December 1, 2010 - Urban Roots is recruiting for year two of our CSA program (Community Supported Agriclulture). if you are interested in more information or in joining for the 2011 season, e-mail Ashley.
October 27, 2010 - The board, staff and youthful change agents of YouthLaunch would like to congratulate our friend and leader Russell Smith on his new position as Executive Director of the Austin Child Guidance Center, and to wish him all the best in his new position. We would also like to thank him for his five years of inspired and inspiring executive direction of YouthLaunch.
While there has been much to be proud of in our past, there is much to be excited about in our future. In addition to sustaining our already-successful programs, we will also be exploring and charting new paths. We look forward to sharing more information with our friends and supporters in the near future, so stay tuned for upcoming news and updates from YouthLaunch. As we begin our search for new leadership, Deputy Executive Director Jessica Roe will be serving as Interim Executive Director.
We look forward to a happy, exciting and productive new era for YouthLaunch, and for the Austin Child Guidance Center!
September 1, 2010 - YouthLaunch will not be awarding the Scholarship for Outstanding Service for the 2010-11 school year. YouthLaunch applauds the service accomplishments of young Texans across the state and will continue to work on their behalf to provide opportunities for young people to engage in service, as well as recognize those that are having a positive impact. Please continue to visit our website for updates regarding scholarships for the 2011-12 school year.
July 8, 2010 - Due to rainy weather conditions, tomorrow's Community Lunch will not be on the Urban Roots Farm. Instead, we will be hosting the event in the cafeteria of KIPP Austin Collegiate.
Directions to KIPP Austin Collegiate:
Please call Mary at (717) 574- 5652 if you cannot find KIPP Austin Collegiate as the complex that the school is in can be confusing to navigate through. KIPP Austin Collegiate is in a large complex, so when you enter the complex, follow the signs for KIPP Austin Collegiate that will lead you to the high school. Turn left when you arrive at the high school, and the cafeteria will be on your left. The cafeteria is building number 652, and you can park in the lot to the right of the cafeteria. There will also be signage direction you to the Urban Roots Community Lunch.
June 14, 2010 - YouthLaunch's Urban Roots is hosting the third annual Summer Farm Fest on Saturday, June 26th. This year's Farm Fest promises more than double the amount of fun as last year's event. For more on the Farm Fest, click HERE.
May 25, 2010 - YouthLaunch's Urban Roots program is holding four "Community Lunches" in June and July, featuring a local chef who teaches youth how to prepare, cook and present a meal to the community on the farm. The meal is centered around the fresh produce that is available from the Urban Roots farm at the time. For more information and to sign up, click HERE.
May 13, 2010 - YouthLaunch is recruiting members for our new "Friends of YouthLaunch" - a membership program of friends and champions for the organization. For an annual membership fee, Friends support great programs that empower youth, AND they get some amazing benefits (including VIP passes to Eat Local Week and the Summer Farm Fest). Click HERE for more information and to sign up.
April 20, 2010 - YouthLaunch has posted information about our financial management and fiscal oversight HERE. You can also access our audited financial statements and annual reports on this page.
April 18, 2010 - Please join us Thursday, May 13th for a dinner celebrating the opening of TNT/Tacos and Tequila in support of Urban Roots. The restaurant opens to the public the week of May 10th at 507 Pressler Street. This pre-opening party serves to announce TNT's ongoing Good Karma Guacamole program where 50 cents of every tableside guacamole sold throughout the year will be donated to Urban Roots. Seating is from 6PM to 10PM and reservations are required. Call 512-436-8226 for reservations and information. All guests will be asked to make a donation of $25 to Urban Roots.
April 14, 2010 - Our next "Lunch With YouthLaunch" will be held on Tuesday, April 20th and will focus on YouthLaunch's No Kidding program program. Click HERE to RSVP.
April 1, 2010 - Youth Partnership for Change Community Educator Acacia Jennings, a finalist for the Urban Talent Showcase at the Urban Music festival, sings on Fox News. Click HERE for the clip.
February 25, 2010 - YouthLaunch is hosting a reception for the "Friends of Youth Partnership for Change" on Thursday, March 25th, from 5:30 - 7 pm. The Reception will feature a build-it-yourself cupcake bar, coffee, and a presentation by YPC Community Educators. E-mail Jen Lester for more information and to RSVP. Information about our "Friends of YPC" can be found HERE.
