Heal the Streets Fellowship Program

Heal the Streets is a ten-month paid fellowship program that trains Oakland's youth (ages 15 - 18) to develop and advocate for policies that bring peace and hope to our streets. Heal the Streets Fellows will have the opportunity to gain experience working with staff on the front lines of public policy reform. As the fellowship enters its second year, Ella Baker Center continues its legacy as a training ground for social justice leaders.

Click here to apply.

Young People will:

• Speak with public officials during lobby days throughout the 10-month fellowship
• Learn how to advocate for youth-centered public policies that improve the lives of young people
• Be trained as change agents by community leaders and the Ella Baker Center staff
• Plan events to bring awareness to the issues that contribute to violence
• Engage peers and community members in creating solutions to urban violence

Eligibility

If you answer YES to the following questions, you’re eligible to apply for the Heal the Streets Fellowship Program: 

• Are you 15-18 years old?
• Are you a high school student in the Bay Area?
• Are you interested in working for social change?
• Are you interested in learning about violence prevention? 

Fellowship Benefits:

• Access to highly skilled staff and leadership
• Mentorship component following the 10-month Fellowship 
• Networking opportunities with other young leaders
• Learn to make change in the community
• Research skills to inform advocacy efforts

Timeline

Applications are due: Monday, August 23, 2010

Fellowship begins: September, 2010

Fellowship ends: June, 2011

Ready to Apply?

Click here to apply online or click here to download an application form. If you have any questions, click here to contact Crystallee Crain, the Heal the Streets Project Coordinator

 

How does Heal the Streets promote violence prevention advocacy in Oakland?

Vigil participants in the 2009 Silence the Violence Day

In Oakland, there is a base of organizations and committed adult allies in the uphill battle against violence. However, young people are rarely given the opportunity to speak out about the violence that has created larger gaps of opportunity for people in their community. Giving young people a voice in violence prevention advocacy in Oakland will shift the debate to the needs of a healthy city, healthy neighborhoods, and healthy people.

There is a need for community revitalization in Oakland. This is happening through city- and countywide collaborative efforts that address community needs. Oakland also needs a training ground for low-income people of color, and for young people to become mobilized and engaged in the process of creating a healthy community where they can flourish. Heal the Streets seeks to engage, train and mobilize a core group of young Oakland residents (ages 15-18) that are ready to make change!

Why is violence a racial and social justice issue?

Crystallee, Heal the Streets Program Coordinator (in red) with the summer 2009 interns (from left) JaRayla, Natasha and Diamond

While homicide in Oakland is down so far this year, there are still injustices that must be addressed. In 2008, there were 128 reported murders in Oakland. This year we are on track to be well under this number, at approximately 68 homicides as of September 1, 2009.  But what's at work behind the numbers, and what does this mean for Oakland citizens?

According to the City of Oakland, Department of Human Services in 2008, African Americans comprised 80% of the homicides in Oakland, while African Americans are only 32% of the total population.  African Americans are not the only victims of disproportionate violence in Oakland, Latino/Latina communities and API communities also are at higher risk than their white counterparts.

More times than not, violence leads to incarceration, and again, poor people and people of color are sent to state or youth prisons at disproportionate rates. Four out of five (82%) parolees and more than three out of four (77%) probationers are African American in a city that is 32% African American -- while 6.6% parolees and 5.8% probationers in Oakland are white in a city that is 25% white. Statistics like these force one to assume that a racial and social justice lens must be applied to the solutions we hope to create.