TheConnector

TheCONNECTOR is Youth Community Connections’ (YCC) communication tool for sharing updates and for seeking action from its partners. TheCONNECTOR contains the following highlights:

RECENT NEWS AND EVENTS
Recruiting Partners to Host Youth Dialogues
Global Youth Service Day
Out-of-School Time Symposium: In Pursuit of Best Practices for Out-of-School Time
Leadership Matters Course

NEW RESEARCH AND RESOURCES
Community Partnerships Strengthen Expanded Learning Time Opportunities
Measuring Impact Across Multiple Agencies
Skills Youth People Need to Enter the 21st Century Workforce
Minnesota Department of Education Releases the Minnesota Out-of-School Time Funding Streams Report

POLICY AND ADVOCACY
Federal Legislative Update
YCC Policy and Advocacy Committee Meeting, Friday, May 14, 2010

FUTURE EVENTS
8th Annual Leadership Summit
Get Connected!
Summer and Fall Youth Partnership Opportunities through Project Legos
Best Out-of-School Time (BOOST) Conferencel
Lemonade Day is Coming!

RECENT NEWS AND EVENTS

Recruiting Parters to Host Youth Dialogues
Youth Community Connections is recruiting partners to host youth dialogues. YCC is looking for youth input for its Supporting Youth Success Initiative. Input from youth will then inform the development of the policy framework that is being developed to align and link learning during the school day with learning in the out-of-school time in Minnesota.  Partners would need to commit to hosting a dialog with youth between April 20-May 18, 2010.

If you are interested in hosting a dialog with youth, please contact Abou Amara, Jr. by Friday, April 23, 2010 at abou@youthcommunityconnections.org or 612-627-0157.

Global Youth Service Day - April 25, 2010
Global Youth Service Day is an annual campaign that celebrates and mobilizes the millions of youth across the nation who improve their communities each day of the year through service and service-learning. Leading the effort in the Twin Cities is the Minnesota Alliance With Youth.

This event will take place in the Mall of America at the Best Buy Rotunda, from 1:00PM until 5:00PM. Highlights include appearances by Minnesota Lynx players and an award ceremony presented by Delta Dental.

For more information, visit the Minnesota Alliance With Youth website. 

Out-of-School Time Symposium: In Pursuit of Best Practices for Out-of-School Time
The University of Minnesota Extension Center for Youth Development will host a symposium titled In Pursuit of Best Practices for Out-of-School Time. This symposium will feature Robert Granger, President of the W.T. Grant Foundation.

Why do some out-of-school programs improve youth outcomes while others do not? What practices seem to make a difference? What are the implications for improving program quality? Bob Granger will discuss what is known about these questions, drawing on research in K-12 education, mentoring, and after-school.

When: April 29, 2010, 9 a.m. to 12 noon; registration begins at 8:30 a.m.
Where: Memorial Hall, McNamara Alumni Center, 200 Oak Street SE, Minneapolis, MN 55455

Free and open to the public! Participate in person or online via the web! To learn more or register: www.extension.umn.edu/youth/training-events/events/effective-best-practices.html

Leadership Matters Course
The University of Minnesota Center for Youth Development Youth Work Institute is offering a new course titled Leadership Matters. Stepping into a leadership role in the field of youth development is often an on-the-job learning experience.

Staff choosing a career in youth development don’t begin by hoping to supervise adults, manage budgets and conduct evaluations. They enter the field because of a passion and interest in supporting youth. While advanced education offers related learning through nonprofit management and business schools, youth work calls for adapted approaches to leadership and management. This signature program will explore how positive youth development concepts can support you as a manager and leader.

This course will be offered in Minneapolis, MN at the Urban Research and Outreach Center (UROC. Cost of the course is $25.

For more information about the course or its meeting times, please click here.

NEW RESEARCH AND RESOURCES

Check out some of the latest research on after school, youth engagement and quality improvement on YCC’s website under latest research.

Community Partnerships Strengthen Expanded Learning Time Opportunities
In their new publication, "Expanded Time, Enriching Experiences: Expanded Learning Time Schools and Community Organization Partnerships," the Center for American Progress reiterates the value of K-12 schools partnering with community organizations. It also features practical lessons learned and policy recommendations that can support future efforts. 

Measuring Impact Across Multiple Agencies
"Breakthroughs in Shared Measurement and Social Impact" by FSG Social Impact Advisors evaluates the efforts of 20 different communities to develop shared approaches to performance, outcomes and/or impact measurement across multiple agencies. It also highlights practices and recommendations that community leaders identified as crucial for these efforts to succeed.

 
Skills Young People Need to Enter the 21st Century Workforce
"Raising The Bar: Employers' Views On College Learning In The Wake Of The Economic Downturn" focuses on employers' views on skills needed for college graduates to succeed in the workplace. The survey found that employers want a broad set of skills and a higher level of learning and knowledge from their workers than they are currently receiving. Only one in four employers think two/four-year colleges are doing a good job in preparing their students; nevertheless, the survey found that most employers will be hiring more college graduates in the future. 

Minnesota Department of Education Releases the Minnesota Out-of-School Time Funding Streams Report
The Minnesota Department of Education recently released its Fiscal Year 2009 Out-of-School Time (OST) funding streams report. This report takes a deep look into all funding sources of OST in Minnesota, and looks at some of the implications of trends in funding sources.

Click here for the full report.

