Summary of 2008
Young Worker Leadership Academies

January 24-26, 2008 in Berkeley, CA

February 21-23, 2008 in Los Angeles, CA

• What is the Young Worker Leadership Academy?
• Summary of 2005 Leadership Academy (the first Academy)
• Summary of 2006 Leadership Academies
• Summary of 2007 Leadership Academies

2008 Summary: We're pleased to report that despite sometimes torrential rainstorms during both Academies, we had the most wonderful groups of future community leaders along with their sponsors participate in the 2008 Young Worker Leadership Academies (YWLAs) in Berkeley and Los Angeles.

Teams Attending the YWLA in Berkeley, CA  (January 24-26, 2008)
(Click sponsor name for info on projects the teams carried out after the YWLA)

• Trinity County Office of Education (Hayfork)
• Girls Inc. of Alameda County (San Leandro)
• Santa Cruz County Office of Education (Santa Cruz)
• I-Poly High School (Pomona)
• Madera Coalition for Community Justice (Madera)

Teams Attending the YWLA in Los Angeles, CA  (February 21-23, 2008)
(Click sponsor name for info on projects the teams carried out after the YWLA)

• Golden Sheeve (Los Angeles)
• Manual Arts High School (Los Angeles)
• Day One (Pasadena)
• Phoenix House Academy (Lake View Terrace)
• Charter Oak High School (Covina)
• Southern California Youth Mentors

Team Projects

Trinity County Office of Education from Hayfork, CA
(2008 Berkeley YWLA)

• The team created signs for an outdoor school billboard.
• They recorded a Public Service Announcement at a local radio station. This PSA was aired locally and distributed for statewide airing.
• They organized presentations for their school sophomores, community members, school administrators, and parents.
• They put out press releases about Safe Jobs for Youth Month.

	"This was a great experience! I got to meet new people and experience what it's like in the workforce. It feels great to be a part of something that can make a difference!" --Trinity County Youth Team Member

Girls Inc. of Alameda County from San Leandro, CA
(2008 Berkeley YWLA)

• The team led a two-and-a-half hour evening workshop for young women at Girls Inc. in San Leandro.
• The workshop asked participants to consider work issues such as limiting teen work hours and the wage inequality between men and women. The workshop consisted of a short PowerPoint presentation, an icebreaker, two break-out sessions, and a couple of games from the Academy ("Know Your Rights" and the "Safety Pyramid").
• The team crafted wallet-sized cards with key information about youth worker rights. These were distributed to all the participants at the end of the event.

	"It was great to show other girls the dangers in the workplace and that they are preventable. Along with being able to share this, it was good to be able to learn it myself as well." --Girls Inc. Youth Team Member

Santa Cruz County Office of Education from Santa Cruz, CA
(2008 Berkeley YWLA)

• The team filmed a 7-minute training video for local employers to use when they hire young workers.
• The video offers an overview of health and safety hazards, and ways to prevent injuries at work, and contains interviews with several young workers.
• The video was "premiered" at the First Annual Employer Recognition Breakfast. Over 100 employers from five local employment/career programs received a free copy of the video, a mug, and a plaque, all funded by the County Office of Education.

	"I thought the Academy was fun, and I learned a lot! It also helped improve my speaking skills. My project, on the other hand, was a difficult task, but in the end, I felt like it was all worth it." --Santa Cruz Youth Team Member

I-Poly High School from Pomona, CA
(2008 Berkeley YWLA)

This group sponsored "May Madness," a series of school-based activities that took place during two weeks in May, including:

• Posting new "factoid" posters every day (10 posters were designed based on the information in the Are You a Working Teen? factsheet).
• Giving a presentation at a school assembly with an obstacle course and prizes.
• Handing out buttons with a link to their website and wallet cards sporting basic information and resources.

The team also created a video PSA and a webpage on squidoo.com Their school will now distribute pocket factsheets to students who apply for work permits.

	"I was surprised at the amount of things I wasn't even aware of and glad to know of OSHA and the rights I had. Planning our community project, my group and I wanted to share these important facts in a fun way, like YWLA did for us, so that they would remember the information and keep it in mind." --I-Poly Youth Team Member

Madera Coalition for Community Justice from Madera, CA
(2008 Berkeley YWLA)

This team had its workshop participants create art projects that were displayed at the Madera Extravaganza, a local business exposition. The team presented on young worker safety and workplace rights, and then asked the participants to use that information to craft art. At the event, the group manned a booth where they:

• Gave a short presentation on young worker safety and the importance of being aware of it.
• Showcased all of the submitted artwork.
• Had information for and talked to all the different businesses present.

