Progress 08/15/14 to 08/14/19
Outputs
Target Audience:High need, at risk youth 14-18 years old in Albany, Buffalo and Lackawanna, New York Changes/Problems:
Nothing Reported
What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?Technology plays an integral role in Youth CAN. Youth CAN employs various tech tools in conducting community improvement projects, such as asset mapping, Photovoice, GIS/GPS, videography, blogging, electronic journaling and reporting. Photovoice, GIS/GPS, electronic journaling and portfolios, videography, website development, blogging and electronic reporting. The Youth CAN Teen Leaders use technology and social media to research and carry out their community improvement projects. The SCP Technology Specialist is New York State 4-H Civic Engagement Specialist in the Bronfenbrenner Center for Translational Research, State 4-H Office. She has over 15 years of experience planning, facilitating and coordinating programs focused on YCA, as well as website development and technology use. Web tools are being used to develop joint projects and promote multidisciplinary virtual seminars between county and campus. During the reporting period, the SCP Tech Specialist conducted site visits and trainings for both the community project teams in Albany and Erie counties. The Tech Specialist conducted communications and cultural competency trainings for the Youth CAN Teen Leaders, and YCA program model training for the Youth CAN community project directors/coordinators and the community partners in Albany, Buffalo and Lackawanna. A web-based reporting template is used monthly to collect information for Youth CAN e-News. The newsletter has a circulation of over 450 youth workers, educators, funders and partners throughout New York and nationally. In addition, the Youth CAN project team staff attended: CYFAR Professional Development Grantee Conference (National Harbour, MD) Monthly conference calls Professional development team trainings in Binghamton, Ithaca and Syracuse Statewide CYFAR staff (Sate Project Director) site visit Statewide CYFAR staff (Technology Coordinator) site visit/training for CCE staff and CYFAR partner staff Positive Youth Development/YCA Training for community partners and other agencies (facilitated by CYFAR Technology Coordinator; attended by 18 community agency staff) Public Adventures curriculum utilized with partner staff and teen leaders How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?Intentional efforts to sustain Youth CAN continued to be integral to all program efforts. Planning for sustainability is a topic at every Youth CAN team meeting. Intentional efforts have been made to integrate sustainability strategies throughout the program. The Youth CAN project staff focus on establishing mechanisms and relationships to institutionalize the program into CCE 4-H and community sites through publications, community forums, statewide/regional teen summits, and participation in regional, state and national conferences. Efforts are consistently made to promote the accomplishments of the Teen Leaders, their completed projects and the overall success of the Youth CAN through television coverage of community events, newspaper coverage, presentations at NYS 4-H conferences and county-level events. Community partners receive regular, ongoing professional development and training from the Youth CAN project team so that the community partners can continue and sustain Youth CAN and the YCA program model at the end of the SCP grant funding. The Youth CAN e-News has a circulation over 450. The newsletter contains "Project Updates" from Albany and Erie counties, "Youth Voice News," "Upcoming Events," "CYFAR, Cornell and NYS 4-H News," "Check This Out!" and "$$ Grant Opportunities $$" a feature aimed at fostering sustainability. The SCP Project Director and Evaluator has over 20 years of CYFAR Program experience. CCE Broome County's experienced project staff bring their expertise from New York's successfully completed Community Improvement Through Youth--CITY Project (a 4-H National Headquarters Program of Distinction) and its current Exemplary CYFAR Program, CITIZEN U, and serve as mentors to the new Youth CAN project staff in Albany and Erie counties. Professional development opportunities are routinely offered to partnering community agencies and collaborators in order to support Youth CAN's sustainability goals. Evaluation findings are shared with collaborators and used to pursue funding from new funding streams. In addition, workforce skills learned by teens through their summer employment are expected to enhance both their education and career aspirations, and compliment sustainability objectives. We fully anticipate that Youth CAN's focus on developing tomorrow's leaders, citizenship, civic engagement and workforce development skills will translate into an increased sense of connectedness among the Youth CAN Teen Leaders and their plans to stay in or return to the communities they have invested in through their community improvement projects. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?
