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Get ConnectedYour Disconnected Youth and how to reach them

Where you are now

Prevention is the best cure. The long-term solution to youth disconnection is to address in a meaningful way the deep historical inequalities that persist in American society. Building connections between communities and both educational and employment opportunities is vital, as are community empowerment and greater investment in people and neighborhoods. Ensuring that families havethe resources they need to help their children pass safely through the obstacle course of adolescence and early adulthood to realize their full potential benefits as Americans. Ensuring that young people and their families know about and can access a variety of pathways to a productive adulthood is vital to the future: theirs and ours.

Developmentally Supportive PlacesFeatures*:Physical and psychological safetyAppropriate structureSupportive adult relationshipsFeelings of belonging and being valuedOpportunities to develop positive social values and normsSupport for efficacy and matteringOpportunities for skill building and mastery

*National Academies of Sciences/National Research Councils Panel on Community Youth Development Programs

Challenges to Developing an Effective ResponseNo one agency or public system can typically address the multiple obstacles facing disconnected youthCollaboration among stakeholders is essential, but hard to achieveLibraries are rarely considered one of the key stakeholders

Public Libraries and Youth DevelopmentPublic Libraries as Partners in Youth Development (PLPYD)Challenges, activities and opportunities designed to support six basic developmental outcomesYouth contribute to their communityYou feel safe in their environmentYouth have meaningful relationships with adults and peersYouth achieve educational successYouth develop marketable skills Youth develop personal and social skills

National League of CitiesLocal government sets the tone and direction for local efforts to reengage disconnected youth.Promote educational achievementDeveloping workforce connectionsSupporting youth in transitionBuild a citywide system

NLCs findings include:Intervene EarlyDont Give up on Older YouthView Youth as ResourcesCreate Multiple Pathways to SuccessCommit to Comprehensive ApproachesInsist on Accountability

Implications for organizational policyAnalyze internal policies against research on healthy youth developmentCreate opportunities for disengaged youth to engage in healthy behaviors Create opportunities for disengaged youth to articulate how libraries can support their efforts to transition to adulthood.

PPL Recommendations for Action

Get Connected TimelineIn 2004:Serving Disconnected Youth becomes part of Phoenix Public Librarys Strategic PlanA task force is formed Needs Assessment is performedIn 2005Gathered information from several sourcesBrainstorming eventSeries of Focus GroupsSystem wide Survey

2005Recommendations for action:Partner with existing organizations & Implement System wide programsImprove materialsAdvertising and outreachTrain Library Staff

Get Connected Timeline

LaTisha - 19

CommitteeStaffProgrammingThe formation of a standing Committee creates a number of staff dedicated to creating, implementing, organizing and recognizing services to Disconnected Youth at all Phoenix Public LibrariesIdentify service organizations in branch service areasTrain library staffImplement Internship programDVDListservGED workshopsJob & School FairCreate Informational KiosksCreate Website Other types of classes

Get Connected TimelineIn 2006:2nd Brainstorming BreakfastGED classes begin at Burton Barr LibraryAll staff informational emails beginStaff training begins

Onyx -17

Get Connected TimelineIn 2007:Work Begins on DVDWork Begins on Informational KiosksJob and School Fairs beginJob Readiness and other classes begin regionally

Cesar - 19

Partnerships are the key to your success

Partnerships with Classes at PPLGEDInterview & ResumeJob SearchingLife SkillsGlendale Community CollegeXXRio Solado CollegeXXJobing.comXXFresh StartXJobs for Valley YouthXXX

On the Horizon

ProgramsOutreachKiosksWebsiteBi-annual FairsGED cont.Life Skills ClassesRegionallyMore StaffTrainingsDistributionof information to schools and facilitiesBrochures from valley organizations in every libraryBranch are being added to continuallyStand alone web presence and directory

How it all comes together

AdvertisingReady InformationClasses & FairsStaff TrainingsWebsiteAll Youth Benefit

Get ConnectedHow It All Comes Togetherhttp://getconnectedppl.googlepages.com/home

Lazy NickDrug addict momDrug addict dadMoved from house to houseKicked out at 15Librarians to the rescueCall-a-teen programWeekend Nurse

Twitchy BenNormal parentsNormal childhoodBad neighborhoodIntroduce MethAnnoys librariansRehabConcrete Laborer

The Five Strategies

Re-EngageRe-engage disconnected youth and young adults in education. Disconnected youth and young adults need multiple options for continuing their education, including accessible on-ramps leading to re-enrollment in high school.

SupportInclude provisions for disconnected youth in economic recovery and infrastructure investments and programs. Investments geared to economic recovery should incorporate efforts to help out-of-school youth get the training and supports they need to secure sustainable, family-supporting employment.

