Youth Strategic Plan

City of Evanston Youth and Young Adult Programs Division Strategic Operational Plan

October 2012

Introduction and Guiding Principles The City of Evanston Strategic Plan includes a Youth Engagement Initiative. The initiative is guided by the following goals:

Vision Statement Provide opportunities for all Evanston youth and young adults to become active and productive citizens of the community through strengthening existing youth services, establishing a network of service partnerships, increasing participation within the available opportunities, creating marketable job training and placement and increasing the opportunities for social and recreational outlets for disengaged youth.

1) T o generate marketable job skills for Evanston residents; and 2) To provide opportunities for Evanston youth and young adults to become active and productive citizens of the Evanston community.

To realize those goals, the city has established the Youth and Young Adult Programs Division. The division consists of a program manager, an assistant program manager and two community outreach workers. Every staff member is responsible for helping at-risk youth and young adults to find and maintain a positive life path.

Although each staff member has a different role, they all are responsible for establishing effective working relationships with other organizations or groups that support youth and young adults. These include community leaders, school personnel, health care and social work providers, communitybased organizations, businesses, and coalition groups that support youth and young adults in Evanston.

Five Strategic Goals The mission statement highlights four major areas of activity in the City of Evanston Youth and Young Adult Programs Division. They are: educational enhancement; employment and workforce development; effective recreational activities; and civic engagement.

Mission Statement The City of Evanston Youth and Young Adult Program will facilitate effective public/private collaborative partnerships that ensure the following: (1) Recruitment, training, and retention of an Evanston youth and young adult workforce that possesses the skill sets needed to compete in the 21st Century economy; (2) Academic, vocational, certificate and entrepreneurial internships, externships and apprenticeship programming opportunities; (3) Coordination of City of Evanston programs and projects that impact youth and young adults; (4) Development and promotion of civic responsibility and engagement.

The strategic operational plan links these four major areas to accomplish the following five goals: • Increase the collaboration and coordination of City of Evanston Youth and Young Adult programming with federal and state agencies, as well as local stakeholders that serve youth and young adults; • Promote the educational enhancement of Evanston youth and young adults through meaningful partnerships with local school systems, community-based organizations, and individuals who serve youth and young adults; • Develop and promote employment and workforce development programs that equip youth and young adults with 21st Century employment skills; • Develop, support, and promote effective recreation programs that encourage health, physical fitness and wellbeing; • Develop, support, and promote civic responsibility and engagement programming that enhances leadership skills and opportunities.

WORKING TOGETHER, WE ACCOMPLISH MORE

Division Strengths • Committed Mayor, City Council and City Manager • Well-trained, experienced and educated staff • All staff have ties to the Evanston community • Staff have positive connections with law enforcement and community-based organizations • Staff is skilled in research, budgeting and grant management • Staff have a passion for helping at-risk youth and young adults • Staff have strong connections with the local education community

The City of Evanston Youth and Young Adult Programs Division will convene groups of critical stakeholders; broker connections between organizations, groups, and individuals; commission research and data collection; support fund development and invest in best practices; publicize issues, concerns, and answers; and educate the local community and relevant parties regarding the well-being of youth and young adults.

Through strategic thinking and planning, the division will successfully navigate the cultural and economic landscape, changing course as needed, to handle demographic shifts and economic downturns in a rapidly changing environment.

The following sections of the strategic plan present goals and objectives to guide future committees and teams that can be appointed to develop detailed operational plans for specific issues critical to the success of the Youth and Young Adult Program. The goals and objectives can be implemented on a short-term (one year), mid-term (three years) or long-term (five years) basis.

As committees and teams are formed, they will determine precise time frames for specific objectives. The plan also serves as a point of reference for information gathering, decision making, action, evaluation, and improvement in a constantly evolving world.

Objectives

o Inf ost tp Ou

Strategic Goal One To increase the collaboration and coordination of City of Evanston Youth and Young Adult programming with local stakeholders that serve youth and young adults, as well as federal and state agencies.

Objective Abbreviations (ST) = Short term, one year (MT) = Mid-term, two to three years (LT) = Long-term, three to five years

1. Establish bi-annual meeting coordinated through City of Evanston Intergovernmental Relations Office with Congressional and state representatives to identify resources/ programs that support youth and young adult programming.

(ST) 2. Establish a database of local stakeholders that serve youth and young adults and identify organizations that are aligned with the program’s mission and goals. (ST) 3. Establish a community outpost/one-stop center to conduct client intake and disseminate information. (ST) 4. Establish web-based Evanston community youth events 52-week calendar of “Things to Do.” (ST) 5. Establish and convene a steering committee/working group of key community stakeholders to implement strategic plan objectives. The group should include elected officials, youth, YMCA/YWCA, Moran Center, Youth Job Center, NAACP, faith community, the Rotary Clubs, School Districts #65 and #202, local hospitals, Chessman Club, Ridgeville Park District, City of Evanston library, and Y.O.U. (ST) 6. Establish physical and electronic suggestion boxes at all school sites, Y’s, and City community centers and sponsor collaborative community grants competitions. (ST)

Objectives

Strategic Goal Two To promote the educational enhancement of Evanston youth and young adults through meaningful partnerships with the local school systems, community-based organizations, and individuals that serve youth and young adults.

