Jr. Communication Committe
the problem:
The youth population was estimated at 5,936 in 2008 by the US Census Bureau. As of 2007, 22.3% of people living in Del Norte County were living below poverty level. The persons living below poverty level in all of California was 12.4%, during 2007. The problem I am trying to solve is the high number of youth in my community with nothing to do and no place to go. Poverty is high and most families have little or no money to spend on safe activities for children in this area. There is limited funding available for the programs that are available and space is restricted. Although adults are making a great effort to address these problems, I think the youth should be a part of the YES (Youth Engagement Service) in their community. They should be encouraged to build communication between youth and adults in an effort to support, expand, and create desirable and safe places for kids to go. My concern is the lack of participation in youth –based programs, the availability of youth programs, and the overall support of the youth in our community. It is my intention to create a JR. Comunication Committee to encourage youth participation in voicing their desires and needs to the adult Child Abuse Prevention Committee (CAPC), Del Norte County Board of Supervisors, and the community. In addition, Jr. Communication Committee will be used to empower children to utilize the resources in their community so that they will have the support they need to gain skills that will help them become productive adults.
vital stats:
people impacted:
3,000people involved:
10why it's important:
Starting a Jr. Communication Committee is important to me because I don’t want to watch the future generations in my town have to grow up without anything to motivate them in their lives. Because Crescent City has a population of only 7,542 people, I’ve gained relationships with most of the kids around my age and have witnessed many peers go down the wrong paths because there was “nothing better to do”. I’ve watched kids that I’ve grown up with my whole life drop out of school, fail classes, use and sell drugs, steal from each other and our local stores, and much more due to boredom and lack of proper guidance; I don’t want this cycle to continue. I believe that if they would have had programs that gave them free activities to stay busy and keep out of trouble, then there wouldn’t be so many people participating in bad behavior. Starting this program is important to me because I want my hometown to give its youth the motivation and confidence needed to better their lives. I think that a Jr. Communication Committee would bring new ideas in that would show us kids ways to have fun without crime, while also inspiring us to get an education and better our lives.
the plan of action:
My plan of action is to implement a focus group to determine the structure and timeline of an on-going project. This focus group will consist of 4-6 youth, and 1-2 adults. Next, we will set individual goals to pull together the needed resources for gathering the information needed from the community. We will then inform the youth of the committee and invite input that will be communicated back to the CAPC, Board of Supervisors, and the community. The overall goal will be to create youth programs that will entice youth participation, expand on some programs already in place, and sustain these programs. Some of the subjects we have already been discussing are school support, open gym days, art programs, The Teen Center, peer coaching and tutoring, counseling, utilizing the Family Resource Center, volunteering in the community, and fundraising to sustain the program. The outcome of this project will be to have a youth-serving program that will meet on a regular basis with the collective goal of coordinating services, developing a common set of outcomes, and collaboratively developing and implementing plans to foster the well-being of young people. The coordinating body model provides a long-term and sustainable structure for ensuring that young people are physically and emotionally healthy, academically successful, civically engaged and prepared to enter the workforce.
how you can get involved:
Others can help by joining the Jr. Communication committee, attending community meetings, and volunteering time or ideas. Volunteers will be needed to assist with creating and handing out informational flyers, gathering resources to be used, and communicating ideas. There will be a need for volunteer tutors, coaches, and supervisors at after school programs. There will also be opportunities available for fundraising events to help sustain the JR. Communication program. These are youth-driven opportunities to serve the community while also providing safe, healthy, and educational activities to do after school and on weekends.
Comments
This looks like such a fabulous project! Have you thought about applying for a Do Something Grant? Here's the link: http://www.dosomething.org/dating-abuse/grants. Best of luck!