POLICY AND ADVOCACY UPDATES

Federal Legislative Update - April 9, 2010
Last month, The Obama administration released its plans for revising, reforming, and reauthorizing the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA), also known as No Child Left Behind. The Obama Administration has proposed several changes to the ESEA, including significant changes to the 21st Century Community Learning Centers Grants and how they are disbursed.

The 21st Century Community Learning Centers (CCLC) Grants are federal funds dedicated to community learning centers that provide academic enrichment opportunities for children and youth. These grants target students who attend high poverty and low achieving schools to focus on enrichment opportunities in the afterschool or during the summer.

Study after ¹study shows that participants in afterschool learning opportunities have better school attendance, better grades, more positive attitudes towards school, and higher aspirations for postsecondary education.

Currently, 21st Century CCLC grants are disbursed from the U.S. Department of Education to the states on a formula basis. The Obama administration is proposing to change the funding method from a formula basis to a nationwide competition between the states.

This proposed change may have an adverse impact on states and afterschool learning opportunities for young people all across Minnesota and the United States. General funding for afterschool and summer opportunities as well as the sustainability of these learning opportunities may be in jeopardy. The Minnesota Department of Education recently release a ²report revealing that 21st CCLC grants account for roughly a third of all funding for afterschool and summer learning opportunities in Minnesota.

Potentially losing 34% of all afterschool funding in Minnesota would severely impact the most vulnerable youth. YCC recently released a policy brief on Minnesota’s 21st CCLC grant program. 

Concerned?

If you would like to voice your concerns about these proposed changes you can contact your Congressional representatives.  They will hear from the Department of Education Secretary Duncan in the near future.  To find your congressional representatives, click here.

YCC Policy and Advocacy Committee Meeting, May 14, 2010
Youth Community Connections’ Policy and Advocacy Committee will meet on Friday, May 14, 2010 at the Oxford Community Center (270 N. Lexington Parkway, St. Paul, MN) from 9am to 11am. With the end of the 2010 Legislative Session rapidly approaching, YCC’s Policy and Advocacy Committee will hold a briefing on the most recent legislative action and proposals regarding the reconciliation of Minnesota’s current budget deficit, and the implications of those actions to stakeholders in youth development and education all across our state.

There will also be briefings on the current status of 21st Century Community Learning Centers grants and Minnesota’s second attempt at Race to the Top federal funding.

Youth Community Connections invites you to attend. To RSVP, please e-mail Abou Amara, Jr. at abou@youthcommunityconnections.org or 612-627-0157.

FUTURE EVENTS
 

8th Annual Leadership Summit
Parents United for Public Schools is hosting the 8th annual Leadership Summit. This event is a great opportunity to network, learn, and discuss what it is going to take for Minnesota to succeed in making sure students and schools meet expectations.

Speakers include;
Lori Grivna, Senior Policy Advisor to Governor Tim Pawlenty
Steve Kelly, Director, Center for Science, Technology and Public Policy, Humphrey Institute

Complete information is available on the Parents United for Public Schools website, including links for online or mail-in registration. Don't delay – register today!

Get Connected!
The Mentoring Partnership of Minnesota and the Youth Work Institute of the University of Minnesota Extension Center for Youth Development have partnered to host a series of networking events this program year. The Get Connected! series has provided opportunities for mentoring professionals, youth workers, and those in allied fields to Get Connected!, focusing on refreshing your practice, renewing your spark, and realizing your impact.

Join your peers from the youth work and mentoring fields for this fun, casual event.  We will be celebrating the impact others have had on our chosen professions and learning how to continue making our own impact by hearing from youth work and mentoring professionals who have followed unique and interesting career journeys.  

Enjoy some well-deserved social time, networking with peers, free appetizers, beverages, and door prizes!
Date: Friday, April 30
Time: 5:00pm-8:00pm
Location: Sheraton Midtown Minneapolis Hotel
FREE - CLICK HERE to register!

Summer/Fall Youth Partnership Opportunities through Project Legos
Inspiring young people is one thing, empowering and preparing them to be agents of change and social leaders is another. This summer and fall, Project Legos would like to have an impact on the youth you serve. Please find out more information about their summer and fall program partnership opportunities. Financial aid for these programs will run out soon so contact Project Legosas soon as possible at http://www.projectlegos.org/wordpress/youthprograms.

Best Out-of-School Time (BOOST) Conference, April 28-May 1, 2010
America’s Promise Alliance will host the BOOST Conference. This conference will be comprised of six workshops that will engage and stimulate discourse, thought, and networking. This conference will be held in Palm Springs, Florida.

For more information on the conference including how to register, please go to www.boostconference.org/register-to-attend.

Lemonade Day is Coming!
Lemonade Day http://lemonadeday.org is a nationwide event that teaches kids the entrepreneurial skills they need to be successful in the future. Youth learn to set a goal, make a plan, find an investor, sell a product, serve customers, make their own money, save for the future and give back to the community.  All in a fun, family oriented community-wide event.

Lemonade Day is on Sunday May 2, 2010. Youth ages 3 to 18 can participate and set up their stands at any location they choose. 

Would you help us change the lives of children this year in the Twin Cities?

Anyone can register online by visiting http://twincities.lemonadeday.org.

Youth Community Connections
200 Oak Street SE, Suite 270B ~ Minneapolis, MN 55455
PH: 612.627.0160
WEB: www.youthcommunityconnections.org