United Action for Youth

Register Now!! UAY's LGBTQ+ Program is hosting a Pride Rock Summer Camp this August! 😎🤘🎸

Teens of all musical talents are welcome to attend! No prior experience needed!!!

📆August 5-9
⏰11am-5pm
📍355 Iowa Avenue, Downtown Iowa City

Register Now!
https://form.jotform.com/230595445113150

Help UAY raise awareness (and funds!) for youth mental health by signing up to be a !

Ride 4 Youth Super Stars commit to raising $300 online to support free youth mental health services at UAY.

When you meet your goal of raising $300 before September 15th, you will get:
⭐️FREE registration to the Ride 4 Youth event (*When you sign up to be a Super Star, you will be sent a coupon code to use when you register for the ride.)
⭐️A Ride 4 Youth Bike Jersey, t-shirt and a sticker
⭐️A Drink and Meal ticket for the after-party celebration at Terry Trueblood Lodge
⭐️A chance to win a $500 gift certificate to of Bikes.

💙How do you sign up to become a Ride 4 Youth Super Star?
Start Here:https://www.unitedactionforyouth.org/r4y
➡️ "Become A R4Y Super Star"
➡️"Become a Fundraiser," then fill out your info and start sharing your link!!

A few hidden moments from this year's Festival of Flowers event back in May that highlight our staff working their magic ✨

UAY wouldn't be who we are without them doing the everyday "work" behind the scenes. Of course, not all of our staff are pictured here, but it goes without saying that ALL of UAY's employees are making a difference in the lives of young people in our community.

Every year we see how much the surrounding community cares just as much as we do!

Music in the Park with this Friday!! Get ready for an amazing night with food and local musicians. Spread the word and invite your family and friends 🎊🎶

📆 Date: July 19
📍Location: Chauncey Swan Park
⏰ Time: 6pm - 9pm

SPARK Program Coordinator, Dustin Eubanks, joined at Iowa City Downtown District 1st Round last night to share how the OutSpoken Teens program is supporting youth to get outdoors!

It was a beautiful evening on top of !! Thanks to everyone who came out and special thanks to !

Greater Iowa City Inc

Join us in welcoming Cierra Roquette to her position at UAY as a Transitional Living Program Advocate!

"What I am most excited for in my new role:
Making a Difference: The opportunity to have a direct and positive impact on the lives of young people in need.
Building Relationships: Forming meaningful connections with the youth, offering them support and stability.
Empowerment: Helping youth gain access to resources, education, and opportunities to improve their future prospects."

Get to know Cierra a bit by checking out the fun facts she shared about herself!

Welcome, Cierra!! 👏🥳

Parents! Join Tim this Thursday for UAY's support group for caregivers of LGBTQ+ youth!

📆Thursday, July 18
⏰7:00pm
📍1700 S. First Ave in Iowa City.

Please contact Tim ahead of time if you need childcare during the meeting.

Stay up to date on all future UAY LGBTQ Programming by checking our website, www.unitedactionforyouth.org/lgbtq

QCamp has come to an end, but the fun never stops at the Youth Center!!

Pride Group has resumed like normal today and Pride Hangout will be tomorrow 3-7pm

Visit http://www.unitedactionforyouth.org/lgbtq for more information! (Pride Rock Summer Camp is right around the corner, register now!)

The 12th Annual Ride 4 Youth will take place on September 15th and registration is NOW OPEN! Click the link below to learn more about how this ride benefits UAY and how you can get a FREE Ride 4 Youth bike jersey when you sign up to be a R4Y Super Star!

https://www.unitedactionforyouth.org/r4y

100% of all proceeds benefit local youth and families in need of mental health services and support programs. Thanks to our presenting sponsor, United Iowa Financial and our event partners, the med students at the Lois Boulware Learning Community at the Carver College of Medicine.

Last night's Teen Ride at the Iowa City Bike Library was a blast! ❤️❤️❤️

Rad group ride tonight with the teenagers taking over.☀️ Thanks to our community partners at & we’ve been able to create an educational and fun place for teens to work on bikes, make friends, and build their our unique —with extra support from ☀️

We are currently hiring for multiple positions at UAY! Come join the team!

Do you have a Masters in a mental health related field? Do you enjoy working with youth in a music and art environment? Do you have experience fundraising?

Our Mental Health Therapist, Youth Advocate, or Development Director opportunities could be the right fit for you!!! We'd be excited to hear from you!

View the full job descriptions and apply by visiting
https://unitedactionforyouth.bamboohr.com/careers

Here's a peek into what QCamp has been up to this week with the High School group! Today they're taking a trip out to Kalona! More pics to come, stay tuned! 😎

Help us welcome Storm O'Brink to the UAY family! They are a new Advocate to UAY's Crisis Advocacy & Mediation Program!

"The most frequent thing I hear from people is “You do SO much for the community!” and I intend to bring that helper energy into the work I do with youth. My goal in my work with UAY is to help youth in crisis begin the process of healing and find stability in during the chaotic times in their lives."

To help you get to know Storm, they shared some fun facts!

Teens! Join us and and for a ROLLER SKATING PARTY! 🥳

🗓️This Friday - July 12th!
⏰5:00-7:00pm
📍Robert A Lee Rec Center

See you there! FREE entry!

A few pictures of the SPARK Program's Summer High School group camping at the Maquoketa River!

Quick shout out to Dustin and Addy for all their hard work, busy schedule, and leading SPARK's Summer Adventures with such passion and dedication towards creating memorable experiences for young people!

Help Dustin and Addy continue to create spaces and foster environments where youth can by contributing to the SPARK Program fundraising campaign.

