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
Supporting Youth Success Supports Learning in Community
Rally for Youth Day at the Capitol
OST Minnesota Names New President
Survey on the Types of Afterschool Tools Available for Cities and Providers
100 Best Communities for Young People Contest Opens
Join YCC on Facebook and Twitter!

NEW RESEARCH AND RESOURCES
Harvard Family Research Project Updates
Attention Young Activists!
Youth Job Corps Summer Employment Opportunities

POLICY AND ADVOCACY
Competing Visions for Afterschool and Summer Learning Programs
Legislature Sets Spending Targets for Committees
Session Deadlines
Educate Your Elected Officials About the Benefits of Afterschool and Summer Learning Opportunities
YCC Policy and Advocacy Committee to Meet April 8, 2011

FUTURE EVENTS
Global Youth Service Day, April 15-17, 2011
Webinars to Address Youth Suicide Prevention
Ready by 21 Webinar Series
Youth Work Institute Learning Opportunities
Mentoring Partnership of Minnesota Quality Mentoring Assessment Path Webinar
Mentoring Partnership of Minnesota Training Quality Mentors Workshop
Purposeful Parent Engagement: Positioning Schools to Effectively Partner with All Families
Emerging Issues and Best Practices in Juvenile Justice 
MOAPPP Annual Conference
2011 Summer Institute in Adolescent Health

CURRENT JOB POSTINGS
League Campus/Area Organizer Job Opening

Supporting Youth Success Supports Learning in Community
Youth Community Connections is excited to release its new policy report Supporting Youth Success: The Promise of Expanded Learning Opportunities.  This policy report identifies the power and benefits of expanded learning opportunities.  Expanded learning opportunities are available to young people through afterschool, youth development and summer programs – learning that takes place beyond the classroom.  Supporting Youth Success acknowledges that learning takes place in multiple contexts, using multiple approaches – and advocates that youth need access to learning in their community as well as their home and at school. 

Supporting Youth Success provides policy recommendations to support the infrastructure and systems that provide expanded learning opportunities in communities across the State of Minnesota.  Specific recommendations focus on increasing access, improving quality, leveraging resources, and increasing coordination of expanded learning opportunities in communities.  State supportive strategies are identified to ensure these learning opportunities are available in all communities. 

For additional information about this report contact YCC Staff.

Rally for Youth Day at the Capitol
On Thursday, March 3rd, youth rallied at the state capitol to have their voices heard in support of programs such as out-of-school time, mentoring, workforce development, intervention, juvenile justice, and homelessness prevention. Over 300 youth and more than 100 adults came to the State Capitol to raise awareness and support for Minnesota youth services and programs. Youth visited with their legislators and rallied in the Capitol rotunda to inspire and encourage one another to participate in the civic process.

Governor Mark Dayton, Judge Tanya Bransford and a bi-partisan group of Senators and Representatives spoke in support of Minnesota's youth. Check out photos from the event on our Facebook page.

A special congratulation to all of the youth attendees and the volunteers that helped make the event a great success!



OST Minnesota Names New President
The board of directors of "OST Minnesota" (working name) announced they have hired Wokie Weah as the organization's first president. Last year, The McKnight Foundation announced the formation of the new nonprofit to support youth beyond the classroom. With ongoing funding from McKnight and others, the organization hopes to strengthen Minnesota's out-of-school time (OST) field.

Ms. Weah comes to "OST Minnesota" with comprehensive experience in education and youth development. She has worked for 18 years at the National Youth Leadership Council, serving most recently as Senior Vice President.

About "OST Minnesota"
In December of 2010 The McKnight Foundation announced the formation of a new nonprofit to support youth beyond the classroom. With ongoing funding from McKnight and others, the new organization will work with other organizations and leaders across the metro area to increase the quality and quantity of out-of-school time opportunities for youth in the Twin Cities. Strategies will include promoting best practices, engaging young people, funding good ideas and programs, and strengthening statewide policy.

