A Message from the Director
Youth empowerment, one of the hallmarks of CES' work over the decades, has within it an ongoing tension of the practical vs. the ideal. It is said that the wise person knows s/he cannot change the world, and yet the world needs change more than ever. CES builds the abilities and motivation of low income youth so they can improve their individual socio-economic status, and at the same time we must involve them in efforts to reach for the ideal and work for the collective good.
This tension has become the defining character of our era. As California's unemployment rate climbs past 10% (and much higher for particular communities), and uncertainty grows about exactly what kinds of jobs will exist in the coming years, there is a growing desperation about just earning a livelihood. Yet, the environment still vies for headline space with the economy, and businesses who were once driven only by the bottom line are working energetically to integrate social good into their company's mission and profit calculations. Perhaps society has finally realized that the ideal is practical – that investing in the best long term interests of the community is in fact the most profitable strategy after all.
At CES, this dynamic tension energizes our work and keeps CES on the forward edge of youth development. Our health academy effort, which for 10 years has helped young people explore career opportunities and community involvement through a broad partnership of entities such as California Pacific Medical Center, City College, the SFUSD, the California Endowment, and the GAP, is now morphing into a broader effort to involve other health entities and to support career academies in other domains such as Hospitality & Tourism. Our Environmental Service Learning Initiative, a partnership of the SFUSD, the SF Dept. of Children, Youth, and Their Families, and Global Exchange, just helped to launch San Francisco's first Green Jobs Academy at Lincoln High School. In our MYEEP youth employment program for teens and after-school programs for children, there is a constant effort to build community awareness and involvement beyond the narrow goals of employment and academics.
In all of these efforts CES works for the long-term, seeking to institutionalize best practices and amazing partnerships that will benefit youth and society far beyond our immediate reach and far into the future. Please join us in investing in the future.
In Community,
Darin Ow-Wing
Executive Director