Nothing Reported
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
How Albany Youth CAN has been sustained As Year 5 of the CYFAR grant comes to an end, Cornell Cooperative Extension Albany County has sustained the efforts of the Youth CAN program through a number of funding streams. Six years ago, the Albany Youth CAN forged a partnership with the Albany County Department of Children, Youth and Families (DCYF) to provide programming to the urban areas of Albany County. This funding is linked to prevention services and allows our staff the ability to work with youth and families in a variety of capacities. The CYFAR funding through Albany Youth CAN has provided amazing opportunities to cultivate, build and strengthen new relationships with the urban communities in Albany. As the funding for Albany Youth CAN comes to a close, the natural progression will be to continue the programming with urban youth through the DCYF grant. We are proud to have been able to incorporate the Youth CAN model in our urban programming and will continue to focus on identifying the needs of the community and participating in community service projects to help address those needs. In addition to our partnership with Albany County DCYF, Albany Youth CAN has been successful in receiving mini grants from local organizations such as the Stewart's Holiday Match Program and the WGY Wish Fund, which has brought in at least $1,500 each year of the grant. Proposals for this funding will continue to be written to further the work of Albany Youth CAN and the Youth CAN Teen Leaders. Ideas to utilize the funding after Year 5 include bringing youth to Career Exploration at Cornell University, visiting colleges throughout the state, and buying supplies to complete community service projects identified by the youth. CCE Albany County is also extremely fortunate to maintain a fleet of vehicles that are available for staff use to help implement our programming throughout the City of Albany. In December of 2018, Cornell Cooperative Extension Albany County was awarded a grant by Blue Cross Blue Shield's Blue Fund to implement a "Healthy Starts At Home" program series for families throughout Albany County. This funding is projected to take us well into the year 2020, allowing us the necessary time to complete the goals identified in the grant. In anticipation of the funding ending in mid-August, we wrote that Sarah Jones would become the Healthy Starts At Home Project Director beginning in August. She will take over directing the program from two other staff members, while continuing to offer Albany Youth CAN programming through the 4-H Urban grant. As always, our staff will remain diligent in seeking out additional funding sources to continue the good work of the Youth CAN program and will work to sustain the progress that has been made in establishing the Youth Community Action Network throughout Albany County over the course of the past 5 years. How Buffalo Youth CAN has been sustained Youth CAN's overall program plan (2014-2019) has focused on ensuring sustainability by establishing partnerships with community organizations, local government and business leaders, schools and colleges, so that by the end of CYFAR grant funding, a network of these organizations and community leaders would be established and the Buffalo Youth Community Action Network (CAN) would be sustained. As grant funding ends (August 2019), the Buffalo Youth CAN has been established and the program has been sustained. Cornell Cooperative Extension (CCE) of Erie County and Erie County Youth Bureau will provide funding to sustain the program and support the Youth CAN project coordinator's position. In addition, funding to support programming will be provided through a number of small grants. Recently, Buffalo Youth CAN received an Innovation Award from Cornell Cooperative Extension Administration, Cornell University to conduct a needs assessment focused on cultural competence in 4-H, and this study is ongoing. Buffalo Prep at University of Buffalo is providing funding to sustain Youth CAN by providing stipends to Youth CAN graduates who form university versions of Youth CAN and thus continue the program at the college level. Buffalo Prep has recognized the value of Youth CAN and its success in preparing underrepresented young people to succeed in college. As further evidence of sustainability, Youth CAN has been established across three high schools in Buffalo and Lackawanna in partnership with a broad array of youth-serving community organizations. In Lackawanna, a Youth CAN/4-H club has been created at Global Concepts High School. In Buffalo, Youth CAN/4-H clubs have been established at Frederick Law Olmsted School/Public School #156 and Tapestry Charter High School. These three schools have implemented numerous Youth CAN youth-determined, youth-led community improvement projects, including two