As the end of the school year approaches, we're starting the search for next year's Heal the Streets fellows. We're looking for 15-20 young people to become next year's dedicated change agents.

If you're between the ages of 15 and 18, click here to apply. Know someone that would be a great fit for our program? Click here to nominate a young person.

Heal the Streets is a ten-month paid fellowship program that trains Oakland youth (ages 15 - 18) to develop and advocate for policies that bring peace and hope to our streets. Through this exciting program, Ella Baker Center continues its legacy as a training ground for social justice leaders and provides a forum to highlight the voices of youth in community efforts to address violence and injustice. Click here to watch a short video highlighting some of the work and voices of the first Heal the Streets cohort.

The Heal the Streets Fellows:

• Discuss and help create solutions with local policy makes about violence in Oakland
• Learn how to advocate for youth-centered public policies that improve the lives of young people
• Receive political education around the history of Oakland's political movements and how young people can create change
• Plan events to bring awareness to the issues that contribute to violence
• Engage peers and community members in creating solutions to violence
• Work with staff on the front lines of local social change

Who is eligible?

• Are you 15-18 years old?
• Are you willing to commit to a 10-month fellowship to create solutions to violence?
• Are you interested in working for social change and violence prevention?
• Are you ready to change your community for the better?

Did you -- or can someone you know -- answer YES to these questions? Then apply for the Heal the Streets Fellowship Program!

Fellowship Benefits

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

The fellowship program creates proactive youth voices in the fight for social change in Oakland. Our goal at the Ella Baker Center is to train tomorrow's leaders to develop and promote smart policy solutions that decrease violence and increase opportunity.

The deadline for applications will be in early August!

Please forward this email, watch our video and spread to the word to young people all over Oakland.

In peace,

Crystallee R. Crain, MA