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
YCC Recruiting New AmeriCorps Promise Fellow
Minnesota YOUth SPEAK!

NEW RESEARCH AND RESOURCES
AfterZones: Creating a Citywide System to Support and Sustain High-quality Afterschool Programs
Dollars and Sense: How "Career First" Programs Like Year Up Benefit Youth and Employers
SparkAction.org

POLICY AND ADVOCACY
Minnesota Budget Project Releases New Article on the Fiscal State of Minnesota
YCC Policy and Advocacy Committee to Meet September 10, 2010

FUTURE EVENTS
11th Annual Minnesota Mentoring Conference
SAVE the DATE: 2010 Lights On Afterschool!
Summer Changes Everything Confernece
University of Minnesota Youth Work Institute Programming
YIPA to Host Leonard Sax

YCC Recruiting New AmeriCorps Promise Fellow
Youth Community Connections is recruiting for a new AmeriCorps Promise Fellow for 2010-2011. This one year position begins August 15, 2010 and ends August 2011. YCC seeks individuals interested in policy and systems-building work. This individual will assist in the Supporting Youth Success Initiative, which aims to align learning in the classroom with learning in the community, as well as other educational policy efforts of the statewide alliance. 

To review a job description, visit the YCC website.  For additional information contact Laura LaCroix-Dalluhn at laura@youthcommunityconnections.org or 612-627-0160.

Minnesota YOUth SPEAK!
Minnesota’s youth thrive when they engage in opportunities to grow, learn, and lead in their communities, schools and families. This learning and growth can happen in both formal, structured educational settings as well as intentional non-formal settings such as afterschool, summer and community-based programs. Through Youth Community Connections’ Supporting Youth Success (SYS) Initiative a policy framework is being developed that identifies strategies and action steps so communities can recognize, promote and support a broad array of high-quality learning opportunities through both formal and non-formal education.

With support from the Greater Twin Cities United Way and United Way Worldwide, Youth Community Connections was able to engage a diverse group of young people in a discussion and dialog about learning experiences, specifically formal and non-formal.  Youth from across the State of Minnesota shared their recommendations about what types of learning experiences are essential to be successful, where they are engaged in learning opportunities, and how we should measure their learning. 

Seven young people from the metro area were recruited for the Youth Advisory Team.  The youth advisors designed a process to seek feedback from other youth statewide. The process engaged 170 youth, ages 12-20, in 15 communities through YOUth SPEAK! Community Dialogs.  The Youth Advisory Team synthesized the data provided through the YOUth SPEAK! Community Dialogs and presented it to the adult advisors of the SYS Initiative. 

To view the data and recommendations of Minnesota’s youth click here.  These recommendations will be incorporated into the policy framework and will be shared with the 15 communities across the State of Minnesota.

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.

AfterZones: Creating a Citywide System to Support and Sustain High-quality Afterschool Programs
This report presents an analysis of the implementation of the AfterZone initiative, a citywide system-building effort in Providence, RI, that aims to provide high-quality, accessible out-of-school-time services to middle school youth.

Dollars and Sense: How "Career First" Programs Like Year Up Benefit Youth and Employers
This report describes the Year Up model, highlighting its employer commitment and participation. It explores why employer partners have been willing to make such significant investments, particularly in a difficult economic climate.

SparkAction.org
Formally known as Connect for Kids, SparkAction has officially re-launched as is a new resource, with a new, improved site: SparkAction.org.

 The new site merges the comprehensive CFK library of articles and resources with the Youth Policy Action Center's high-tech online advocacy tools and the National Youth Development Information Center's publications.

SparkAction was developed with input from hundreds of organizations and young people across the country.  Partners include the National Collaboration for Youth and the Campaign for Youth, as well as Child Advocacy 360, which sponsors our Communications as Catalyst section, and Ready by 21 National Partnership, sponsors of our Work Smarter section.

POLICY AND ADVOCACY UPDATES

Minnesota Budget Project Releases New Article on the Fiscal State of Minnesota
Christina Wessel, Deputy Director of the Minnesota Budget Project recently released an article titled “Bad News, and Really Bad News About Minnesota’s Financial Situation” In the article, Wessel mentions that the state of Minnesota’s cash balance general fund may drop to near zero as soon as October of 2010, which is drastically under the minimum workable amount of $400 Million.

The Pawlenty Administration is looking at various ways to resolve this issue, including delaying more appropriation payments or delaying tax refunds.

For more information on Wessel’s analysis or to read the full article, click HERE.

YCC Policy and Advocacy Committee to Meet September 10, 2010
SAVE the DATE: Youth Community Connections’ Policy and Advocacy Committee will meet from 9:00 - 11:00 a.m. on September 10, 2010 at the Oxford Community Center (270 N. Lexington Parkway, Saint Paul, MN).

FUTURE EVENTS

11th Annual Minnesota Mentoring Conference
The 11th Annual Minnesota Mentoring Conference has been set for Monday, October 25, 2010, so mark your calendars! This year's theme is Quality in Action.  The Mentoring Partnership of Minnesota (MPM) will again host the conference at the Continuing Education & Conference Center on the University of Minnesota's St. Paul campus.  Further details will be posted as they become available.

The Minnesota Mentoring Conference is the region's only annual conference focused exclusively on supporting quality mentoring. 

For more information including how to register, click HERE.

SAVE the DAVE: 2010 Lights On Afterschool
YCC is working to promote Lights On Afterschool which will take place October 21, 2010.  Lights On Afterschool, the nation’s celebration of afterschool and summer programs, attracts one million Americans to 7,500 events at afterschool programs across the country. 

YCC is encouraging afterschool and youth serving organizations in Minnesota to take part in Lights On Afterschool and help call attention to the need for afterschool and summer learning opportunities!  Begin to plan your own Lights On Afterschool event today.

For more information on Lights on Afterschool, go to http://www.afterschoolalliance.org/loa.cfm.

Summer Changes Everything
The Summer Changes Everything conference will bring people together to discuss strategies that assist children to be engaged and motivated to learn. This conference will be held November 9-10 in Indianapolis, IN. To register, click HERE.

University of Minnesota Youth Work Institute Programming
The Youth Work Institute provides education, training, and professional development for adults who work with and on behalf of youth.  To see a list of August training opportunities, click HERE.

YIPA to Host Leonard Sax  
On October 26, 2010, YIPA will host Leonard Sax to discuss his well known books, “Boys Adrift” and “Girls on the Edge”. This conference will take place at the University of Minnesota Continuing Education Center in St. Paul, MN.

To register, click HERE.

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