Do you have personal experience with ACS Foster Care or Preventive Services?

Do you want to become a voice for your community?

You know your community’s challenges better than anyone else.

Apply for Rise & Shine!

Rise & Shine Open House

To apply, please join us at the next Rise & Shine Open House:

Thursday, January 23, 11:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.
Location: 224 West 30th Street, Suite 804
New York, NY 10003

RSVP to Teresa Bachiller, Program Coordinator: (646) 543-7099 or Teresa@risemagazine.org

Download the Rise & Shine 2020 application.

What is the Rise & Shine Parent Leadership Program?

Parents impacted by ACS become powerful leaders to make change.

Through Rise & Shine, you can:

• Build a strong foundation to become an advocate and a leader in your community;

• Develop writing and public speaking skills;

• Shadow parent advocates and participate in 10 hours of interactive field learning;

• Reflect on experiences and build a peer-to-peer support network; and

• Engage with expert speakers on child welfare history and law, parent advocacy, domestic violence, trauma, toxic stress and self-care.

Program details:

• Program runs 18 weeks and meets for 3 hours/3 times a week.

• Certificate and stipend are provided upon completion.

• Metro cards and light refreshments are provided throughout the program. 

• Child care is not provided.

Rise & Shine Presenters and Topics

Rise is excited to announce our 2020 Rise & Shine speakers:  

• History of Child Welfare
  Michael Arsham, Director, ACS Office of Advocacy

• Moving from Trauma to Identifying and Using Centers of Power
  Tricia Stephens, Assistant Professor, Hunter College Silberman School of Social Work

• ACS Investigation Process and Seal and Amend Process and Advocacy 
  Matt Diaz, The Bronx Defenders, and Washcarina Martinez Alonzo, Manhattan Legal Services

• Introduction to Coalition Building and Understanding Systemic Oppression as Connected to Child Welfare
  Erin Miles Cloud, Movement for Family Power                             

• Introduction to Parent Advocacy
  Sabra Jackson, Center for Family Representation, Hope Newton, Center for Family Representation, Bevanjae Kelley, Graham Windham

• Introduction to Community Organizing
  Arif Ullah, Citizens Committee of NY

• Introduction to the Policy Making Process and Legislative Advocacy
  Divya Sundaram, Community Voices Heard

• Combating Toxic Stress: Strong Families, Resilient Communities
  Nora McCarthy, Rise