February 12, 2010 - Youth Partnership for Change is hosting the "Youth Track" on several regional forums on the effects of underage alcohol use, sponsored by Texans Standing Tall. Click HERE for more information about the Austin forum, to be held April 14, 2010.
February 8, 2010 YouthLaunch's Youth Partnership for Change program's Community Educators filmed a video of their experiences
February 8, 2010 - Help YouthLaunch's Urban Roots program win a $50,000 grant from the "Refresh" project. The top 10 projects are awarded grants. Vote every day in February. Click HERE to vote. Remember to bookmark the page and send the link (http://www.refresheverything.com/UrbanRoots) to everyone you know.
February 1, 2010 - Our next "Lunch With YouthLaunch" will be held on Tuesday, February 9th and will focus on the Youth Partnership for Change program. Click HERE for the invitation. Click HERE to RSVP.
November 13, 2009 - We are recruiting young people, ages 14 - 17, to join us for our 2010 group of Urban Roots Farm Interns! For the application packet, click HERE.
November 6, 2009 - YouthLaunch's Urban Roots is offering a 17-week CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) program that will run from March to July 2010. We are offering 40 "shares" for people who want to support Urban Roots and receive a variety of fresh produce weekly from the farm. Shares will go fast, so reserve yours today!
Click HERE for more information and to sign up.
November 2, 2009 - Applications are now being accepted for the 2010 YouthLaunch Scholarship for Outstanding Service.
October 26, 2009 - Our next "Lunch With YouthLaunch" will be held on Tuesday, November 3rd and will focus on Urban Roots. Click HERE to RSVP.
October 5, 2009 - YouthLaunch's Urban Roots program announces a "Greenhouse Construction from the Ground Up" workshop in November with David Pitre from Tecolote Farms and Urban Roots Program Coordinator Max Elliott. Click HERE for more information and to sign up.
September 8, 2009 - Urban Roots is featured in the upcoming "Central Texas Gardener" on KLRU, to be aired this Saturday, September 12th at noon.
September 2, 2009 - Meals on Wheels and More produced a thank you video highlighting Urban Roots donations to their elderly clients.
August 21, 2009 - YouthLaunch has been named a finalist for the Nonprofit Excellence Award through Greenlights for Non-Profit Success. YouthLaunch is one of three finalists in the "Service Excellence" category and one of 12 finalists overall (out of over 120 nominations). The winners will be announced on September 24th.
August 20, 2009 - Urban Roots is recruiting for an AmeriCorps VISTA to start in December. Click HERE to learn more.
August 20, 2009 - The Capital Area Food Bank has produced a video about food donations that includes Urban Roots.
August 11, 2009 - Tune in to 107.1 FM at 8:30AM THIS Thursday, August 13th, to listen to YouthLaunch Program Coordinator Max Elliott talk about Urban Roots. We'll be telling inspiring stories from the first two years on the farm, including tales about community lunches with well-known local chefs, farmers markets, hunger relief efforts, and the Eat Local Week coming up later this fall.
June 27, 2009 - At the Urban Roots 2nd Annual Summer Farm Fest, Tomato was chosen as "Vegetable of the Year." Over 200 people attended Summer Farm Fest, and 124 ballots were cast. The results: Tomato (36 votes); Cucumber (31 votes); Eggplant (17 votes); Carrot (15 votes); Okra (a write-in candidate) had 13 votes; and Squash had 9 votes. Cucumber con-seed-ed, so no run-off was required.
June 9, 2009 - YouthLaunch's Urban Roots program has been chosen as an Impact Austin grantee! Impact Austin has awarded YouthLaunch $102,000 over two years for Urban Roots.
June 2, 2009 - YouthLaunch's Urban Roots program is holding three "Community Lunches" in June and July, featuring a local chef who teaches youth how to prepare, cook and present a meal to the community on the farm. The meal is centered around the fresh produce that is available from the Urban Roots farm at the time. For more information and to sign up, click HERE.
May 20, 2009 - YouthLaunch's Urban Roots program is the beneficiary a "Didgeridoo Workshop & Meditation Concert" at Sundara Yoga Therapy on Saturday, May 30th. Click HERE for more information.
