Pallo Alto Youth Champions Recognized for Work with Teens

April 26, 2011 - PRLog -- PALO ALTO, CA – Palo Alto Family YMCA announced today that Danny Koba, senior youth and community director, was recognized as an outstanding  Adult Role Model at a recent award ceremony for Project Cornerstone, a countywide initiative that advocates building a web of support around every young person in the community to help them thrive. The web of support includes families, schools, community centers, faith communities and local businesses.

The event was held to honor individuals and organizations that have shown an ongoing commitment to building positive relationships with youth to make the community a better place for young people to live and grow. Along with the nomination for Koba, Henry M. Gunn High School students Joyce Liu, Esther Han and Yoni Alon received the Positive Peer Influence award for their founding work on a student-run peer support group for Palo Alto teens called Reach Out, Care, Know—or ROCK.

"Project Cornerstone is thrilled to honor and recognize some of the individuals who have teamed up to really help make resources available and known to local Palo Alto youth, so that they have a place to turn,” said Anne Ehresman, executive director of Project Cornerstone. “We can’t begin to express how much we appreciate all the support we have received from Palo Alto and beyond, and we look forward to continuing the efforts put forth so far.”

Nominations for the awards went to individuals who model and inspire positive, responsible behavior for young people. Koba was nominated by an anonymous community member for the work he completed last year for the city’s youth forum, including the recruitment of teens and the facilitation of focus groups.

“It’s so important that teens in Palo Alto know that there are so many valuable resources for them, no matter what kind of services or advice they might need,” said Koba. It’s important that the community joins forces to team up, so that together, we can get the word out there and publicize all of the options available to our youth—right in their own neighborhood.”

After several teen suicides tragically occurred in 2009 and 2010, Liu said she recognized the need for organized campus support at Gunn High. Together with friends Han and Alon, Liu created ROCK to strengthen and sustain a strong sense of community and to communicate to fellow students that there is a support system available for teens. Student volunteers, known as Rocks, are committed to listening and sharing their experiences with other students about any topic they would like, including family life, classes, grades and stress. A table at the school library is designated for ROCK and staffed by volunteers, so that they can talk to students on a drop-in basis. ROCK volunteers also can be contacted by email or phone, if students prefer a more private conversation.

Another resource for Palo Alto teens is the YMCA Ventura Teen Center, funded entirely by donations to the YMCA’s Annual Giving Campaign. The center offers a variety of free activities, teen programs, college preparation, and resources for Palo Alto middle and high school students. The center is open Monday through Friday from 3 - 6p.m. for homework assistance, one-on-one tutoring, computers and internet access, fitness and dance programs, social activities, and a comprehensive college success center, which includes college tours and college research, along with information on scholarships.

Since opening in 1998, the YMCA Ventura Teen Center has served as a resource for nearly 1,000 middle and high school students. Abby Nunez, 13, an eighth-grader at Terman Middle School, has been visiting the center since opening day after reading a flier posted in her community.

“I love the fact that the people are really cool, nice and fun,” she said. “One of the benefits is that I can come here and just hang out with my friends, and I can get help with homework. If there were teens that didn't know about this support, I would encourage them to come.”

Nunez said she used to come to the center every day but now is juggling sports and classes. Now she visits most Wednesdays for the Dream Catchers program. Dream Catchers is an after-school tutoring program serving students in the Palo Alto community.
“I stay here for like two or three hours,” she said. “There’s a bunch of reasons (to come here).”

Another teen who has used the resources at the YMCA Ventura Teen Center since its beginning is Terman Middle School student Olga Coronado, 13, of Palo Alto, who is in the eighth grade. Hearing about it from her cousin, Coronado goes to the center every other day for two hours. She said she likes going because she gets help with college planning, works on computers and completes homework, and gets to hang out with her friends.

“We’re excited to have students stop by the center and join us,” said Ana Valencia, associate teen and outreach director at the YMCA Ventura Teen Center. “Ventura is a much-needed asset for students located in the surrounding neighborhoods of Palo Alto, and we are hoping the local community will continue to help support the center, which in turn helps support teens throughout the year.”

For more information about the YMCA Ventura Teen Center, ROCK and other teen support programs, contact Danny Koba at dkoba@ymcasv.org or Ana Valencia at avalencia@ymcasv.org.

About The Y
The Y is a powerful association of men, women and children of all ages and from all walks of life joined together by a shared passion: to strengthen the foundations of community. With a commitment to nurturing the potential of kids, promoting healthy living, and fostering a sense of social responsibility, the Y ensures that every individual has access to the essentials needed to learn, grow and thrive.

About Project Cornerstone
Project Cornerstone is committed to helping every child feel valued, respected, and known. We are building a community where all adults support children and youth so they find their spark and thrive. Project Cornerstone works within the YMCA of Silicon Valley and with over 200 community partners and schools to intentionally build in youth the positive relationships, opportunities, values, and skills—known collectively as “developmental assets”—that provide the foundation for a healthy, successful future.