This week’s blog is written by Dion McGill, SCY Communications and Community Outreach Manager
This will officially be our last blog posting of 2019. How exciting and weird does that sound? 2020 is just around the corner, and as we stop and take a look back at 2019, it feels as if so much has changed.
Former Executive Director Rebecca Levin (right) and Interim Executive Director Leslie Helmcamp being two peas in a pod.
As we close out 2019, we do so without the only Executive Director that Strengthening Chicago’s Youth has ever known, as Executive Director Becky has gone on to explore a new professional endeavor. We wish Rebecca “Becky” Levin so much fortune going into 2020…you are so fetch! We as an organization move into 2020 with SCHROA Associate Director of Policy and SCY Campaign Manager Leslie Helmcamp assuming the role of SCY Interim Executive Director.
There were a number of personnel changes in 2019. Added to the team was Operations Manager David Arzola. Additionally, we said farewell to a number of interns, as well as our Data Specialist Megan Larson and Program Assistant Antonette Rabor. Earlier in the year, the role of PA was filled by former intern Gabriela Sanchez, and recently the role of Data Specialist was filled by Kevin Rak. We also welcome the addition of Communications Assistant Emily Aguilar as a part of our communications and community outreach team.
I could surely continue on for another hour about all the successes of SCY and our team in 2019. However, I’ll save time by saying it was a good year. We continued connecting stakeholders from across the city in matters of violence prevention and positive youth development. We continued seeing success with our Juvenile Justice Collaborative and all our partners that make that program the amazing collaborative that it is. We also continued to see growth in our Preventing Alcohol Abuse in Chicago Teens (PAACT) coalition, and have even begun in steps to increase youth engagement with the creation of a Youth Advisory Council.
We are looking forward to 2020. Below, I’ve included a smattering of our posts from 2019. Please feel free to peruse them. So much great information to look back on. It can easily make your head spin.
We will see you all, hopefully at a SCY training or quarterly meeting, in 2020. Also, if you have not already done so, be sure to sign up for our newsletter so you’re first to know of all the exciting developments as they come.
- Gun Violence Is Down In The City But We Have More Work To Do
- Governor Pritzker Signs Gun Dealer Certification Bill SB 337
- The Evolving Violence Prevention World
- Chicago Parents Identify the Top 10 Social Issues Affecting Youth in the City
- Does Exposure to Green Spaces in Childhood Lead to Better Mental Health?
- Being Engaged In Politics Is The Coolest Thing Chicago Youth Can Do! Here Are Organizations Who Help Make It Happen
- National Public Health Week & National Youth Violence Prevention Week! That’s a mouthful!
- Talking Child and Youth Exposure to Violence in Illinois
- SCY: Mission Possible
- VOICES OF CHILD HEALTH IN CHICAGO REPORT: Bullying and Cyberbullying
- Let’s Talk About Fixing The FOID
- The Game of Thrones is a Game of Trauma
- Everyone Is Talking About Fix The FOID!!!
- Strengthening Chicago’s Youth Books and Comics Edition
- Music Has The Power To Heal, and the Lessons of Yo-Yo Ma
- Talking Implementation, Schools, and VOYCE
- Academic Researchers Weigh In on Gun Violence Epidemic
- Dog Days of Summer Call for a Cool Drink…Of Water
- Public Health: Reconciling Two Vastly Different Fields
- The Time for Action is Now
- Let’s Talk About Juul
- The Joyce Foundation & 25 Years of Gun Violence Prevention Research Grant Making
- Get To Know the Team: Meet Linda
- Can We Talk About Back to School Essentials and the New Sandy Hook Promise PSA?
- Finding Your Voice As A Youth Advocate
- It’s Friday, and fall…let’s talk about it all!
- Get to Know the Team: Meet Jen
- Marijuana and it’s impending legalization is a hot topic
- Seeing Trauma Behind The Headlines
- Exploring Firsthand Accounts of Gun Violence and the Trauma Surrounding Them
- SCY’s Pies!!!