EmploymentAddress obstacles to employment. In neighborhoods with entrenched poverty, workforce development efforts need to help young people address barriers to work, including physical and mental health problems, drug and alcohol addictions, domestic violence, or limited English proficiency. Practical or legal problems, such as inadequate transportation, lack of child care, immigration problems, or criminal records, may also impede employment.

Developmental OpportunitiesProvide developmental opportunities that recognize the importance of social networks. Sustained relationships with adults in the community can help students thrive despite adverse conditions. Disconnected youth need connection to positive adult role models, including both family members and other adults. They need chances to become engaged in community or civic affairs and expand their social networks.

Comprehensive ReformAim for comprehensive reform, with a focus on cross-system collaboration. Efforts to reach and re-connect struggling youth require collaboration across all youth-serving systems, including school districts, foster care agencies, pregnancy prevention initiatives, juvenile justice, workforce development, and social service agencies.To read the whole indicator brief go to Reducing the Number of Disconnected Youth

Some Resources you might use

RuFES.orgProvide program ideas likejob coaching,contextual vocational education,pre-college assistance, andcareer mapping, and suggest ways that you can link these programs to other family economic success initiatives. The Approachhttp://rufes.org/about/ Job Coachinghttp://rufes.org/2012/12/06/job-coaching/Resourceshttp://rufes.org/resources/

Kids CountCheck out theKIDS COUNT Data Centerto find out how many youth in your state are disconnected from work and school. Then contact yourKIDS COUNT State Organizationto find out who to connect with to tackle this complex challenge.

Annie B. Casey FoundationReport exampleshttp://www.aecf.org/KnowledgeCenter/Publications.aspx?pubguid=%7bDFAD838E-1C29-46B4-BE8A-4D8392BC25C9%7d http://www.aecf.org/KnowledgeCenter/Publications.aspx?pubguid=%7b3213DA55-8216-4065-B408-D7A521CDD990%7d

National Outreach Partners http://www.aecf.org/MajorInitiatives/KIDSCOUNT/OutreachPartners.aspx

Wisconsin Council on Children and Families

http://www.wccf.org/kidcount_pub.php http://www.wccf.org/ Eventshttp://www.wccf.org/events.php

Juvenile Justice Snapshotshttp://www.wccf.org/kidcount_data_snapshots_juvenile_justice_trends.php

Operation Fresh StartThis is one seriously cool program!http://www.operationfreshstart.org/

One In Seven measureofamerica.org

Youth Transitions Funders Group connected by 25Most young people make a safe passage from adolescence to adulthood with the support of their families, caring adults, communities, and schools. However, youth with few supports such as teens aging out of the foster care system, youth who don't finish high school, or youth in the juvenile justice system need help to find the right path to success.YTFG is dedicated to improving the lives of the 3 million young people, between the ages of 14 and 24, in need of extra support.

http://www.ytfg.org/knowledge/connected-by-25-online-toolkit

National League of citiesVery big picture here.http://www.nlc.org/find-city-solutions/institute-for-youth-education-and-families

Forum for Youth Investment Ready by 21Ready by 21 is the Forums signature initiative based on decades of experience working with state and local leaders. It is a set of innovative strategies that helps communities and states improve the odds that all children and youth will be ready for college, work and life. Ready by 21 provides clear standards to achieve collective impact, tools and solutions to help leaders make progress, and ways to measure and track success along the way. Specifically, Ready by 21 helps leaders build broader partnerships, set bigger goals, collect and use better data, and take bolder actions. A growing number of communities and states are using these strategies to change the way they do business.http://www.readyby21.org/toolkits/broader-partnerships www.forumforyouthinvestment.org

Urban Libraries Councilhttp://www.urbanlibraries.org/

What it all boils down to

Healthy development is not an individual process; rather, it is a community affair

Judith Kahn Yes we can

All alone? What can you do?Present something about library services at a local homeless shelterPut out a brochure of resourcesMake a book displayCreate an online list of resources and connect it to your website.Train your staff to be sensitive to the issues that DY face.Invite a local organization to hold meetings at your libraryBeef up your internet and resume classesStart a seed libraryPartner Ideas from the Whitehouse Brief: http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2012/01/05/we-cant-wait-white-house-announces-federal-and-private-sector-commitment

Just for fun, Our videohttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZpF0HFvyT68

Questions? Comments? Hit me up!

Terry Ann Lawler602-534-5014Terry.lawler@phoenix.gov

Look me up on Google+ or check out my online profile @https://sites.google.com/site/terryannlawler/