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Home My WebLink About2016-10-25 YMPC Minutes Caldwell Youth Master Plan Committee October 25, 2016. Meeting Minutes :Present: Lauren Tassos (Teach for America), Ron Bonneau, Stephanie Bridgeo, Denise Milburn, Brian Billingsley, Ken Wien, Carol Mitchell, Debbie Geyer, Angie Point Meeting began at 10:04 • Special Presentation: Teach America (Lauren Tassos) There is a good Treasure Valley presence right now. While they are talking about the possibility of expanding north or east, they don't want to build too big too soon. Purpose: to address the pronounced academic gap between lower income and higher income student and to encourage teachers that leave the classroom to continue promote closing the educational gap in whatever field they go into. They also have a training program for those with non-teaching degrees to train them to move into teaching positions. School districts do the interviews and hire just as they do other teachers; pay is through the school district just as other teachers. Principals are satistifed with the job they are doing and would be willing to hire additional teachers from the Teach America program. Recruit teachers from all over. Not education majors necessarily. • What can YMPC do to help? 1. They are a fairly new organization, need to get out there and let more people know what they are doing. Educational inequity is not a topic of conversation, so they need to raise awareness. 2. Working on 3-yr plan. Regional vision needs community feedback. Six-question survey available to help get feedback. They would like to get surveys to MYAC members and share on Facebook. They will contact Susan Miller for MYAC surveys. 3. City/agency information fairs (associated with health fairs) would also be a good resource. Denise motioned/Carol seconded the motion to accept the minutes from July 12, 2016. Motion passed. Welcome Stephanie Bridgeo, from Salvation Army. Primary purpose of the Salvation Army is to help keep families intact, whatever that takes. Salvation Army pantry gives out fresh food — not policy. Debbie recommended that they might find the Youth Forum Subcommittee a good fit for their desire to work in youth programs.- Grants: Ken Wien • Union Pacific grant: Submitted on time; the awards are not until Feb 2017. Won't know anything until then. • High 5 grant application: Did not receive the primary award; did receive an honorable mention award of$15,000 with the condition that it be used as a share/match with another granting organization. Similar type of organization could possibly work for share/match requirement. We are hoping to use grant monies for safe routes to school improvements, especially in high traffic areas on Montana. Pathways: Brian Billingsly • Did receive a TAP grant for improvements to Indian Creek pathways; funding in 2019 will extend pathways from Denshow Gardens (4th St) to Centennial Way. • COMPASS provided two pedestrian counters this past year—one on the green belt, one on the 7th street bridge. These gather data on how many people are using the pathways. The data is then formatted to show high traffic areas, and times of the year when the numbers are higher and lower. Pathways Committee is hoping to put another counter right behind Syringa Middle School. Health and Welness: Dawna Laird • Dawna was unable to attend so we will get health and wellness updates at the next meeting. Let's Move Caldwell: Marisa Erickson • Marisa and Denise Milburn have been talking with the Boise Meet Me Mondays representative to start a 'Meet Me Mondays group downtown. Brian's counter data will be helpful here. • Proposal is for 1 to 3- mile walks. They want to expand to Canyon County and they are looking to award a grant (Corey Server) to a walking group in this area. Need someone as a champion that will consistently be there each Monday. Also looking at businesses to partner with. • College of Idaho could be a meeting point and walking area. We could partner with C of I student organization trying to organize a walking group. We could also partner with Deer Flat Refuge walking trails. • Plans in the works for a Meet Me Mondays kickoff in the Spring. Plaza will be under construction, theatre as well. Finding a central gathering spot will be key– Rec building on 119 S Kimball may be a possibility. Plaza will probably not be complete until November next year. • Let's Move: Health and Human Services in Seattle; rep our region. Marisa went over our program with her. We still need gold medal for#4. Destination Caldwell is working on new certification program on farm-fresh inclusion in their menus. • Wellness policy/lunch and learns are one way to include training on healthier alternatives. Vendor applications for events will now have an added statement encouraging vendors to provide some healthier alternatives in addition to their regular menu. This will give us a gold medal in this goal, and we will be a 'gold medal city' • In the works right now: Let's Play unplugged: o Can run from Memorial day– Labor Day o Target is encouraging kids to get out of the house (reduces screen time) o Kids go into participating businesses downtown and earn 'brag badges' by doing a specific activity or task. • Snowflake shuffle at Winter Wonderland: College of Idaho students will help; kids will be awarded stickers at the end of the `course' as an incentive to finish. Caldwell Youth Forum: Ron Bonneau • The 2016 Youth Forum was held on 9/14/216. Four schools were involved: CHS, VHS, COSSA, and Gem State. • Goal is to empower the `2nd Tier' students—those involved in clubs, good grades, sharp, but stay comfortably in the background. • Feedback from students show they have concerns: school climate and school culture – what can they improve; how can they make things happen. We want to help them recognize the need for taking ownership for making change– "It's on us". • This crosses all types of inappropriate activity: drinking, drugs, sexual abuse, etc. School Forum groups were tasked to come up with a way to take what they learned at the Forum back to their schools. • Vallivue students began a Youth Forum Club within a week of attending the Forum. They then came up with an in-school Forum activity on the day 10th graders were taking the PSAT. The club leaders did presentations during 4 periods throughout the day, with involvement from Noah Siple of AAFV. Other students are joining the club, asking questions about how to get involved. • Gem State wants to start a mentoring/student advocates programs. • CHS students are working on projects as well. • Ron will later this week be meeting with the State-level Superintendent of School staff to discuss what's been going on with the Forum. • One of the positives for holding the Forum on a college campus: it gears students toward looking at possibilities of going on with their education. • Still also looking at possibilities of a different location. Maybe expand the program in the future by taking students to Horse Thief(or a closer camp setting) for an overnight experience. New environment often provides a new dynamic. May allow us to put focus more on message, etc. Carol Mitchell and Debbie Geyer: Caldwell Saves 1st • Some changes were made to the original program to simplify requirements and oversight responsibilities. New brochure was presented to partners. In July, Debbie and Carol met with Women's & Children's Alliance program, and they will handle the financial literacy training piece of the program. • Kick off is February 2017 (Financial Literacy Month). There will be 2 nights of training in February, involving 25 students and their parents. The plan is to meet at the Airport on training nights. Then a follow-up family activity (Financial Fair for Families) in May. Once families have completed all three training acitivities, they will get money in college savings accounts for the kids. • Met with Dr. French at the Caldwell School District, and they are on board to help out with choosing students for the program. They will present to principals and hand out applications to them, then get applications out to kids before Christmas. District is looking at community school programs as well. • This will happen once per year. D.L. Evans bank is partnering with us for the savings accounts. The 529 account will be managed through Fortify Financial Services. Once the savings account reaches $1,000, money goes into a 529 college savings account.. Ken motioned/Carol seconded the motion to adjourn the meeting at 1.1:34. The next meeting will be on February 28, 2017 at 10am in the CPD Community Room. Respectfully submitted, Angie Point