Youth Graduation Empowerment Project (YGEP)

California Youth Graduation Empowerment Project In 2009, 50 high school student leaders facilitated the Youth Graduation Empowerment Project (YGEP), with support from an alliance of partner organizations and from the staff of the Center for Multicultural Cooperation (CMC) and the California Council for Civic Participation (CCCP). Partners included WestED, California Council for the Social Studies, California Association of Student Councils, Youth Service California, Los Angeles and Fresno County Offices of Education, Cesar E. Chavez Foundation and the California Campaign for the Civic Mission of Schools. Thanks to a State Farm Insurance Youth Advisory Board grant ($72,340), over 800 high school students contributed service to increase the graduation rate. The YGEP Youth Leadership Team and partner organizations organized student service learning and civic engagement activities to identify the reasons why so many students drop out, to support student success, and to develop specific proposals to reduce the Achievement Gap. The YSCal Catalyst Youth Ambassadors selected 5 mini-grants for regional conferences to promote broad participation across California. The results of the youth-led service learning projects and summits were presented at regional, state and national conferences, including the California Youth Graduation Empowerment Summit in September, 2009 and the National Service Learning Conference in March, 2010. Youth leaders and adult allies presented youth proposals to California Superintendent of Schools, Jack O’Connell, on 12/6/09. Youth leaders from CMC produced a mini-documentary video about the project. Students have clearly demonstrated their willingness and ability to engage in solving real problems in schools and communities. They seek opportunities to participate in the planning and implementation of policies and programs that affect their education and their future. Youth leaders seek to learn and practice the civic participation skills of developing innovative policy proposals and advocating for their implementation. California Youth Engagement and Service Network The purpose is to facilitate a state network for youth leadership, service and civic engagement opportunities and resources to tap the creative potential of California youth to solve problems in schools, communities and the state. CA YES Network will connect and coordinate organizations, schools, colleges and government agencies to provide training in civic participation and leadership skills and effective community service for youth (ages 12-21). Youth leaders will demonstrate civic participation skills through effective advocacy with local and state education policymakers and the implementation of policy proposals. CA YES Network will seek and provide funding for thousands of youth and adult partners to participate in these activities: 1. Convene a Youth Leadership Council and an Advisory Council of adult partners These Councils will be elected from nominees provided by partner organizations, with a commitment to reflect and represent the demographic diversity of youth in California. 2. Develop and maintain an interactive media/communication system This includes an interactive website, online resources, web dialogues, social networking, podcasts and youth-produced video and multimedia production 3. Invite partner organizations to identify best practices, programs, examples and resources Partner organizations and youth leaders nominate best practices, programs, examples and resources. Maintain an online Resource Guide for these topics with links to more resources. 4. Fund regional and local SL and CE projects and Regional Youth Summits Mini Grants up to $1,500 for youth-led service learning and civic engagement projects and mini-grants up to $2,000 will be given to support regional youth summits, facilitated by college and high school leaders 5. Organize an annual California Youth Summit The annual state Youth Summit in Sacramento in the spring will be the culmination of statewide youth projects to engage youth in service and civic engagement projects, deliberation on issues and potential solutions. 6. Facilitate identification of youth priorities and creative policy proposals A web dialogue will guide youth leaders to prioritize issues and potential solutions and to create effective policy proposals in collaboration with adult partners and policymakers. 7. Guide youth leaders to advocate for local and state policy changes, with adult partners Develop guidelines and provide training for effective youth advocacy for policy changes at local and state levels. 8. A Youth-Policymaker Dialogue will be held in October Youth leaders and state education policymakers will meet to discuss youth issues and proposals and collaborate on how to implement policy proposals 9. Organize Graduation Empowerment Dialogues Regions will facilitate Graduation Empowerment Dialogues with students, parents, educators and community members, as described in Raising Their Voices; Engaging Students, Teachers and Parents to Help End the High School Dropout Epidemic from AT&T Foundation and the America’s Promise Alliance (2010) 10. Document results and evaluate impact on youth, schools and communities. A university team will develop and implement an evaluation program to measure the effects of service and civic engagement by youth and the impact of participation in the activities of the CA YES Network.