WCA eBulletin #11 – Top Posts for 2020 @WCA4kids

2020 was a historic year and WCA kept pace with the needs of over 300,000 children in Westchester through it all.

We took a look back at our top posts on our main social media platforms – Instagram and Twitter – for the past year to see what our followers @WCA4kids responded to the most.

 

TWITTER @WCA4kids

Our top 3 posts on Twitter reflect some of our main campaigns for 2020.

  • January 2020 Lobby Day – We started the year by demonstrating our expansion on Raise the Age to also address broader youth justice issues. On January 27th we went to Albany for Lobby Day to support full implementation of Raise the Age concerns including the raising of the age of prosecution.  We also met with state legislators to encourage them to make the Solutions Not Suspensions Bill into law to curtail the use of ineffective school suspensions and address the gender and racial disparities among students affected by the school disciplinary practice.
  • In April 2020 Census – We ramped up our support for residents to complete their 2020 Census.  Our Director of Development, Rebekah Raz, took a fun candid photo with her children to encourage other families to count all residents regardless of age to get a more accurate count for the 2020 Census.  WCA and other nonprofits depend heavily on the data and information from the Census and our communities receive funding that is distributed based on an accurate count.
  • In July 2020 Speak Up registration – We hosted a virtual event as part of our Project 2020 civic engagement initiative entitled “Speak Up! Speak Out!” to give young people a chance to speak about issues that concerned them and come together despite the pandemic. Project 2020 is not just about educating young people about new voting laws and encouraging them to register to vote.  It is a push to show young people the power of their voice and the impact of getting involved in positive, community change.

 

INSTAGRAM @WCA4kids

  • January 2020 RTA trainee artwork – In January we were able to share the powerful artwork of trainees from recent sessions held at Woodfield Cottage.  It was a rare opportunity to see the impact of the experiences of justice-involved youth and their perspective during key events.  We were glad to be able to spend that time with advocacy trainees at Woodfield Cottage and help them better navigate the justice system.
  • February 2020 6-year-old arrested in handcuffs – Many WCA supporters were deeply touched by the story of a 6-year-old student who was arrested at a charter school in Florida after having a tantrum. The image of a child being to a police vehicle in response to a call from employees reminded us all that in New York a child as young as 7 can be prosecuted and may even be tried as an adult in select cases.  The month before, WCA lobbied at the State Capitol to raise the age of prosecution from 7 to 12 as part of full implementation of the Raise the Age campaign.
  • April 2020 homeless youth drawing – We posted a drawing of the kind of overcrowded setting homeless children and families may have to live in with a quote about submitting assignments to illuminate the plight many children have to overcome in Westchester.  Many responded to the almost insurmountable task it would be for those children to focus, learn, and then have the technology to meet the demands of remote learning in Westchester.

What does 2021 hold for Westchester County? We can only imagine and hope that there will be progress and hope for our children.

Follow us @WCA4kids on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn to see our posts as we advocate for Westchester kids through the coming year.

See a quick presentation of our 2020 wins for Westchester’s kids on our Youtube channel.