Just Updated! Resource Guide for After-School Programs Serving Preteens
This online Resource Guide has just been updated with recent research and tools to help service providers strengthen their after-school programs. The guide was created as a companion to the report, Putting It All Together: Guiding Principles for Quality After-School Programs Serving Preteens, commissioned by the Lucile Packard Foundation for Children’s Health.
View the Resource Guide>>

The Kidsdata.org Blog – Data Points – Is Here!
The foundation recently launched a new blog, Data Points, which provides timely insights about how children in California are faring. The blog also will foster helpful conversations among people who use data to improve the health and well being of children, including preteens. Visit Data Points Now>>

Understanding Middle School Youth Culture and Culturally Relevant Programming
The California Afterschool Network recently held a workshop on youth cultural competence. If you work with preteens or want to better understand today’s youth culture, this presentation offers useful insights and resources. Get the audio and PowerPoint slides here: http://www.afterschoolnetwork.org/node/7849

Preteen Emotional Development: Guidance for Parents
This article from the Palo Alto Medical Foundation provides a succinct summary of what to expect during the preteen years, and includes advice for parents navigating this stage in their child’s development.
http://www.pamf.org/children/newsletter/emotional.html

Also See: For more information on how to support children’s social and emotional development, see the resources from Bright Futures at Georgetown University, including guides for families and service providers on What to Expect and When to Seek Help for kids ages 5-10 and 11-21. (These guides also are available in Spanish.)

Roughly One in Three 7th Graders Say They Don't Eat Breakfast
Just added to kidsdata.org – data for counties and school districts across California on student reports of whether they ate breakfast in the past day. In 2006-2008, 32% of 7th-grade boys and 39% of girls reported not eating breakfast, but the percentages for not eating breakfast were even higher for 9th- and 11th-grade students. Data are also available by race/ethnicity.

Bullies, Targets, and Bystanders
Learn to identify bullying, how and when to intervene, and how you and your preteen can help create a safe school community at this Parents Place class. Wednesday, Feb. 24, in Palo Alto.
http://www.kidscal.org/event/206133

Panel Discussion About Eating Disorders
In observance of National Eating Disorders Week, Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital hosts this panel discussion about the risks, warning signs, and treatment of eating disorders. Thursday, Feb. 25, in Palo Alto.
http://www.kidscal.org/event/206155

Practical Approaches that Work with Challenging Behavior
Learn how to listen better to your preteen and respond effectively to difficult behavior at this two-day Parents Helping Parents conference. Starts Friday, March 5, in San Jose.
http://www.kidscal.org/event/206144

Kids in Dynamic Shape
This Kaiser Permanente program offers knowledge and skills related to nutrition and fitness to help families live a healthy lifestyle. Tuesday, March 9, in Redwood City.
http://www.kidscal.org/event/203932

Find more events focused on preteens on kidscal.org: http://www.kidscal.org
Add your events to kidscal.org: http://www.lpfch.org/cgi-bin/calendar/admin.cgi

If you would like to include any preteen events or activities for the next newsletter, please send it to preteens@lpfch.org.

The Preteen Alliance promotes the emotional and behavioral health of preteens by using information to raise public awareness and inform regional action. The Alliance has more than 1,700 members, and anyone is welcome to join. For more information, see http://www.preteenalliance.org/about.html.

Also on preteenalliance.org:

• Research About Preteens: Find recent research commissioned by the foundation regarding preteens, as well as links to other relevant research.

• Resources and Services: Preteenalliance.org's resources page links to websites and services on topics affecting preteens.

• Data on Preteens: Find preteen-specific facts on bullying, gang involvement, stress, weight, and other topics – all from kidsdata.org’s database of local children’s facts.

If you have questions about The Alliance or want to include information in the next edition of The Preteen Post, reply to this e-mail or call us at (650) 724-5778.

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