Visit: https://www.unitedactionforyouth.org/spark-summer-2024-adventures

We are looking to hire a Mental Health Therapist to join the UAY team! Do you or someone you know have a Master's Degree in a mental health related field? Do you enjoy working with children, youth, and families? Apply now or help us spread the word by sharing this post!

Non salary benefits include clinical supervision hours, training reimbursements, ability to maintain your own schedule, administrative staff to manage billing, eligibility for the public service student loan forgiveness program, and weekly wellness hours. We believe in the power of diversity; people of color and LGBTQ+ individuals are encouraged to apply.

Apply and view the full job description at https://unitedactionforyouth.bamboohr.com/careers

We're ready for round 2 of QCamp!! Just like last time, normal LGBTQ Programming will be adjusted this week due to camp. Normal Hangout will resume on Thursday 2-7pm!

There's also been some adjustments to the Art Workshop schedule. There will be no art workshop on Tuesday July 9th, join us Thursday for an Acrylic on Canvas Still-Life Workshop 1-3pm.

Shout out to this group of High School SPARK Participants for conquering an 8-mile kayak journey on the Maquoketa River! 🚣

Afterwards we all got to unwind and hang out at camp! Our SPARK filled summer is still going strong, stay tuned for more adventures! 🏕️

Please help UAY support youth exploring new activities that SPARK their interests. This program provides positive interaction, safe spaces, and access to outdoor and recreational opportunities for youth wanting to try new things and form new friendships.

Visit: www.unitedactionforyouth.org/spark-summer-2024-adventures to find out how you can support SPARK's Summer 2024 Adventures!

We are closed today for July 4th! Normal programming and business hours will return tomorrow, July 5th.

Fourth of July is a significant day in American history, commemorating the United States' independence as a nation. It is a day often marked with red, white, and blue, family gatherings, fireworks, and more. This day also serves as an important reminder of the ongoing journey toward fulfilling the promise of "liberty and justice for all."

Last week at the Youth Center we had an Open Mic event to celebrate UAY Staff, Nick Mendoza and Talya Miller, who are leaving the Youth Center team.

Please join us in celebrating Nick and Talya and thanking them for being the amazing individuals that they are. They've made so many great connections with our young people and fostered a wonderful environment at the Youth Center. We have no doubt that they will continue to do great things. ❤️🎸🎤🎨

SAVE THE DATE for the 12th Annual Ride 4 Youth on September 15th! Online registration will be available soon!

In the meantime, help us raise awareness (and funds!) for youth mental health by signing up to be a !

Ride 4 Youth Super Stars commit to raising $300 online to support free youth mental health services at UAY.

When you meet your goal of raising $300 before September 15th, you will get:
⭐️FREE registration to the Ride 4 Youth event (*When you sign up to be a Super Star, you will be sent a coupon code to use when you register for the ride.)
⭐️A Ride 4 Youth Bike Jersey, t-shirt and a sticker
⭐️A Drink and Meal ticket for the after-party celebration at Terry Trueblood Lodge
⭐️A chance to win a $500 gift certificate to of Bikes.

💙How do you sign up to become a Ride 4 Youth Super Star?
Click the link below, click "Become a Fundraiser," fill out your information and start sharing your link!
https://onecau.se/_5v39k1

Shout out to the presenting sponsor for this year's ride: United Iowa Financial.

Also, big thanks to our med student friends with the Lois Boulware Learning Community at the Carver College of Medicine for being co-hosts for this annual charity bike ride!

UAY's SPARK Program has been busy lately!! Last week SPARK's Trail Blazer Peer Leaders helped out a junior high campout! 🏕️

The Peer Leaders not only helped to make sure things ran smoothly, but also fostered a sense of community and camaraderie within the group!! What's better than the smell of pancakes in the morning?? 🥞

Support connections like this when you donate to SPARK's Summer 2024 Adventures Campaign! Help the UAY van (with SPARK passengers) get to its destination for just $4 per mile! 🚗

https://www.unitedactionforyouth.org/spark-summer-2024-adventures

Please note that UAY will be closed for the holiday on Thursday, July 4th, so instead, join UAY's LGBTQ Program for Parent Support this Monday, July 1st!

This group is Free for caregivers of LGBTQ+ youth and provides mental health support and peer connections.

For more information, visit http://unitedactionforyouth.org/lgbtq or contact Tim Grady at mailto:[email protected] for questions/childcare arrangements.

That's a wrap!!
UAY's LGBTQ Program had their last day of Junior High QCamp yesterday and it was a blast!!

This week was filled with customizing tie-dye shirts, theatre with Willow Creek, bowling and arcade time at Spare Me, hanging out at the Camp Creek Organic Produce farm, and the list goes on!!

We find so much value in connecting q***r youth with local businesses and organizations. It creates meaningful interactions and is a powerful way to foster inclusion and support within the Iowa City community!

QCamp round 2 begins July 8th with our High School group! We can't wait!

‼️ Important Update: Today's Pride Picnic will be moved indoors because of the rainy weather ‼️

Please join us at the Youth Center for sandwiches, chips, lemonade, games, & art! Help us spread the word!

Calling all young poets, musicians, storytellers, and performers!!

Grab your friends and join UAY at the Swaim Youth Center for an Open Mic Night this Saturday!! 🎤🗣️🎶

🗓️Saturday, June 29
⏰3:00-5:00pm
📍355 Iowa Avenue, Iowa City

QCamp has officially begun!! We're looking forward to the rest of this week filled with a trip to the beach, creating art, and so much more! 🤩

If you're interested in getting involved in UAY's LGBTQ Programs, go to http://unitedactionforyouth.org/lgbtq

*Please note that this week's regular LGBTQ Programming is cancelled due to camp but will be back to the regular schedule afterwards!