Sierra Health's Partnerships brings you bimonthly news, opportunities, tools and resources.


	IN THIS ISSUE:
Grants Advisory Board for Youth applications available Program Improvement proposers' teleconference set for Dec. 13 REACH community coalitions begin work for youth Sierra Health commits $1.5 million to children's oral health Nonprofit leaders selected for Health Leadership Class VI Resources: The California Children's Dental Disease Prevention Program; KIDS COUNT

Grants Advisory Board for Youth applications available

The Grants Advisory Board for Youth (GABY) is an exciting opportunity for young people age 12-19 to learn leadership skills and have a positive impact on other youth and communities in the region. Board member applications are available now on the Sacramento Region Community Foundation's Web site and are due Oct. 13.

GABY members get hands-on experience in community leadership and team decision-making. During their one-year term, members review and evaluate Youth Helping Other People Excel (YouthHOPE) grant applications for youth-led community service projects. The funded project teams then have an opportunity to develop skills in planning and organizing events and programs that benefit their communities.

In partnership with Sierra Health Foundation, the Sacramento Region Community Foundation last year awarded more than $64,000 in GABY grants to 29 youth-led projects.

Click here for more information on GABY.

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Program Improvement proposers' teleconference set for Dec. 13

A REACH Program Improvement grant proposers' teleconference for interested and qualified applicants will be held Dec. 13 from 1:00-2:30 p.m. To reserve a line for the teleconference click here. For assistance send an e-mail to rsvp@teleconfirm.com or click on this help link. The teleconference is not required.

Program Improvement grants of up to $10,000 each will be awarded to organizations working to improve youth programs in the California Capital Region, as part of REACH: Connecting Communities and Youth for a Healthy Future. Public agencies, nonprofits and faith-based groups that serve youth ages 10-15 are encouraged to apply. Applications are due to Sierra Health Foundation by 5 p.m., Jan. 15, 2007. For more information, including eligibility criteria, visit Sierra Health's Web site.

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REACH community coalitions begin work for youth

Training workshops and community meetings are under way for the seven coalitions selected to receive Community Action planning grants through Sierra Health Foundation's REACH youth program. The funded coalitions represent the communities of El Dorado Hills, Galt, Meadowview, Rancho Cordova, South Sacramento, West Sacramento and Woodland.

In August, workshops on youth development, community assessment and coalition building began at Sierra Health to prepare coalition members for the work ahead of them. During the nine-month planning process, coalitions will assess their community's strengths, challenges, resources and readiness to improve conditions for young people.

Because youth participation is a key component of the coalitions' work, adult and youth members will team up to collect community data through interviews, focus groups, surveys and community meetings. Adult members will promote opportunities for youth to take leadership roles within the coalition, and encourage active involvement in developing a community action plan.

Each coalition will submit an implementation plan to Sierra Health in March 2007. All successful planning grantees will be eligible to receive funding for up to three years to implement their plans.

Get more information on the REACH program here.

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Sierra Health commits $1.5 million to children's oral health

Promoting oral health has long been a priority of Sierra Health Foundation. Through its brightSMILES program, Sierra Health has supported a number of prevention strategies. Recently, the board of directors approved a three-year commitment to expand education, dental screenings and sealant services for children in the foundation's 26-county region. Application instructions for multiple-year grants for school-based or related services will be available within the next few months. Watch our Web site or this e-newsletter for information.

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Nonprofit leaders selected for Health Leadership Class VI

Sierra Health Foundation has selected its sixth Health Leadership class, which begins Oct. 10. Twenty-four executives of Northern California nonprofits and local agencies will begin the seven-month, intensive training with a four-day retreat at Grizzly Creek Ranch, Sierra Health's camp in Plumas County for children with special needs.

Class participants represent 10 counties in Northern California and a range of programs—youth-focused, child and family services, legal services, housing and independent living. They will come together for 14 days of instruction and spend time outside class working on a team project. The course culminates in a festive graduation ceremony next March.

The Health Leadership Program is designed to reward and develop experienced nonprofit leaders, and to expand their growth and impact within the communities they serve. The University of Southern California's School of Policy, Planning, and Development, and Marshall School of Business provide the curriculum for this program that has graduated 130 fellows over the last five years. For more information on the program and for a Class VI roster, visit Sierra Health's Web site.

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	RESOURCES
	The California Children's Dental Disease Prevention Program (CDDPP) has issued a Request for Application for 2007 to solicit proposals for projects aimed at preventing oral disease, promoting and maintaining oral health, and improving access to oral health services for children at high risk of oral disease in preschool through sixth grade, and in classes for children with exceptional needs. KIDS COUNT, a project of the Annie E. Casey Foundation, is a national and state-by-state effort to track the status of children in the United States. View state fact sheets and data online, and create custom data reports.