A broad group of community stakeholders, from youth to experts in the field, worked for a year to develop the vision for "OST Minnesota." The organization is still in the very early stages of development – still developing program strategies. While it establishes operations and identity, it will use the temporary name of "OST Minnesota" and stay housed at The McKnight Foundation offices. 

Survey on the Types of Afterschool Tools Available for Cities and Providers
The National League of Cities’ Institute for Youth, Education, and Families is partnering with The Wallace Foundation to support a survey to identify the types of tools and resources that cities and afterschool providers would find most useful to expand their afterschool, summer, and expanded learning efforts. The survey will be most helpful to communities as they continue to expand their afterschool, summer, and out-of-school time (OST) efforts.   

Your responses will remain strictly confidential, and the survey should take approximately 10 minutes to complete.  Please click here to access the survey.   

100 Best Communities for Young People Contest Opens 
Is your community one of the nation's best places for young people to live, learn and thrive? If so, America's Promise Alliance and ING want to know about it. Apply for the 2011 "100 Best Communities for Young People presented by ING." Any community dedicated to working collaboratively, raising graduation rates and improving the lives of its young people should apply.

Past winners range from some of our nation's largest cities to small rural communities, from counties to school districts. Winners receive a host of benefits, including technical assistance and training sessions to help strengthen successful local programs. Full program information, including eligibility guidelines and a schedule of technical assistance sessions, is available here. Submit by May 4, 2011 to be eligible for grants and scholarships.

Join YCC on Facebook and Twitter! 
It's not too late to join us on Facebook and Twitter. You'll find up-to-date news alerts regarding out-of-school time in Minnesota and learn about YCC events. Don’t forget to tell your friends and colleagues to check us out!

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.

Harvard Family Research Project Updates
Harvard Family Research Project is pleased to share with you a new issue in their Research Updates series and an update about their out-of-school time program research and evaluation database.  Increasing interest in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) has become part of education reform efforts in recent years. OST programs that focus on girls' involvement in STEM can play an essential role in improving female representation in these traditionally male-dominated fields. However, barriers to quality implementation and outcome-based evaluation present challenges for STEM programs serving girls. This Research Update highlights findings from the evaluations and research studies in our OST Database that focus on STEM programs for girls. In addition, the Research Project added four new profiles of recent STEM OST evaluations to our database: Girls Creating Games, Girls Incorporated's Thinking SMART, Mixing in Math, and Project Exploration. For more on the STEM research, click here.  For information regarding the database updates, click here.



Attention Young Activists!
Catalyst is looking for new activists to get involved in a movement to change school food, and get people more physically active. At Catalyst, we look for innovative, interactive ways to get out the message about healthy eating--from guerrilla art, to music, to online media.  

The annual Catalyst Summit is an opportunity to get trained on the facts, network with other passionate teens, and gain the skills that it takes to be an effective activist. Our Summit is for anyone who wants to help get the message out and be part of a movement of passionate leaders looking to make a change.

For more information about the Summit: http://www.bethecatalyst.org/summit.
To connect with someone about Catalyst, the Summit, etc., contact Andy at andy@bethecatalyst.org or 651-270-6589.



Youth Job Corps Summer Employment Opportunities
St. Paul’s Youth Job Corps application is now available. Applications must be completed and submitted online only at www.stpaul.gov/jobs.  Closing date for applications: April 1.

For more information regarding the Youth Job Corps Employment Opportunities, contact Trenton Henspeter at Trenton.Henspeter@ci.stpaul.mn.us or call 651-266-6363.

POLICY AND ADVOCACY UPDATES

Competing Visions for Afterschool and Summer Learning Programs
Two competing visions for federal support for afterschool programs came into sharp focus this month as President Obama and leaders of the House Appropriations Committee released their respective budget plans. One would cut $100 million in federal funding for afterschool programs and national community service (AmeriCorps); the other would increase funding by $100 million, although at the same time allowing non-afterschool programs to compete for 21st Century Community Learning Centers initiative (21st CCLC) dollars.

