Inside TRAC — Holiday Edition 2004
For more information, visit www.traconline.org or call (214) 370-9300 (in Dallas) or 866-466-8722 (toll free).

 

Finally, there’s somewhere to put the new welcome mat!  First TRAC youth move into transitional housing.

TRAC is pleased to announce transitional housing opportunity for youth. In collaboration with Central Dallas Community Development, City of Dallas, Dallas County and the Dallas Housing Authority, a 11-unit apartment complex was acquired, of which 6 one-bedroom units will be available to transitioning youth. To be eligible for TRAC transitional housing, youth must complete a individual transition plan (ITP) that calls for independent living and must have a job and/or be enrolled in school.

TRAC is working with its partners to get more transitional housing in the New Year to serve the needs of emancipating youth.

 

I’m ready for my close-up now!  TRAC launches a FREE cultural arts program for youth in the summer.
This summer the TRAC developed a cultural arts program to introduce youth to different cultures, traditions and ways of life. In cooperation with the City of Dallas Office of Cultural Affairs and the Dallas Institute of Humanities and Culture, TRAC youth participated in a 6-week artist-in-residency program with Roots for Youth African Children's Theater which allowed participants to explore first-hand the traditional ceremonies, rituals, mythology and symbology of Africa. This program created multiple opportunities for youth to explore another culture, examine their feelings, express their personal experiences, understand their cultural perspectives,  constructively express themselves through professionally guided visual and performing arts. Using this new base of knowledge, the youth interpreted their own feelings and experiences to create masks, costumes, music, stories and a dramatic performance  to an audience of adults, family, community leaders and peers.
The TRAC has renewed the African program for summer 2005 and will be adding other programs. Please watch the calendar for the dates and our newsletters for sign-up information.
 

I want to be a movie star.  Do you know of any job vacancies?
Deciding what to do for the rest of your life is not easy.  And it's  particularly stressful when you don’t even know where you are going to live. To help provide a realistic, first-hand perspective about the careers in which TRAC youth have expressed the most interest, TRAC staff invited professionals from those industry sectors to provide honest, frank answers to questions about choosing a career path, getting started and what it takes to compete and succeed.

Over 60 youth attended TRAC's first Career Fair and were given an opportunity to meet in small groups with professionals from the business and public sector. Among the community volunteers present were a mechanic, policeman, fireman, veterinarian, stylist, HR executives, business owner and an actor/producer. They helped the youth understand the qualifications and job responsibilities of each career.  Volunteers even extended job-shadowing opportunities for interested youth.  Some youth walked away better prepared to follow their career ambitions, others found themselves seriously re-thinking their career ambitions, and all left with a better understanding of the importance of being serious about goals and being prepared through education and job-training to successfully compete in the job market.  Quarterly career fairs will be held in 2005. Check the calendar for locations.

 

We’re having a party – every quarter!
In November, TRAC launched its first quarterly "mixer" to encourage new mentor matches in a relaxed, fun environment.  Party-goers competed in a scavenger hunt, pumpkin decorating contest and even tested their lyrical chops in a freestyle poetry slam.  Future events are already in the works. Both youth and volunteers are encouraged to get involved to help plan events and, of course, attend.  These mixers will be a great opportunity to come together for some fun, as well as ratchet up the enthusiasm for the mentor program. For more information about becoming a mentor or finding a mentor, contact Kathaleen Dean, our new Mentor Coordinator.

 

Can you hear me now?  Youth who start an independent transition plan at the TRAC can get free voicemail accounts.
Dallas Community Voice Mail (DCVM) is helping TRAC clients who do not have phones by providing them with free voice mail service. Participating youth can have their own telephone numbers (for the voicemail only) which they can give to potential employers, case workers, mentors or for friends to leave messages. This is a great service for those transitioning youth who need a permanent phone number, but don’t have a permanent address. Contact Jennifer Grant for more information about a free voicemail account.

 

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