May 18, 2009 - YouthLaunch's collaborative project with Citizen Schools is culminating in a "Wow!" Come support the YouthLaunch Citizen Teachers and their apprentices (the 8th graders at Citizen Schools)!
May 16, 2009 - Urban Roots has a special treat at this Saturday's Downtown Farmer's Market. On Friday, our Farm Interns will be attending a cooking class with chef Madeline Pizzo from Thai Fresh, where they will cook up some delicious recipes using produce form the Urban Roots farm. Urban Roots patrons will be able to sample these recipes free of charge at the farmer's market on Saturday and get ideas on how to cook seasonally and locally.
May 8, 2009 - YouthLaunch's Urban Roots program has been selected as a finalist for an Impact Austin grant in the "Environment" category.
April 27, 2009 - Urban Roots Assistant Crew Leaders Vivian Alston and Steve Young will participate on a panel through the "Food Justice Speaker Series" about where our food comes from and its impacts on health, the environment, and human rights. The panel will be April 30th at 7pm at MonkeyWrench Books (110 E. North Loop)
April 25, 2009 - Leticia Hogeda, a Community Educator for YPC and a YouthLaunch Service Award Winner in 2008, has been selected as one of "Five Kids Who Care" by KVUE. Click HERE to see her story.
April 12, 2009 - YouthLaunch needs to mobilize volunteers for Earth Day activities (Saturday, April 18th) and the Eastside Recycling Challenge (April 25th and 26th). Click HERE for more information.
April 7, 2009 - The Hispanic Chamber of Commerce's Hispanic Austin Leadership class is presenting No Kidding Program Coordinator Jenifer DeAtley with a "Key Contributor Award" for her work and assistance on a project that addresses teen pregnancy in the Hispanic community.
March 24, 2009 - YouthLaunch is rolling out the new "Friends of Urban Roots" - a membership organization of Urban Roots supporters. For more information and to sign up, click HERE.
February 24, 2009 - Youth Partnership for Change Community Educators are featured on Fox 7 News. Click HERE to watch the story.
February 22, 2009 - Youth Partnership for Change is hosting the "Youth Track" on several regional forums on the effects of underage alcohol use, sponsored by Texans Standing Tall. Click HERE for more information about the Austin forum, to be held April 2, 2009.
January 26, 2009 - Edible Communities has recognized Urban Roots for our outstanding contribution to the local foods movement in the Edible Austin community with a "Local Hero Award" for Non-Profit Organization.
January 22, 2009 - Our next "Lunch With YouthLaunch" will be held on Thursday, February 12th and will focus on the Youth Partnership for Change program. Click HERE to RSVP on-line.
November 25, 2008 - YouthLaunch's Youth Partnership for Change community educators will be participating in the 23rd annual MADD Jingle Bell 5K on Sunday, December 14th. For more information click HERE.
November 21, 2008 We are recruiting young people, ages 14 - 17, to join us for our 2009 group of Urban Roots Farm Interns! For the application packet, click HERE.
November 3, 2008 - Applications are now being accepted for the 2009 YouthLaunch Scholarship for Outstanding Service.
October 28, 2008 - YouthLaunch's No Kidding Program Specialist, Aaliyah Noble, is featured in the University of Texas Humanities Institute story about their "Free Minds" program. Click HERE for the feature and to read Aaliyah's graduation poem.
October 22, 2008 - YouthLaunch's Urban Roots program is featured on News 8 in a story entitled "Urban Roots nurtures Austin's youth and produce." Click here to read the story and see the video.
October 20, 2008 - Our next "Lunch With YouthLaunch" will be held on Tuesday, November 4th and will focus on the Urban Roots program. Click HERE to view the invitation, and HERE to RSVP.
October 8, 2008 - YouthLaunch is excited to announce the selection of our Youth Partnership for Change Community Educators, No Kidding Peer Educators, and our three Urban Roots Assistant Crew Leaders for the 2008-09 school year.
October 2, 2008 - YouthLaunch's Urban Roots program is featured in an article in the Austin Chronicle entitled "Urban Roots: Good food, good work, good citizens" Click here to read the story.
October 1, 2008 - YouthLaunch's Urban Roots program receives the E. Lee Walker Award for Community Collaboration at Westcave Preserve's "Celebration of Children in Nature." Click here for more about the award and the event and click HERE to see pictures from the event.