powerful video documentaries about homelessness and discrimination that have garnered statewide and national recognition, healthy living events and police-youth summits. Buffalo Youth CAN Teen Leaders have played a key role in positively influencing Erie County's 4-H Program, and helping their club program examine how it functions and the extent to which Erie's clubs are welcoming and inclusive of people of different races and religions. As a result of Youth CAN's leadership, Erie County 4-H is now working to ensure and strengthen diversity and inclusion in their club program. This is another form of sustainability, by sustaining CYFAR principles and integrating them into "traditional" 4-H programming. Recently, Buffalo Youth CAN teamed with Cornell University's Civic Engagement Program Work Team and Canisius College's Center for Urban Education to host the Tomorrow's Leaders Conference, as part of Youth CAN's sustainability plan. Over the course of two days, Youth CAN Teen Leaders, adult partners and youth from other youth-serving organizations throughout Buffalo and Lackawanna participated in hands-on community improvement projects, such as planting at several urban farms and conducting workshops on youth-determined topics including food justice, race and stereotypes, teen healthcare, sexual orientation and gender identity.At the end of the conference, the Youth CAN Teen Leaders led a Ripple Effect Mapping activity to reflect on the ways in which Youth CAN has been successfully sustained. The resulting "Ripple Effect" map will serve as a mechanism for ensuring implementation of sustainability plans developed in partnership with the community organizers who participated in the Tomorrow's Leaders Conference. Perhaps the most important aspect of Buffalo Youth CAN's success in terms of sustainability and long-term impact is this. To date, 100% of the Buffalo Youth CAN Teen Leaders who completed the Youth CAN program and graduated from high school have begun college at a variety of two- and four-year colleges and universities with full or partial scholarships, thus changing the trajectories of their lives forever. Through their community improvement projects, Buffalo Youth CAN Teen Leaders have gained the skills needed to graduate from high school prepared for college, careers and citizenship. By creating a network of collaborators and youth-serving community organizations, the Youth CAN Teen Leaders have become recognized as community change agents. In fact, many of the Teen Leaders report that they plan to stay in or return to the Buffalo/Lackawanna area after completing college, because they have become invested in improving their communities through their involvement in Buffalo Youth CAN. That's sustainability!
Publications
|
Progress 08/15/17 to 08/14/18
Outputs
Target Audience:High need, at risk youth 14-18 years old in Albany, Buffalo and Lackawanna, New York Changes/Problems:
Nothing Reported
What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?Technology plays an integral role in Youth CAN. Youth CAN employs various tech tools in conducting community improvement projects, such as asset mapping, Photovoice, GIS/GPS, videography, blogging, electronic journaling and reporting. Photovoice, GIS/GPS, electronic journaling and portfolios, videography, website development, blogging and electronic reporting. The Youth CAN Teen Leaders used technology and social media to research and carry out their community improvement projects. The Youth CAN project team from NYS 4-H on campus, CCE Broome, CCE Albany and CCE Erie participated in a Ripple Effects Mapping workshop at Cornell University, facilitated by Debra Hansen, Washington State University and Lorie Higgins, University of Idaho. Heidi Mouillesseaux-Kunzman, Dept. of Development Sociology and Marcia Eames-Sheavly, School of Integrative Plant Science, organized and hosted the two-day REM workshop. Our program was used as the basis for the workshop. By visualizing all the learning, actions and condition changes that happened as a result of CYFAR programs in New York, the resulting map showed how broadly and deeply CYFAR has impacted New York's communities. Web tools are being used to develop joint projects and promote multidisciplinary virtual seminars between county and campus. During the reporting period, the SCP Tech Specialist conducted site visits and trainings for both the community project teams in Albany and Erie. The Tech Specialist conducted communications and cultural competency trainings for the Youth CAN Teen Leaders, and YCA program model training for the Youth CAN community project directors/coordinators and the community partners. She worked closely with the Buffalo Youth CAN Teen Leaders and community site partners on the development, storyboarding and editing of the Teen Leaders video documentary about the challenges Muslim students often face. Youth CAN