Golden Sheeve from Los Angeles, CA
(2008 Los Angeles YWLA)

The team created a PowerPoint presentation that explored the following issues:

• Child labor laws, including age restrictions for using certain equipment and chemicals.
• Wages and hours for youth.
• Wearing personal protective equipment.
• Identifying and eliminating workplace hazards.

The group presented twice at their Golden Sheeve meetings where their audience was composed of preteens and teens. And they are not done yet! In the future, they plan on giving more presentations and reaching more youth.

	"What I learned is that all teenagers have their rights and should know them when they start working." --Golden Sheeve Youth Team Member

Manual Arts High School from Los Angeles, CA
(2008 Los Angeles YWLA)

• This team created and performed in two 30-second Public Service Announcements, in both Spanish and English. The short films are titled "Undocumented Workers: Know Your Rights!" and "Sexual Harassment: It's Not Safe to Let It Continue."
• The PSAs were debuted at the Peace Jam Slam, hosted by the Cesar E. Chavez Foundation, and at the Chapman building in downtown Los Angeles, where they were screened every night for six consecutive weeks for the public to view.
• Both PSAs may now be found on YouTube or on UCLA-LOSH's youth webpage.

	"Never be afraid to speak up and stand up for your rights!" -- Manual Arts Youth Team Member

Day One from Pasadena, CA
(2008 Los Angeles YWLA)

The members from the Day One team promoted health and safety to young workers through a free teen job fair in Pasadena by:

• Presenting "Youth Rights in the Workplace," which covered child labor laws and included resource information for teens.
• Asking the youth to participate in skits to show what they learned.
• Conducting a Do's and Don'ts fashion show

They also published a factsheet explaining youth rights in the workplace, and distributed it to the students at John Muir High School and at the Teen Job Fair. The team also drafted a teen job flyer and displayed it throughout Pasadena.

	"This experience has taught me that teens have rights in the workplace. It was fun and rewarding to know that I got to share this valuable information with others in order to prevent accident." -- Day One Youth Team Member

Phoenix House Academy from Lake View Terrace, CA
(2008 Los Angeles YWLA)

This YWLA team built a website that informs teenagers on their rights as young workers. The website covers:

• Child labor laws
• Wages and hours
• Resources for assistance
• Sexual harassment concerns
• Information on Cal/OSHA
• Current events on workplace health and safety.

The website is: http://workerteenrights.com. The team intends to keep the website updated.

	"It is very reassuring to know that all employees have rights and that they should not be afraid to act on them." --Phoenix House Youth Team Member

Charter Oak High School from Covina, CA
(2008 Los Angeles YWLA)

• The youth put together a brochure called, "Are You a Working Teen?" It included workers' rights, child labor laws, and information on various government agencies, as well as other outside resources that deal with workplace health and safety topics.
• The brochure was distributed at the Parents Place Family Resource Center and the Empowerment Center's 16th Annual Information Fair & Festival.
• The group also requested materials from UCLA-LOSH, who sent them copies of Safe Jobs for Youth Month 2007 posters; "Facts at Your Fingertips" wallet-size teen worker rules and rights; and "Are You a Working Teen?" brochures.
• Over 2,000 people (youths and adults) attended, and the team received a special recognition award for their participation.

	"It was a rewarding experience and I learned about job safety and my rights." -- Charter Oak Youth Team Member

Southern California Youth Mentors
(2008 Los Angeles YWLA)

• The Mentor group decided to educate and promote immigrant workers' rights through a 30-second Public Service Announcement video.
• The PSA was screened at a San Diego high school and at the Peace Jam event in Los Angeles.
• The Youth Mentors presented on workplace rights at the Peace Jam Conference.
• The 2008 PSA is now available online at: www.freewebs.com/know_ur_rights and at the UCLA-LOSH youth webpage.

	"Not only am I bringing knowledge to myself but also to all the people that are afraid to confront their problems [at work] and scared to speak up!" -- Youth Mentor