Our Academy student athletes won the San Diego CAPSES League Softball Championship Game today!

With this victory, our Academy has won the “Triple Crown” this school year for winning the CAPSES softball, football and basketball championships!  We’re very proud of our amazing student athletes for their commitment, teamwork and dedication to excelling on-and-off the field.

We would also like to recognize Coaches Jerome, Shawn and Richard for the incredible guidance they provide our students.  And lastly, we want to thank our competitor, Excelsior, for their sportsmanship and a great game!

To view pictures from the championship game, please click here. 

Royal India-Miramar, a wonderful partner of our JoyMakers program, held a special Family Day Luncheon for the youth and families we serve through our Residential Treatment Program.

Families were treated to a delicious, authentic meal that was sponsored and catered by Royal India. We thank Royal India for their generous support throughout the year, and for creating JOY in the lives of the youth and families we serve!

To learn more about our JoyMakers program, please click this link.

Today, we received a proclamation from the City of San Diego in honor of Foster Care Awareness Month!

This recognition means a lot to our team and our Center family at-large given our dedicated commitment to supporting foster youth in need of therapeutic and educational support.

We want to thank City Councilmember Lorie Zapf, Mayor Kevin Faulconer and all Councilmembers for their important partnership and daily efforts in making San Diego a vibrant city. A big thank you as well to Greg Gugliotta and Sherri Saum from The Fosters, a television show on Freeform,  for also being present at the proclamation in support of all nonprofits who were recognized.

 

Photos Courtesy of the Office of Councilmember Lorie Zapf 

We were honored to be invited by City Councilmember Lorie Zapf and County Supervisor Kristin Gaspar to participate in a valuable discussion about the struggles and challenges faced by foster youth transitioning out of the foster care system.  

It was a valuable opportunity for our team to learn about other organizations efforts to support transition age youth, share more on the Center’s pilot program in this area, and discover ways to collaborate as a community.  

We want to thank Councilmember Zapf, Supervisor Gaspar, and also the Children’s Advocacy Institute at the University of San Diego School of Law for holding this forum and drawing awareness to this critical area of need throughout San Diego.

Photo Courtesy of the Office of Councilmember Lorie Zapf 

Two of our program sites are enjoying more time in our gardens, which has been nice due to the warm up in our weather!

Our North County Academy (NCA) Program garden in Carlsbad was planted to provide a calming space for children to explore nature, learn coping skills and practice mindfulness. Our therapists use this wonderful space to engage students in their mindfulness practice by listening to the birds, feeling the soil in their hands, labeling the colors, and increasing focus and attention to the present moment. Students also practice various coping skills for self-regulation in the garden, such as deep breathing, talking with staff, and exploring their creativity by drawing with sidewalk chalk.

A fifth grader receiving services through our school-based program said, “It’s a peaceful place. It’s peaceful and quiet and just awesome!”

At our main site in Linda Vista, teens receiving services through our Clark Adolescent Program, spent a fun afternoon with employees from LPL Financial who generously volunteered their time to help beautify our garden and patio. Along with teens in our program, everyone helped pull weeds, plant flowers and lay mulch.  

It was a fun afternoon and we are thankful for LPL Financial’s support, as well as the Home Depot Store in Oceanside who has generously donated over the years to our NCA garden!

Over 15 professionals, from a variety of backgrounds, shared their experiences and answered questions from our Academy middle and high school students as part of our Annual Career Fair.  

This is one of many annual events hosted by our Academy, which also helps broaden transitional opportunities for our high school seniors.

Thank you to all of our our wonderful speakers, who volunteered their time and words of advice with our students!

We are honored to be highlighted this week in The San Diego Foundation news page. 

Click this link to read the article that highlights how the Center, the oldest nonprofit in San Diego serving children and families, is maximizing our sustainability in the community.

We’re extremely proud to share that one of our teens placed 1st in the County of San Diego Young Master Chef Competition!

She competed against 30 teens across the County, and won the title with her delicious “Roasted Chicken Wrap with Jalapeno Cream Sauce” picnic dish.

The culinary arts is one component of our Successful Transitions Program, and we are thrilled by this teen’s continued success in developing important independent living skills. Kudos as well to all teens who worked hard to perfect their dishes for this fun competition!

On May 4th, we celebrated our 130th Anniversary Celebration themed “Protecting Hopes, Creating Dreams” at the Marriott Marquis San Diego Marina.

It was an amazing evening of celebrating our 130-year history, the life-changing stories of the youth and families we serve, and the important partnership of our PATH Award Honoree, Bank of America. Children and teens served by the Center also shared their superb musical talents with our over 350 guests.

We are proud to report that we raised $300,000 net from our grand celebration.

We are very thankful for our many supporters and friends who contributed to this success.  Including our generous sponsors: Sullivan Solar Power, San Diego Gas & Electric, Southwest Airlines, Sycuan Band of the Kumeyaay Nation, BB&T – John Burnham Insurance, Bank of America, California Bank & Trust, Dowling & Yahnke, LLC, Manpower San Diego, Takeda Pharmaceutical Company, HUB International Insurance Services, Inc., RPS Monument, NRG Energy, The San Diego Foundation, and Holland America Line. 

To view videos shown at our grand celebration, please click here.
For pictures of our event, please click here.

Our Employee Appreciation Committee (EAC) surprised our support staff with a great lunch today to honor them for their efforts and hard work!

Center President & CEO, Dr. Moisés Barón, kicked off the luncheon with some special words of appreciation. We thank EAC for planning such wonderful events to acknowledge our employees.

If you would like to join our team, please visit this link for a list of our current opportunities.