Digital Commons Network^™

Shared Safety Community Forum: Engaging Community On Shared Safety, Sophia Kilroy

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

United Way of Santa Cruz County (UWSCC) is a non-profit working with a coalition of organizations in Santa Cruz County pooling efforts, fundraising, and support. UWSCC staffs the Youth Action Network, which serves youth and families, and facilitates the Community Education and Engagement Workgroup which serves survivors of crime and offenders. The social problem is that there are too few justice policies in the United States that align with the views of victims of crime. The agency problem is, too many survivors of crime in Santa Cruz County are not provided the proper services. The purpose of this project was …

Fun Park Activities And Resources For The Whole Family!, Kimberly Escarrega

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

Yoga for All Movement is a non-profit organization that makes yoga and mindfulness available to marginalized communities. The agency collaborates with organizations to provide needed services to the families of the Live Oak and Emerald Bay communities. The macro level problem is that children and youth in Santa Cruz County are experiencing the negative effects of being isolated at home during the COVID pandemic. The micro level problem is that the children and youth of the Live Oak and Emerald Bay communities are facing barriers to social development opportunities and lack knowledge on available resources to help them. The capstone …

A Video To Empower And Engage Youth In Santa Cruz County, Marisol Cisneros

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

A video to empower and engage youth in Santa Cruz County

United Way of Santa Cruz (UWSCC) is a non-profit organization that provides programs to improve the well-being of the community, such as the Community Assessment Project (CAP), Jóvenes Sanos, 2-1-1 Santa Cruz, United 4 Youth, and the Youth Action Network (YAN). These programs assist with economic development, health, public safety and support the youth community. The macro-level problem is that too many youth are unmotivated or alienated from their community. The micro-level problem that will be addressed by this project is adults in Santa Cruz County undervalue youth engagement …

Insufficient Post Secondary Information For Students In Alternative Schools, Iradzeni Salazar

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

Access to resources and information is important as it can help individuals plan for future goals and enable them to become successful in life. Youth Alliance is a non-profit organization that serves children, youth, and families through culturally relevant services and programs. A program offered is Restorative Justice, which serves at-risk youth at a continuation school. Few students continue with their education after graduating from alternative schools. Insufficient knowledge about post-secondary education as well as discouragement from peers and academic history contribute to students not acquiring a post-secondary education. Consequently, these individuals are more likely to fall into the school …

Support Group For Immigrant Children, Lizbeth Cisneros

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

There are many immigrant children enrolled in schools, but it is challenging for children to adapt to the transitions. Transitions can influence their emotional and mental health. One common psychological sign that is often developed is anxiety and low self-esteem. Nevertheless, transitions also have an impact on the children’s academic studies. Pajaro Valley Prevention and Student Assistance is a non-profit agency that keeps kids safe, protects the community health, and supports families to thrive for a better living for their children. This agency provides school based counseling in the Pajaro Valley School District from K-12. Kids Korner focuses on children …

Child Welfare And Substance Abuse, Viridiana Camacho

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

Children are affected by their parent’s substance abuse; either by emotional, physical, mental and/or behavioral issues throughout life. In the long-run children with parents whom have substance abuse in the home are at higher risk of becoming dependent on drugs themselves, due to the exposure of such an environment. Studies have shown this to be four times more likely compared to children that grow up with parents who do not suffer from substance abuse. Parents with substance abuse tend to come to the attention of the system; due to negligence or the parent’s ability to adequately care for their children …

A Life Skill Workshop For Youth On Probation, Gabriela Ayala

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

The primary focus of Youth Alliance is to engage the community to provide youth who are on probation, with the skills to become productive self-sufficient adults. Juvenile delinquency has been growing in our own cities without people noticing that is becoming a concern to the communities. According to Bureau of Justice Statistics, San Benito County last update was in 2014 it showed that under the age of 18 that 36 youth have been arrested compared to 2013 that it was 27. Teaching evidence-based life skills lessons in workshops for youth who are at-risk will reduce recidivism by 40%. Youth will …

Child Neglect Awareness Educational Workshop, Lizette Escobar, Courtney R. Mccrary

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

CASA of Monterey County provides advocates to the foster children who are in the CASA program. The number of children ending up in foster care is increasing, and neglect was found to be one of the top reasons that children are placed into foster care. CASA of Monterey County recognizes this issue and implemented the “Child Neglect Awareness Educational Workshop.” This workshop taught parents about child neglect, in order to prevent them from neglecting their children. This educational workshop was held at University Park Elementary School and participants were a group of Hispanic parents, since Hispanics/Latinos have the highest rate …

Step By Step: Bridging The Gap Between Law Enforcement And Youth, Juan Castro

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

Tensions between law enforcement and the community have hindered the ability to build a positive relationship. Through Partners for Peace, Step-Up Mentoring program youth participants will gather for a community event to help mend the relationship with law enforcement officers. The purpose of the project is to generate a positive activity in which law enforcement can be viewed in a non-authoritative context. The community event was implemented through a friendly basketball game that was meant to facilitate a positive interaction and a discussion to provide a platform where the youth and law enforcement can gain each other’s perspective. The outcome …

The Trauma-Informed Youth Experience Panel, Leah Bennett

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

The Trauma-Informed Youth Experience Panel

Abstract

There are gaps in how the community supports and serves young men of color and their families who have been harmed by violence. The Trauma-Informed Youth Experience Panel is a project through the Community Organizing department of United Way of Santa Cruz County. The Trauma-Informed Youth Experience Panel project is the development, implementation, and evaluation of a panel of 4 community members who have experienced violence and trauma as youth in the community of Santa Cruz County.The purpose of the panel was to build the capacity of service providers in the county to understand …

Spanish-Speaking Parents In San Benito County Get Informed On Teen Drug Use, Alejandra Rocha

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

Language can be a barrier to parents and their access to resources in the community. There is a high consumption of drugs amongst teens, and parents need to be informed. As an intern for Youth Alliance and the collaboration of the San Benito Probation Department a class was held for Spanish-speaking parents in the community. The information was presented in a PowerPoint format. Parents also received a copy of the PowerPoint that they could use for future reference. During this class parents were informed about the most common drugs their teens might be exposed to. This included both street drugs, …

Latino Parents Struggling With Different Barriers With It Came To Engage In Their Children Education, Maria Parra

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

East Salinas has a higher percentage of Latino parents with struggling barriers with when it comes to engage in their children’s education. Nonprofit organizations like Building Healthy Communities serve as a solution to this problem by providing parents and community with resources information for the educational success of their children. They advocate and use equity justice for more fair and equitable education. Building a healthy community is a 10-year initiative that empowers Eastern Salinas. The implementation of this project was focused on the Padres Unidos Committee of Salinas by addressing different educational workshops and resources. They received advice, tools, motivation …

Transitional Kindergarten Awareness, Danielle Caltabiano

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

The main concern for this Capstone is that there is a lack of parent awareness of the Transitional Kindergarten (TK) program in first-time school parents. If a parent doesn't already have a child enrolled in the school district to come home with a flyer about the TK enrollment dates, there is no way for them to find out about the program except word of mouth. This project set out to bring awareness to those first-time school parents. An informational Prezi was created and presented in the gym of one of the schools offering TK classrooms. The presentation was publicized outside …