If you are concerned about the proposal to reduce funding for 21st CCLC targeted to afterschool, summer programs, and national community service and would like to see funding maintained, contact Minnesota’s Senators Amy Klobuchar and Al Franken.

Legislature Sets Spending Targets for Committees
The 2011 Legislature set their spending last week. The Senate, the House and the Governor have essentially the same targets for education. The two metrics are being used in the house education committee 1)increasing student achievement, and 2) empowering parents and students with choice.

For additional information on committee targets, click here.

Source: The Minnesota Budget Project

Session Deadlines
Committee deadlines for the 2011 Legislative Session were adopted. Please note the legislature has moved finance deadlines up in the legislative process.

1st deadline – Friday, March 25, 2011, at 11:59 p.m.
This deadline is for committees to act favorably on major appropriation and finance bills.

2nd deadline - Friday, April 29, 2011, at 11:59 p.m. 
This deadline is for committees to act favorably on bills in the chamber of origin (House of Representatives or Senate).

3rd deadline - Friday, May 6, 2011, at 11:59 p.m.
This deadline is for committees to act favorably on bills in both chambers (House of Representatives and Senate).



Educate Your Elected Officials About the Benefits of Afterschool and Summer Learning Opportunities 
YCC encourages you to get involved in your community to help raise awareness about the value and benefits of high-quality afterschool, summer and community learning opportunities.  It is important to contact your elected officials to introduce yourself as someone who either lives or works within the district that has knowledge about issues related to youth and afterschool, summer and community learning opportunities. YCC has prepared a policy brief outlining the benefits of afterschool and summer learning opportunities and we encourage you to use this when talking to elected officials.  You can find your congressional representatives here.  

YCC Policy and Advocacy Committee to Meet April 8, 2011
Youth Community Connections’ Policy and Advocacy Committee will meet on Friday, April 8, 2011 from 9:00 - 11:00 a.m. at the Oxford Community Center in St. Paul.  Join us as we share the latest legislative news impacting youth programming and hear from partners about their own policy initiatives during the 2011 legislative session.    

To RSVP please contact Matt Steele at matt@youthcommunityconnections.org or 612-627-0157. 

FUTURE EVENTS

Global Youth Service Day, April 15-17, 2011
Global Youth Service Day (GYSD) is coming up fast! This day of service recognizes and celebrates youth service and publicizes the efforts of youth to make a difference in our state.  We invite you to come out and join the celebration!

The Global Youth Service Day Celebration in Minnesota will take place on April 17th at the Mall of America from 1:00 - 5:00 p.m. in the Macy's and Nordstrom Rotundas. Join Minnesota Alliance With Youth, Delta Dental of Minnesota, Youth Service America, and State Farm as they celebrate the work of children and youth to improve their communities.

Be sure to register your projects on the GYSD website, which also serves a great resource when planning your project.  Check out tips for projects, timeline templates, and great resources. 
  
   

Webinars to Address Youth Suicide Prevention
On March 23 and 29, 2011, at 3 p.m. E.T., Well Aware will host two Webinars on youth suicide prevention. The first Webinar, "Generation Wired," discusses using social networking to engage youth in suicide prevention. The second, "Cyber Bullying & Suicide," examines bullying in the digital age and describes how schools can work to protect students and districts from the effects of cyber bullying. Registration is available online. 

Ready by 21 Webinar Series
Setting Bigger Goals 101 
Tuesday, March 29, 2011         
3:00-4:00 PM EST
Presenters: Kiley Bednar, Forum for Youth Investment 
Elizabeth Gaines, Forum for Youth Investment 

In communities across the country, competing priorities, fragmented services, unstable funding and low expectations combine to create a sense of complacency. Establishing a common "big picture," action-oriented vision that conveys compelling goals for children and youth is a critical step toward aligning efforts. Why? Because common definitions and shared goals challenge leaders to work together more effectively to make a difference. And because metrics matter: What gets measured gets done (or at least prioritized). We'll explore these concepts further in this webinar.

