public Funding Portal! For more details…
From January 2012
Blogging Helps Teens with socio-emotional difficulties
It’s fast becoming one of the biggest cliches of 21st century parenting: parents worried that their kids spend too much time online. We hear about it a lot, but that’s because for many parents texting, online chatting and other social media activities are huge concerns. How much time online is too much? Are social media activities healthy for kids’ emotional and social development? Does it prevent them from establishing face-to-face relationships successfully?
For adults worried about the effects of online activities on teens, a recent study published by the American Psychological Association may help. Researchers found that blogging may have psychological benefits for teens suffering from social anxiety, improving their self-esteem and helping them relate better to their friends.
Previous research has shown that young people can benefit from writing which involves an element of emotional venting and problem solving. Writing a journal, or other forms of creative writing, offers the writer a chance to release emotional distress. Blogging and other on-line activities can add to this effect by allowing the users to establish a social connection where their feelings and thoughts can be acknowledged by others.
In the study, teens with an identified level of social anxiety or distress were asked to blog about their feelings twice a week for ten weeks, while others were asked to keep private diaries, or to do nothing. The researchers assessed the teens’ self-esteem, everyday social activities and behaviors before, immediately after and two months after the 10-week experiment. Read More…
Source: http://www.bccf.ca/
Culture West
A fantastic magazine with information and resources about Newcomer children and Youth, from AMSSA…CulturesWestWinter2011-12
Money Skills!
Family Services of Greater Vancouver presents Money Skills-Financial Literacy Workshops
This program is designed to help participants increase their knowledge and confidence in the tasks of daily money management.
In this 3 Session program you will learn about:
BUDGETING: Track your earning and spending and be in control of your money
BANKING: Choose the options that are right for you, reduce fees and save money
CREDIT: Build and maintain a good credit history and deal with debt
CONSUMERISM: BUY BUY BUY ! Examine the role of advertising in our spending choices and how to be in charge of your own spending
WHEN :Mondays, February 27, March 5 and 12, 2012
WHERE: 321 6th Street, 3rd Floor. New Westminster, BC V3L 3A7
TIME: 6:00pm – 8:30pm
TO REGISTER CALL: Salina Tam at 604 525 9144
Or e-mail stam@fsgv.ca
Active Choices Training Feb 25th Fraser Health
Free Training Session: Saturday, Feb 25, 2012 from 10 am – 4 pm at Metrotown in Burnaby.
The Active Choices Program is funded by the Ministry of Health and delivered free throughout the province. It is a personal, telephone-support program to encourage regular physical activity for people who want to be more active. A physical activity “coach” works with individuals through regular telephone contacts to develop an exercise routine customized to the needs, abilities and goals of each participant. The program teaches self-management skills (such as goal-setting and problem-solving) to help shape exercise habits. This program is available in select communities in BC and involves six-months of contact.
For more information, please see the attached flyers Active Choices Flyer 1 Active Choices Flyer 2 and contact:
Angela Sealy, Coordinator Active Choices
604 522 1492
Conferences Near and Far
The Early Years Conference
The Development of Children’s Mental Health: How Do We Become Who We Are?
Vancouver, British Columbia – February 2-4, 2012
www.interprofessional.ubc.ca/Early_Years.htm
First National Parental Mental Health Conference. First International Young Carers Congress, Third International World Congress on Children of Parents with Mental Illness
Vancouver, British Columbia – May 6-8, 2012
International Social Service Assembly and Conference
Banff, AB – May 23-25, 2012
Models of Early Childhood Services
Montreal, QC – June 5-6, 2012
What does it take to implement effective early childhood programs in Canada or in another country? How can countries maintain and fund these programs? What are the challenges met and the lessons learned?
Through keynote presentations, workshops and discussions, discover the challenges that governments and foundations of Canada, New Zealand, Finland, Brazil, Ireland and Great Britain have faced while implementing best ECD practices. The conference Website will soon be available. For more information, visit www.excellence-earlychildhood.ca and www.skc-ecd.ca.
