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Navigator Newsletter February 2023

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December/JanuaryGuest Speakers & Mentors Inspiring Youth and Building New PathwaysN e w s l e t t e r Erik Wixted, U.S. BankPresident, District Manager Bay AreaDelmi Hernandez, PatelcoVirtual Branch ManagerShannon Clark, Shades by Shan CEO and FounderNavigatorNavigator February 2023Several guest speakers have madeappearances during workshops to provide aninvaluable resource - their knowledge! EYP Board Members Erik Wixted of U.S. Bankand Delmi Hernandez of Patelco Credit Unionhave led separate discussions about bankingbasics and how to build your credit in a smartand healthy way. They've also shared their ownstories about career trajectories and non-linearpathways, plus their educational backgrounds,which are very similar to the lived experiencesof our youth. A cohort favorite, Shades by Shan CEOShannon Clark visited the cohort and sharedher own story of persistence, resilience, andentrepreneurship.

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Program: EYP Year 3Program: EYP Year 3 This past summer, EYP piloted its summer bridge program in partnership with the 49ersAcademy. For five weeks, Envision Your Pathway supported incoming freshman students atMenlo Atherton High School to develop a civic engagement initiative. As a cohort, the studentschose “Thriving Communities” as their area of focus and created a project, specificallydedicated to a beach clean up. As with all of EYP’s civic engagement initiatives, the objective for this project is to give thestudents an opportunity to flex skills gained in the EYP program such as project management, tobuild self-efficacy, and to see their youth-led impact in the community. For this particularproject, students also gained insight into the ways our daily lifestyle and resources can affectthe environment and our local beaches. How their project came togetherThe summer cohort was given a budget of $400 for their project. Their first step was toresearch what materials were needed and to prioritize them accordingly, knowing that theyneeded to remain within the budget. The students decided on practical items such as trashgrabbers, shovels, bags, and trash receptacles, as well as items that would ensure safety suchas gloves. Next the students created and assigned roles or positions. Creating and assigning positions wasa vital step for our project, because it required critical thinking which also benefitted the groupin practicing project management. The positions consisted of shovelers, trash bag holders, andtrash sorters. Flexing their skills of personal brand and entrepreneurship, youth also designed a logo for theirbeach clean up effort and discussed plans for how to promote it on social media. Our lastcohort meeting prior to the cleanup involved us reciting research and creating a game plan forthe clean up, essentially going over the work they have completed. July 20th, the day of the clean up. Menlo Atherton High School students, EYP, the 49ersAcademy, and Adopt-A-Beach came together at Sharp Park Beach in Pacifica, CA for theclean up. The Adopt-A-Beach organization provided valuable support to the cohort as theyformed their groups and gathered materials. Groups nearly covered the entire beach, by theend of the clean up, youth had collected around 40lbs of trash and several hundreds cigarettebutts. One group collected as many as 400 cigarette butts alone.Within this project, students demonstrated teamwork, coordination, and compassion. These area few of the skills and traits that I personally witnessed students and leaders using on and offthe beach. Summer Bridge Program by Paul ZapataNavigator Newsletter | February 2023E N V I S I O NY o u r P a t h w a y

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As EYP wrapped up its 2022 school year cohorts,youth began embarking on their pathways, includingpursuing workforce opportunities and ongoingeducation. For one youth, his journey continued withEYP, not as a continuing Visionary, but as a staffmember. Nestor "Paul" Zapata joined the San José Visionariescohort after being referred by partner OpportunityYouth Academy, an alternative education school thatprovides flexible academic environments for youth tocomplete their high school diploma. While in EYP, Paulnaturally stepped up as a leader. As one program staffmember put it, Paul is someone who gives his all toevery opportunity and that was apparent during everysession. E N V I S I O NY o u r P a t h w a yEYP PathwaysEYP PathwaysNavigator Newsletter | February 2023After taking time off from school to work due to COVID, Paul enrolled at OYA, participated inEYP, and graduated with his high school diploma in June 2022. He was invited to join EYP'sYouth Board and in the summer of 2022, Paul was hired to be an EYP program coordinator. Inhis role, he supports with program implementation and co-facilitates workshops. Paul is an integral part of EYP's team and his insights, lived experience, and passion for thiswork has undoubtedly made EYP better. Paul with two peers, working on the civic engagement project during the OYA 2022 Visionaries CohortPaul, now an EYP Program Coordinator, co- facilitating a workshop with fellow alum and staff OsielPaul (center) with Osiel (right) and 49ers Academy ProgramManager (left)Youth Story

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Helping Visionaries navigate their pathways ahead...EYP PathwaysEYP PathwaysNavigator Newsletter | February 2023In November 2022, EYP partnered with Regional Medical Center in East San José for their1st Annual Day of the Girl Empowerment Expo. The event gave 70 young women anopportunity to connect directly with female professionals in the healthcare field. Youth from East San José and East Palo Altowere invited to hear from a panel ofspeakers, enjoy a key note address fromRebel Girls CEO Jes Wolfe, and participate ina hands on lesson on how to "Stop theBleed" and treat wounds in the field. Theyearned a certification by doing so. EYP youthhave long indicated healthcare as a primaryindustry of interest for them. Through partnerships like this one with Regional Medical Center, EYP strives to makeconnections so youth can readily and enthusiastically explore career and educationpathways that make sense for them.The girls had an opportunity to visit various booths and hear from hospital leaders in various departments such asthe emergency room, radiology, and the laboratory. They also received hands on training.“It was really cool, yeah. I want to keep on learning new things,” said Camila Gallardo, an 11th grader.The day also provided networking opportunities for these students. Many go to school in the same neighborhoodwhere Regional is located. Others came from East Palo Alto and are in Envision Your Pathway…a program that helpsstudents facing barriers to ongoing education and workforce.“They’re all going to take something away from this experience whether that be a connection, a broader network, amemory, again a certificate or just an idea of that’s a role I know I can attain and I know it’s possible for me,” saidKendra O’Donoghue, Executive Director of Envision Your Pathway.And that impact may go a long way. Melissa Harte is the Vice President of Trauma Services and co-chair of theWomen’s Colleague Network which is responsible for organizing the event.“Walk away with knowing that you have a community of support right here, right here in the neighborhood. All ofthese people want to help you and support you to do great things," said Melissa.Excerpt from "Inspiring our Youth: Regional holds Empowerment Expo for girls"E N V I S I O NY o u r P a t h w a y