1. Sponsor citywide competitions such as oratorical contests, poetry slams, essay competitions, entrepreneurial development contests, debates, and science and engineering fairs that encourage growth and achievement. (ST) 2. Develop a “Spotlight on Evanston Youth and Young Adults” web page that highlights Evanston youth and young adults engaged in positive and creative endeavors.

(ST) 3. Establish an Evanston Youth and Young Adult Summer Leadership Academy. Connect the academy to local summer schools. (MT) 4. Facilitate partnerships between community-based organizations (Y.O.U., YMCA, YWCA), school districts, and local colleges and universities to conduct college tours and visits to expose youth to higher education. (MT)

Objectives

Strategic Goal Three To develop and promote employment and workforce development programs that will equip participants with 21st Century employment skills.

1. Develop memorandum of understanding with the Evanston Youth Job Center (YJC) to create alignment with the City and other workforce organizations, and conduct joint ventures that connect youth and young adults to the economic life of Evanston. These ventures include the Mayor’s Summer Youth Employment Program, job fairs, job training, youth and young adult summer job fund development, and strategies to access Workforce Investment Act funds and programs through the City of Chicago and Cook County Workforce Development Partnership. (ST) 2. Establish an Employer/Community Leadership Council that includes local business owners, Evanston residents and interested stakeholders to plan and coordinate best practice employment development projects that will create building-block learning experiences towards career paths that lead to economic mobility. The Leadership Council should create avenues of input for successful business people). (MT)

Objectives

Strategic Goal Four To develop, support, and promote public health and effective recreational programs that encourage health, physical fitness, and wellbeing.

1. Coordinate with the City Health Department and critical stakeholders to offer a youth and young adult health fair.

(MT) 2. Establish and implement campaigns and activities that promote peace and reconciliation. (ST) 3. Coordinate with City agencies and community-based partners to facilitate transitional housing and 24-7 drop-in centers. (MT) 4. With City Health Department facilitation, establish and coordinate youth and young adult mental health services. (MT) 5. Establish a youth and young adult crisis response team with effective crisis response protocols. (ST) 6. Establish youth and young adult recreation ambassadors for year-round community recreation planning and activity implementation. (ST) 7. Establish F.L.I.G.H.T. team speaker and concert series (MT) Find Healthy Alternatives Look to All Community Sources for Support Initiate Conversations Gain Insight From Those We Seek to Assist Help Each Other to Foster a Better Community Tie it All Together

Objectives

Strategic Goal Five To develop, support, and promote civic responsibility and engagement programming that enhances leadership skills and opportunities.

1. Establish youth and young adult violence reduction teams in the middle schools, high schools and community.

(F.L.I.G.H.T. Teams) (ST) 2. Establish F.L.I.G.H.T. Team youth and young adult community conversations. (MT) 3. Create F.L.I.G.H.T. Civic Leadership Academies with local schools, and coordinate them with local colleges and universities. (MT) 4. Establish F.L.I.G.H.T. violence reduction tip and text line.

(MT) 5. Establish F.L.I.G.H.T. Late Night Outreach Team. (MT)

Conclusion The Strategic Operational Plan for the City of Evanston Youth and Young Adult Program Division provides a foundation for City staff, community stakeholders and individuals to implement the vision articulated in the City’s youth engagement initiative.

As personnel, timetables and budgets are added to realize the plan’s goals and objectives, the youth and young adult programs division will improve the quality and effectiveness of the City’s youth and young adult programs and become a stabilizing force and influence in Evanston, Illinois. The plan underscores the broader City of Evanston Strategic Plan and directs all of its efforts towards the satisfaction of the City’s mission and charter.

City of Evanston—Youth and Young Adult Programs Division www.cityofevanston.org/youth

Kevin L. Brown, J.D. Youth and Youth Adult Program Manager Parks, Recreation and Community Services Dept.

Lorraine H. Morton Civic Center 2100 Ridge Avenue, Evanston, IL 60201 kbrown@cityofevanston.org T 847-448-8042; F 847-448-8051; TTY 847-448-8064

Kimberly R. Jenkins Youth/Young Adult Assistant Program Manager Parks, Recreation and Community Services Dept.

Lorraine H. Morton Civic Center 2100 Ridge Avenue, Evanston, Illinois 60201 kjenkins@cityofevanston.org T 847-448-8049; F 847-448-8051; TTY 847-448-8064