2007: YCB YEAR IN REVIEW

The end of the year is always a good time to step back and take stock of the work we have done and what it suggests for our work in 2008. While 2006 was heavily devoted to gathering the data we needed to make solid, strategic decisions, 2007 was YCB 's time to launch into action. So, we are devoting this YCB UPDATE to a Year in Review; here are the highlights of YCB 's year.

READY TO LEARN

500 under 5: Planning Phase

With support from a Minnesota Early Learning Foundation (MELF) planning grant coupled with YCB funds, the YCB engaged in the Five Hundred Under Five partnership focused on reaching children ages 0-5 in two targeted, high-need areas of north Minneapolis and helping them enter kindergarten ready to learn. The planning phase culminated in the submission of a multi-million dollar, multi-year implementation proposal to MELF. Built into the proposal are funds for the YCB to continue its coordination work on this initiative.

Early Childhood Screening and Follow-up in Homeless Shelters

Minneapolis Public Schools (MPS) has been responding to the needs of preschoolers and their families living in shelters by providing early childhood screening; however, following up with families to ensure they accessed needed services has been a challenge. With funding from the YCB , MPS and its partners will engage in intensive follow-up on early childhood screening referrals for these families; they will also be identifying and piloting a parent/family education program model for shelters.

SUCCEEDING IN SCHOOL

Family Connections Centers

The Family Connection Centers (FCCs) are a result of a merger of the Family Resource Centers and the New Family Center . The FCCs bring together resources of the YCB , Minneapolis Public Schools , Minneapolis Department of Health and Family Support and Portico Healthnet, a non-profit provider of health insurance access outreach; other partners include Hennepin County and CDF-Minnesota. Some of the services provided by the FCCs include: Obtaining health care coverage/connecting families to a medical home; on site health assessments, immunizations and follow-up; bi-cultural/bi-lingual support for families; and referral to community resources including mental health and dental care. YCB and MDHFS co-chair the Steering Committee; current efforts are focusing on sustainability. This fall, the YCB received a Medica Foundation grant on behalf of the Family Connection Centers .

OUT-OF-SCHOOL TIME (OST)

In June 2006, the YCB passed a resolution identify out-of-school time as their policy agenda. Data collection efforts (youth surveys and Ward-based meetings with providers) were initiated that fall and were completed in January 2007.

Ward Meetings

YCB , in partnership with City Council Members, convened structured conversations about OST with youth serving providers in all 13 Wards of the city. One hundred and fifty (150) providers representing 75 different organizations attended the meetings. Priorities identified by each Ward were used for a few Ward-based efforts; they were also aggregated and combined with results from Youth Resource Mapping surveys of young people to provide strategic direction for YCB 's ongoing work in this area.

Follow-up to Ward Meetings

YCB convened providers in Ward 6 , as requested in their January Ward Meeting, to determine how to collaboratively publicize summer opportunities for children and youth in their community. YCB managed the process and created a booklet of summer activities as an “experiment” for creating an electronic database and doing Marketing and Communications on a city-wide basis.

YCB convened providers in Ward 8 who wanted to strengthen the working relationship among themselves and help public sector programs, especially parks, by filling program gaps, staffing, etc. Providers agreed to carry on their work by themselves.

YCB convened providers in Ward 4 to discuss targeted program development. Ward 4 has few youth opportunities compared to the density of youth population in that area. YCB agreed to help fund a plan developed by the Camden Youth Action Crew to increase the number of opportunities in that area.

2007 Summer planning with parks, libraries and community education

In February, the YCB convened leaders of the Minneapolis Public Schools-Community Education, Beacons programs, Minneapolis Parks , and Minneapolis Libraries to look at summer programming and explore joint summer planning. All sectors described their needs/gaps and past summer experiences. Three meetings, one in each Park District, were convened to discuss and resolve programming gaps, potential partnerships and collaborations with one another and community based organizations.

You^th Are Here Buses

YCB successfully launched two routes of the circulating You^th Are Here bus on June 18, 2007, one in the Near North/Camden communities and one in the Phillips/ Powderhorn Communities. These free buses, which were staffed by skilled youth workers, stopped at parks, libraries, and

youth-serving organizations allowing young people to take advantage of summer programming and other opportunities. More than 6,300 rides were provided over the 10 week period. Buses launched again this fall, providing access to after-school opportunities and libraries between 4:00 and 8:00 pm.

Youth Action Crews

This summer 5 Youth Action Crews mapped the resources in 14 neighborhoods of Minneapolis : Northeast Minneapolis , 6 neighborhoods in the Longfellow/Powderhorn communities, and the 5 most southeastern neighborhoods of the Nokomis community. In addition to creating a map of youth opportunities in their community, Crew members conducted more than 800 youth surveys about access to OST opportunities.

ADVANCING POLICY

Legislative Agenda

In spring 207, the members of the YCB Board convened their respective legislative liaisons and created the first YCB Legislative Agenda using the four goals of the Children and Youth Agenda. Efforts are currently underway to create a 2008 agenda.

Minneapolis Youth Congress

On October 25 th , the YCB launched the first Minneapolis Youth Congress (MYC), a “representative body of youth that has authentic power and influence in decisions and policies relevant to youth, and that works in collaboration with elected officials focusing on a common understanding of the welfare of the youth in the City of Minneapolis .” Each of the 55 members will work on issues within one of six Committees: health, education, safety, transportation, housing, and employment. Recommendations from Committees, once approved by the full Congress, will be delivered to the appropriate local jurisdiction, each of whom has passed a resolution acknowledging the role of the MYC in their policy decisions.