“Members just want access to knowledge.”
A mid-March conversation with RYSE’s Community Health Program Manager, Fahima Zaman, was filled with an electricity reflective of the dedicated, forward-thinking energy felt at our Health Justice Center. Threaded into RYSE’s core values, we took some time to discuss health for femme-identified youth, including cis, trans, non-binary, gender non-conforming youth in 2024. A generation is coming of age amidst an old struggle in a new landscape and Fahima noticed one pattern: members just want access to knowledge.
This season RYSE re-launched Sister Circle: an identity group dedicated to fostering community among young women, Let’s Talk About Relationships: a space to talk about sexual health, healthy relationships, intersections, among other topics, we strengthened our partnerships with Healing Together, having conversations around domestic violence, as well as our anchor partner Young Women’s Freedom Center who do advocacy work with system-impacted women and trans youth of all genders. With all the spaces, places, people, and resources in motion, RYSE most importantly provides a space where a young person can enter as they are, have access to what they need, and not feel judged.
This International Women’s Month, RYSE staff continues to work toward what it means to be adult allies to young women, including cis, trans, non-binary, gender non-conforming, femme identified youth and hold space accordingly. Check out what RYSE was up to this past month below.
Some offerings from RYSE member Ayris and RYSE staff Ann: an excerpt of the poem “Break (Clustered)” by Suheir Hammad and Audre Lorde’s “A Lover’s Song!”
Member Spotlights
RYSE Staff nominated and shared out femme-identified members from their programs and their recent wins/accomplishments/milestones/growths! As well as some notable instances of #youthpower by our members out in the community!
Youth Power: Ashley
At the Richmond City Council Meeting March 5th, Beyond Youth Organizing & Power intern Ashley did amazing as a Richmond youth representative during the open forum, speaking on the Equitable Public Land Policy along side Richmond LAND, ACCE, SOS Richmond and other organizations. City Council passed the policy later in the month.
Youth Power: Jordan
RYSE member, former Performing Arts AMP intern, recent high school graduate, and even more recent UCLA freshman(!), Jordan delivered her FIRST EVER performance at Afrofuturism: Black to the Future, utilizing the writing and performing techniques she practiced here on campus to speak on what it means to be a young Black woman!
Meet My Shadow x Sister Circle
RYSE cohorts Meet my Shadow and Sister Circle did a collaboration earlier this month. They decorated their journals, watched the documentaries “Homeland” and “Sun & Thunder” on women empowerment, and then answered journal prompts speaking on women’s resilience and strength.
Horizons Grantee Lunch
RYSE’s Donor Events & Culture Strategist, Erin Garcia Miller, recently attended the Horizons Grantee Lunch: a gathering of queer-founded and -run non-profits in California that directly benefit the LGBTQIA+ community. RYSE integrates ALL of our programming for BIYOC and LGBTQIA+ young people so we were one of the grant recipients. “I have NEVER seen so many queer adults and executive leaders in my life in one room. I was a little shook and flabbergasted to be amongst queer Olympians,” Erin said. “It was interesting because the lunch featured a panel of speakers talking about current issues facing the queer community and they brought up vandalism, misconceptions, and creating/maintaining safe places.”
Young Women’s Freedom Center Youth Needs Assessment
Fresh off of celebrating their 30th year serving young women and trans youth of all genders, RYSE’s anchor partner Young Women’s Freedom Center just completed a needs assessment survey of 200 youth. Asking how they make money and get by, the findings will go on to support YWFC's advocacy efforts to push local leaders to create more job development programs, a Universal Basic Income pilot program, and invest deeper in community-based alternatives to incarceration. An organization dedicated to providing support, mentorship, training, employment and advocacy to systems-involved youth, YWFC changes the narrative around young people and continues to strengthen their partnerships in the community.
RYSE Members Got Creative!
Spaces for creativity were abundant this month! Programs like ARTivism, RYSing Arts Club, the Decoden DIY phone case making workshop, and our various cooking programs got busy! Charms, felt bouquets, phone decorations, chalk art, spray painting, tacos, esquites, and cinnamon buns were made!
Roots of Success
Roots of Success (RoS) is a new internship at RYSE created to prepare youth from communities with high rates of poverty and unemployment for jobs and career pathways in environmental fields. We do this through a federal and California state registered Pre-Apprenticeship that provides youth with the knowledge, skills, inspiration, and credentials they need to access entry level jobs and career pathways in environmental and advocacy fields. In addition, we create and foster connections with local employers who can provide RoS graduates with high quality employment opportunities! In mid-March they took a deep dive on transportation, renewable energy, land use planning, borders, and colonialism, among much more! Seen below, the interns watched a mini documentary “A Legacy of Harm,” about the impacts of all of the above on the Achuar people.
