Back to school hours start this week!

Alas, the summer hath come to an end...at least for the Youth Center.  This week, we return to our school year hours of 3-8PM.  With the new school year starting back up, please remember one of our top rules: homework MUST be done before participating in the activities!  We started this week (err, well, today...) with a nice 4 mile Walk y Talk(y) through Little Italy, Harborside and Seaport Village!  Check out pictures of the walk here.

Back to School Beach Party 2011

The 2011 Back to School Beach Party was hosted on August 20 by the Soaring Eagles Dance Troop in collaboration with SDAIHYC and Tribal TANF.  Attendees enjoyed grilled burgers and dogs along with tons of fresh watermelon during a seasonly mild day at Imperial Beach.  Check out pictures here of the food, skateboarding, volleyball, and water fun from the party!

Intergenerational Dinner at the Park

The monthly Intergenerational Dinner on Tuesday, August 23rd was quite the event! We were so blessed to have amazing Filipino food that consisted of pancit, chicken adobo, banana lumpia and so many more scrumptious dishes! Not to exclude the delicious beans and chicken grilled by the Razos and all the potluck items from community members! Thank you to everyone who brought a dish or donation.  Check out pictures from the dinner here.

The dinner was in collaboration with Soaring Eagles, and we enjoyed dancing, drumming, songs and stories to close out the summer season as an entire extended family.  Thank you to our guests from Club 7 and Indian Health Council for coming all the way down from Rincon!

Museum Days!

Museum Tuesdays are back! The summer has blessed us with unbelievable weather and we can't help but take advantage of it and of course, the lovely Balboa Park we have just right up the street from the Center. Every Tuesday staff and youth members walk to Balboa Park and visit specific free museums. Museums vary every month and every week. Museum Tuesdays are from 3:00-4:00 p.m. Hope to see you there for a full hour of learning, learning, fun, exploring and of course....more learning!!

Sovereignty and sack races

The Tribal Sovereignty Institute's Native Youth Symposium, held today at the Pala Indian Reservation by the Southern California Tribal Chairmen's Association, combined education about sovereignty with physical fitness. After an inspirational talk from Elena Hood, American Indian teens from around San Diego County--incuding 12 SDAIHYC members--learned about tribal sovereignty in both historical and contemporary contexts from Devon Lee Lomayesva and Angela Medrano of California Indian Legal Services, getting a mini history lesson on the nation-to-nation relationship between the US federal government and tribes, and the inherent rights tribes and members of federally recognized tribes should be guaranteed. After a sandwich lunch and physical fitness activities provided by Inter Tribal Sports (including sack races, such as the one Jacqueline and Joseph are competing in above!), Pala Chairman Robert Smith shared with attendees how the Pala Band of Mission Indians exercises it's sovereignty and explained the tribe's relationship with other governmental entities. The symposium ended with a scavenger hunt, combining critical thinking with synthesis of the knowledge participants learned today. Congratulations to Team 4 for winning first place! While Team 4 was void of SDAIHYC members, attendees from Rincon, Pala and San Pasqual braved sprinklers and ran from clue to clue, claiming the top spot in the hunt! Team 5, led by Summer Intern Chandler Hood, came in a close second.  Pictures from the event here!

Beach Party 2011 less than 2 weeks away!

Youth Counselors Joe and Gabe are aching to get in the water.  They're so anxious to boogie board, they're attempting to catch a wave on the Youth Center furniture.  Lucky for them, the Soaring Eagles Dance Troop, in collaboration with SDAIHYC, is holding the "Back to School Beach Party!" on Saturday, August 20 in Imperial Beach from 11AM-6PM.  The party will be centered at Pier Plaza (the same place Powwow by the Sea takes place).  Please bring potluck items to share, as well as your own chairs!  Hot dogs and burgers (meat and veggie) will be provided.  Hope to see you there!

"Thriller," Native Style

America's Best Dance Crew ain't got nothin' on us.

Youth Making a Difference

Recently I was approached by two of our very own youth members and let's just say that this act of kindness is definitely one for the books. Not only was it because of the act itself, but it was of what they said after showing me this adorable picture!...

Rebekah and Michelle proudly shared the photos of their new kitten and were very excited to share their experience adopting from an animal shelter. They mentioned multiple times, "If you ever want a pet, you should go to the animal shelter, there are so many dogs and cats there that need homes." This is definitely great advice if or when you or your family ever consider welcoming a pet into your home. Just remember though...bringing any kind of pet into your home requires ALOT of care, time, love and the upmost dedication. Not only is it a great amount of work to care for an animal, it's much like taking care of a child....adopting from shelters saves innocent, precious lives. A majority of the animals in shelters are either abandoned or abused or simply just given up because the family no longer wants to care for them. It's a sad reality but it truly was heartfelt when Rebekah and Michelle shared this experience with us here at the Youth Center and most importantly made a difference in this little fellas life who now has a second chance at life. Thank you girls!

Community Night August 2011

It's already the beginning of the month and Community Night will be here in no time! Community Night will be on Thursday, August, 25, 2011 at the Normal Heights Community Center on 4649 Hawley Blvd. San Diego, CA 92116.

The lovely Perse Hooper will present on Creating Successful Families based on the Franklin Covey Book 7 Habits of Highly Effective Families.

Dinner will be provided but potluck items are always welcome :) Games and children's activities will also be provided. This is a San Diego American Indian Health Center sponsored event in partnership with the awesome Southern California Tribal Chairman's Association- Tribal TANF, Indian Human Resources, S.D. Unified School District Indian Education Program, Council of American Indian Organizations of San Diego County.

Please come out and join us for a fun night full off community interaction and plenty of information on creating successful families! Hope to see you all there!

For any further information please contact Christopher Scott at (619) 234-2158 ext111

Summer gung fu

SDAIHYC's infamous Gung Fu classes are now held on Fridays before Fitness Fun! They have also moved to Balboa Park, weather permitting of course! Daniel Domaguin has resigned as Gung Fu instructor and has passed his duties onto fellow friend/ martial artist, Ciani Palencia. Be sure to join us for Gung Fu on Fridays at Balboa Park and enjoy the weather that sunny San Diego allows us to have every day!

Skating 2 Days a Week!

The SDAIHYC Skateboarding Instructor, Geoff Godfrey, recently added a second day of Skateboarding Group to our summer schedule. Groups are now held on Tuesdays from 4:00-5:30 pm for Beginner Skateboarders AND on Thursdays from 4:30-6:00 p.m. for Advanced Skateboarders. Skating locations include the local Washington Skate Park a few miles from the Youth Center and beautiful Balboa Park.

Recently, youth members have began venturing out to the Ocean Beach Skate Park where they perfect the basics as well as learning more advanced skills. Before stepping foot onto a skateboard, youth members engage in a 2 hour “build your own skateboard” class and learn what the different parts of a skateboard are, as well as the origin and safety of skateboarding. If interested in attending and being a part of Skateboard Group please call (619) 531-1938.