September 16, 2008 - YouthLaunch has been awarded a multi-year grant from the Meadows Foundation to support our Urban Roots program.
September 11, 2008 YouthLaunch's Urban Roots was selected as a semi-finalist for Greenlights for Nonprofit Success 2008 Nonprofit Excellence Awards in the Collaboration Award area.
September 5, 2008 Urban Roots is recruiting for a second VISTA position. Click HERE for more details.
July 25, 2008 - Our next "Lunch With YouthLaunch" will be held on Tuesday, August 12th and will focus on the No Kidding program. Click HERE to view the invitation.
July 23, 2008 - YouthLaunch's Urban Roots program has been selected to receive the Westcave Preserve Award for Collaboration at the first "Celebration of Children in Nature" to be held October 1, 2008.
June 24, 2008 - No Kidding Peer Educator Maria Martinez (a recent winner of YouthLaunch's "Role Model of the Year Award"), is featured on National Public Radio's Day To Day program. Click here for the feature.
June 11, 2008 - YouthLaunch's No Kidding Program Coordinator, Jenifer De Atley, is featured in "Making Majors Work" on the University of Texas College of Liberal Arts website. Click here for the feature.
May 16, 2008 - YouthLaunch's No Kidding and Youth Partnership for Change programs are the featured programs for the Texas Network of Youth Services (TNOYS) Youth Development and Leadership Conference to be held June 13, 2008 in Austin, Texas. Click HERE to view the conference brochure.
May 8, 2008 Urban Roots is the feature of a five-minute film by UT graduate student Alanna Jones. Click HERE to see the film on YouTube.
April 20, 2008 YouthLaunch has selected three outstanding high school seniors to be the recipients of the 2008 Scholarship for Outstanding Service. Click HERE to learn about these remarkable young people.
April 9, 2008 - Our next "Lunch With YouthLaunch" will be held on Tuesday, April 29th and will focus on the YouthLaunch Service Awards. Click HERE to view the invitation.
April 7, 2008 - YouthLaunch is recruiting for our inaugural "Friends of Urban Roots," a group of program champions who will help spread the word about the program. Click HERE for information about becoming a Friend!
March 14, 2008 - YouthLaunch's releases our 2006-07 Annual Report. Request a copy or
Februry 18, 2008 On March 5th, YouthLaunch's Youth Partnership for Change will be hosting the National 2008 Take It Back Community Briefing. We will join over 350 other groups across the country as part of a national effort to inform communities about alcohol issues that are affecting youth access and underage drinking. Click HERE for the Take It Back Community Briefing flyer.
January 17, 2008 YouthLaunch is seeking a part-time Program Specialist for our No Kidding program. Click here for more information.
January 8, 2008 Urban Roots has extended the deadline for applications for our first crew of Farm Interns till Friday, January 25th. Click here for the Application Packet.
December 14, 2007 YouthLaunch's Youth Partnership for Change (YPC) program has been selected as a participant in the National 2008 Take It Back Community Briefings. Click here for more details.
December 13, 2007 We are recruiting young people, ages 14 - 17, to join us as the first group of Urban Roots Farm Interns! For the application packet, click here.
December 10, 2007 - Touched by her compelling story from the Scholarship Luncheon, the Warren Skaaren Trust has awarded Karina Sanchez (a 2007 recipient of the YouthLaunch Scholarship for Outstanding Service) an additional $5,000 scholarship to help support her continuing college education. To read more about Karina and the other 2007 scholarship recipients, click here.
December 8, 2007 - Eat Local Week, sponsored by Edible Austin magazine and benefitting YouthLaunch's Urban Roots program, kicks off at the Downtown Farmers' Market. Look for participating restaurants and markets all over Central Texas and through December 15th. For a list of participants and the special Eat Local Week Events, click here.
November 27, 2007 - Applications are now being accepted for the 2008 YouthLaunch Scholarship for Outstanding Service.
November 6, 2007 - YouthLaunch is hosting our third "Lunch With YouthLaunch," focusing on the Urban Roots program.
October 22, 2007 - YouthLaunch is currently recruiting Community Educators, aged 16-21, for our Youth Partnership for Change program.
October 18, 2007 - YouthLaunch's Max Elliott and Mike Evans were interviewed about the Urban Roots program on KVRX 91.7 on the "Upstream" program. Click here for more about the interview.