CLICK HERE TO REGISTER  

Youth Work Institute Learning Opportunities
The University of Minnesota Extension’s Center for Youth Development’s Youth Work Institute is hosting a number of seminars.  Training opportunities include Leadership Matters, targeting program leaders and directors, Youth Engagement Matters and Culturally Responsive Youth Work Matters.
Click here for more information!

Mentoring Partnership of Minnesota Quality Mentoring Assessment Path Webinar
Register for this free webinar, featuring a demonstration of the Quality Mentoring Assessment Path (QMAP) tool, a discussion about what your program will get out of the QMAP, and a Question & Answer session.

Date: Wednesday, March 23
Time: 12:00-12:30pm
Location: Online 
Cost: FREE
Learn More & Register  

Mentoring Partnership of Minnesota Training Quality Mentors Workshop
Based on Standard Three of the Elements of Effective Practice for Mentoring™, this workshop equips participants with strategies for training adult volunteers.  

Date: Thursday, May 5
Time: 9:30am-3:30pm
Location: UROC, Minneapolis
Cost: $75 per participant covers training, lunch, snacks & beverages, free parking, and materials  
Learn More & Register

Purposeful Parent Engagement: Positioning Schools to Effectively Partner with All Families
March 31, 2011
9:00-3:00
The Family Partnership - Lake Street Branch
4123 East Lake Street
Minneapolis, MN 55406
http://events.r20.constantcontact.com/register/event?llr=hja5umdab&oeidk=a07e3iyxmqd5a7a5c2a&oseq=a01wgg7dmpw80

Emerging Issues and Best Practices in Juvenile Justice 
Looking for juvenile justice related training closer to home?  The Juvenile Justice Coalition of Minnesota (JJC) is sponsoring day long regional trainings in April and May in Mankato, Mahnomen and Duluth.  These trainings represent a great opportunity for juvenile justice professionals and practitioners to come together for networking and valuable training.  Keynote topics include collateral sanctions and consequences, working with girls and trends in drug use, depending on the location.  Mahnomen participants will hear about a model partnership between Leech Lake Tribal Court and Cass County and Mankato and Duluth participants will hear about new research regarding the use of evidence-based practices in juvenile justice. Cost: $20 per attendee.  Scholarships are available at  http://community.jjcmn.com/training. The fee includes a continental breakfast, lunch, breaks, materials, access to training support from the presenters following the workshop and applied for continuing education credits.  To register, click here.

MOAPPP Annual Conference
The MOAPPP Annual Conference, May 5-6, 2011, is Minnesota's most comprehensive training event covering current research, educational resources, policy initiatives and emerging issues related to adolescent sexual health, pregnancy prevention and support for adolescent parents. It promises to be two days filled with renowned speakers, challenging, informative, skill-building workshops and many opportunities for networking and conversation. MOAPPP is also excited to tell you that we will announce our smarter, SHORTER, teen-friendly identity at the start of the conference!

Register at the MOAPPP conference page. Contact the conference team: Erin Werde, erin@moappp.org or Charissa Osborn, charissa@moappp.org, 651-644-1447, 1-800-657-3697.




2011 Summer Institute in Adolescent Health
July 25-27
The theme: “Rising Above Risk: Promoting Resilience in Challenging Times”.

CURRENT JOB POSTINGS

League Campus/Area Organizer Job Opening
Sprockets, Saint Paul's Out-of-school-time Network, is hiring a Learning Campus/Area Organizer.  Sprockets is a partnership among the City of Saint Paul, Saint Paul Public Schools, the Center for Democracy and Citizenship at Augsburg College and many community-based partners to create a city-wide system of out-of-school-time learning opportunities.  Resumes are due by 5pm Thursday March 24th.

Click here for more information or to apply.

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