True North’s parent engagement team gets going

Parents, school officials, and organizers from True North – a network of people working for communities across Tribal Lands, Del Norte, and Humboldt Counties – had their first official Parent Engagement Team meeting. Five parents and four out of five of the invited school representatives attended. The aim was to form a strategy for effective communication between families and schools. “[It] was a powerful experience because […]

Taking ‘Action on Education’

Last month an organizing network called True North hosted the “Action on Education,” an event focused on improving communication between families and school teachers and administrators. In a series of testimonies, parents noted a lack of parent engagement in our education system, and want to work with local schools in creating programs to bridge this gap. “Tonight, we are here to strengthen our relationships […]

A new life for an iguana

A teenager discusses the challenges and rewards of adopting a gruff reptile for a pet. “The worker warned me that I would certainly get bitten and it was a bad idea but something inside me told me to try.” An iguana transforms in the hands of his young keeper, on Redwood Voice.

My father’s high

Often the children of parents who are absorbed in their substance abuse problems are quiet in the face of this trauma. Two young writers disclose how their fathers’ substance abuse traumatized them and broke up their families; one father was an absent drug addict, another was an abusive alcoholic. “Alcohol has plagued my life without me ever touching a drop.” This story is […]

The homes we need: a foster child’s story

A 16 year-old writes about her uneven, sometimes abusive, foster families. By telling their stories, foster children hope to have a say in the direction of the system they grow up in. “I felt like a burden to society… This foster mother brought up my worst fears: that I was alone in the world, unwanted and unloved.” Read her first-person account on Redwood Voice.

Unequal justice in Del Norte

Crescent City was shaken by the recent conviction of a former high school staffer for killing a local man while driving drunk. The perpetrator was white, the victim Yurok Indian. The victim’s brother had been convicted of the same crime a few years prior, and was sentenced to life in prison. “The thing is, if a man commits a crime, […]

They never told me why: A Story of Homelessness

When asked about challenges the community faces, young people often remark that social services are inadequate, and that public agencies designed to help youth in crisis can’t – or won’t – deliver on that help. “I saw CPS turn my friends away, too, when they went for help. Child Protective Services, by definition, is supposed to provide protection […]

Vaping: too big a hit?

A new shop called “High Tide Vapes” recently opened in Crescent City, an emerging market in northern California: e-cigarettes, or “vapes.” Vape sellers argue that their product helps smokers quit tobacco, but health authorities warn against using them as a “safe alternative.” E-cigarettes have not been studied long-term, and their harm-free image threatens to create a new addiction for youth who never […]

Bullying: defining the problem

How big is the problem of bullying? For victims and their parents, it’s vast, but not everyone agrees. A group of young researchers is conducting a new survey to measure the spectrum of bullying across families in Del Norte. “Bullying means so many things to so many people, so let’s take it apart and really look at […]

A suspended education

Benjamin Thomas was first suspended in third grade, then expelled in fourth grade. The trend continued until he reached Sunset High, where he says the adults understood more about his experiences, and encouraged him to stay in school instead of kicking him out. “They got to know me on a personal level. They understand the kinds of […]