EUSARF 2012 – “All our children: positive experiences, successful outcomes for looked after and other vulnerable children”
Thistle Hotel, Glasgow – September 4-7, 2012
This conference aims to bring together researchers, practitioners, managers and policy makers, to address topical issues facing vulnerable children and young people, and their families. The programme will highlight three overarching themes: perspectives of children and young people; organisational change and effective intervention. The call for papers will be available shortly and they will be accepting abstract submissions from the 31st January. www.eusarf2012.org
(Soruce: http://www.nacy.ca/)
Best Canadian ECD Research 2010
CEECD’s Review of the Ten Best Canadian ECD Research in 2010
This year marks the 10th anniversary of our annual Bulletin highlighting the top 10 early childhood development (ECD) studies and critical reviews in Canada. This special edition gives us the opportunity to take a closer look at the scientific impact of the research studies selected over the last decade and to analyze the trends in ECD research in Canada. This latest issue of the Bulletin also features such diverse subjects as language, memory, social skills, physical and mental health and genetics.
(Source: http://www.nacy.ca/)
Starting Strong III
Starting strong III: A quality toolbox for early childhood education and care
Major new publication from OECD focuses on quality issues; aims to define quality and outlines five policy levers that can enhance it in ECEC.
(Source: http://www.nacy.ca/)
NACY News
News from the National Alliance for Children and Youth:
NACY NEWS
NACY’s on the road again … next stop, Vancouver!
NACY has been conducting a series of Think Tank sessions across Canada, with our forth one to be held in Vancouver, BC on February 16 (see highlights from Ottawa Think Tank & Atlantic Canada Think Tank). The theme – Inform, Inspire, Innovate – aims to assist the sector in developing a series of strategies and best practices for dealing with and overcoming organizational and sectoral challenges. This will be a unique opportunity for child and youth leaders in to gather and to take stock of the sector in Canada, to share their knowledge and experience, and to provide guidance and advice that will be shared nationally on how to survice and grow during challenging times. If you are interested, please email us at: takingstock@nacy.ca.
Call for Case Studies – Due: January 30, 2012
Within the Taking Stock project, one activity is to provide child and youth sector colleagues with information on best practices, innovation and sector solutions to challenges by means of Case Studies. NACY is in the process of documenting Case Studies of initiatives (success stories) across organizations, focused on the range of issues addressed above (capacity building, knowledge acquisition/mentorship and sustainability).
We want to ensure that we hear from our colleagues across the county and are sending out this call for Case Studies. Sharing your learnings will be of great value to not only NACY but other child and youth sector colleagues. Please don’t hesitate to spread the word! (find out more here)
Join NACY’s SuperSearch Network
Within our Taking Stock project, one activity is to provide sector colleagues with a more robust NACY website to: share project and sector solutions; provide a central access site for the child and youth sector; and profile a catalogue of child and youth sector nonprofit agency best practices. The NACY website has been updated and enhanced with additional features, such as the SuperSearch engine.
NACY’s SuperSearch feature enables users to search through child and youth sector and other relevant websites using just one central search engine. It is a one-stop solution to search for useful information and resources on issues that impact (or are relevant to) the sector specifically and the nonprofit world in general.
NACY is asking organizations to join our SuperSearch network. For more information about NACY’s SuperSearch we invite you to read the factsheet. If you are interested in joining our SuperSearch network please fill out the form.
Call for NACY e-Digest Contribution
A vital part of NACY’s mandate is its unique ability to bring together a wide variety of child and family serving organizations. This monthly e-Digest presents an excellent opportunity for NACY’s members to communication with one another and to keep fellow activits updated on their organization’s activities.
Whether you are preparing a press release, applying for governmetn grant, or planning a workshop or conference, NACY wants to hear about i! This e-Digest is here to profile the invaluable work of NACY’s members. Please send your contributions to info@nacy.ca.
(Source: http://www.nacy.ca/)
Happy Year of the Dragon!
At Kids New West, we wish a Happy New Year to all who are welcoming the year of the Dragon this weekend! We hope your family will have health and joy this year.
Here are some good spots to find information about fun ways to celebrate the New Year with your family:
www.richmond.ca/chinesenewyear
http://vancouver.about.com/od/vancouverevents/p/chinesenewyear.htm
All the best to your family in the New Year!