October 15, 2007 - YouthLaunch is seeking an AmeriCorps VISTA member for our Urban Roots Program
September 17, 2007 - YouthLaunch staff conducted strategic planning sessions on the Urban Roots project with over 120 students at all of the public and charter high schools in East Austin in summer 2007. Click here for the results of the focus groups.
September 7, 2007 - Eastside Cafe is hosting a "Crack of Dawn Graden Party" on September 22nd, with YouthLaunch's Urban Roots as the benficiary.
September 3, 2007 - Edible Austin Magazine features YouthLaunch's Urban Roots in its fall 2007 edition and announces that Urban Roots will be the benficiary of "Eat Local Week" December 8-15. Click here to view the article.
June 16, 2007 - YouthLaunch's Youth Summit is highlighted on the Austin ABC Channel, KVUE 24. Myra Constable, Program Coordinator for Youth Partnership for Change, and Saul Paul are interviewed for the June 19th YPC Youth Summit. Click here to view the story and see the video.
April 26, 2007 - YouthLaunch is looking for young people, grades 9-12, to attend our Youth Summit for our Youth Partnership for Change program to be held June 19, 2007 in Austin at St. Edward's University. The training will include adults sponsors and youth who are interested in leading the fight to prevent underage drinking through community outreach and education, service - learning projects and other activities.
March 26, 2007 - Myra Constable, Program Coordinator for Youth Partnership for Change, was featured in the KVUE Channel 24 Town Hall Meeting on teen drinking. Click here to access the town hall meeting.
March 23, 2007 - YouthLaunch's new Urban Farm project is featured in the Austin Chronicle in an article highlighting local programs that are connecting young people back to the natural environment and to the food they eat. Click here to read the article.
March 8, 2007 - Myra Constable, Program Coordinator for Youth Partnership for Change, was featured on the Fox 7 News story "Agencies Team Up to Stop Underage Drinking on Spring Break" Click here to view the story.
February 14, 2007 - YouthLaunch is requesting proposals from interested Contractors to design, create and develop a Franchise Kit for the No Kidding program.
January 23, 2007 - Three No Kidding interns - Juan, Corey, and David, and Program Specialist Russell Toynes are featured the Dad Show on KAZI in Austin. Click here to watch the interview.
January 20, 2007 - YouthLaunch announces a two-day training for our Youth Partnership for Change program to be held February 26 & 27, 2007 in Austin. "Making Connections: Empower your Students" is designed to provide educators information and teaching strategies to recruit, train and support students in their effort to reduce underage alcohol use in their communities. Contact Myra Constable for more information or to register.
January 4, 2007 - YouthLaunch's No Kidding program is featured in today's Marketplace Morning Report on National Public Radio. Click here to read and hear the story.
January 2, 2007 - YouthLaunch's produces our first ever Annual Report. Request a copy or
November 27, 2006 - YouthLaunch has moved! Visit us at our new address: 7756 Northcross Drive, Suite 203; Austin, Texas 78757. Our phone numbers and e-mail addresses will remain the same.
November 15, 2006 - YouthLaunch's No Kidding program is awarded the Outstanding Emerging Innovation Award from the Healthy Teen Network. Click here to view the Healthy Teen Network 2006 Conference Program (the award for No Kidding is on page 13).
October 30, 2006 - Applications are now being accepted for the 2007 YouthLaunch Scolarship for Outstanding Service.
October 26, 2006 - YouthLaunch's No Kidding program is championed in today's San Antonio Express-News. Click here to open the editorial in a new window.
September 25, 2006 - YouthLaunch's No Kidding program is featured in today's Austin American-Statesman. Click here to open the article in a new window.
August, 2006 - Four peer educators presented No Kidding: Straight Talk from Teen Parents during the Plenary Session at the National Child Support Enforcement Association's 55th annual conference in Dallas, Texas this month. Russell Toynes, 25, Elizabeth Cranston, 21, Katie White, 20, and Corey Jones, 21, presented to an audience of over 1,000 child support professionals. There were laughs, tears, and a standing ovation as the young parents told of how they learned they would be parents prematurely and the life struggles as single custodial parents. Contact Jenifer DeAtley for more information about the program, and click here to see some photos from the conference.
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