project team staff attended: CYFAR Professional Development Grantee Conference (National Harbour, MD) Monthly conference calls Professional development team trainings in Binghamton, Ithaca and Syracuse Statewide CYFAR staff (Sate Project Director) site visit Statewide CYFAR staff (Technology Coordinator) site visit/training for CCE staff and CYFAR partner staff Positive Youth Development/YCA Training for community partners and other agencies (facilitated by CYFAR Technology Coordinator; attended by 18 community agency staff) Public Adventures curriculum utilized with partner staff and teen leaders How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?Intentional efforts to sustain Youth CAN continued to be integral to all program efforts. Planning for sustainability is a topic at every Youth CAN team meeting. Intentional efforts have been made to integrate sustainability strategies throughout the program. The Youth CAN project staff focus on establishing mechanisms and relationships to institutionalize the program into CCE 4-H and community sites through publications, community forums, statewide/regional teen summits, and participation in regional, state and national conferences. Efforts are consistently made to promote the accomplishments of the Teen Leaders, their completed projects and the overall success of the Youth CAN through television coverage of community events, newspaper coverage, presentations at NYS 4-H conferences and county-level events. Community partners receive regular, ongoing professional development and training from the Youth CAN project team so that the community partners can continue and sustain Youth CAN and the YCA program model at the end of the SCP grant funding. The Youth CAN e-News has a circulation over 450. Professional development opportunities are routinely offered to partnering community agencies and collaborators in order to support Youth CAN's sustainability goals. Evaluation findings are shared with collaborators and used to pursue funding from new funding streams. In addition, workforce skills learned by teens through their summer employment are expected to enhance both their education and career aspirations, and compliment sustainability objectives. We fully anticipate that Youth CAN's focus on developing tomorrow's leaders, citizenship, civic engagement and workforce development skills will translate into an increased sense of connectedness among the Youth CAN Teen Leaders and their plans to stay in or return to the communities they have invested in through their community improvement projects. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?Intentional efforts to sustain Youth CAN are integral to all program efforts. Planning for sustainability is a topic at every Youth CAN team meeting. Regular meetings with community partners are held regularly for the specific purpose of discussing strategies for continuation of the program after the end of Year 5 and the status of actions/initiatives taken to ensure sustainability. In fact, substantial progress in assuring sustainability has been made. In Albany County, the Boys & Girls Club of Albany has committed to continuing Youth CAN and has already begun programming independent of support from the CCE Albany Youth CAN Community Project Coordinator. The director of the Boys & Girls Club of Albany spoke about the outstanding Albany Youth CAN model at the New York State Network for Youth Success first meeting of the Power of 3:00 Ambassadors and recommended the Youth CAN approach to the organization. Similarly, in Erie County, Global Concepts Charter High School has adopted the Youth Community Action (YCA) and Youth CAN model and are have sustained the program. Community partners receive regular, ongoing professional development and training from the Youth CAN project team so that the community partners can continue and sustain Youth CAN and the YCA program model at the end of grant funding. Professional development opportunities are routinely offered to partnering community agencies and collaborators in order to support Youth CAN's sustainability goals. Evaluation findings are shared with collaborators and used to pursue funding from new funding streams. In addition, workforce skills learned by teens through their summer employment are expected to enhance both their education and career aspirations, and compliment sustainability objectives. We fully anticipate that Youth CAN's focus on developing tomorrow's leaders, citizenship, civic engagement and workforce development skills will translate into an increased sense of connectedness to the community among the Youth CAN Teen Leaders and that they will stay in or return to their communities after going to college.
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
During the reporting period, Youth CAN programming was implemented successfully in Albany by CCE Albany County and in Buffalo/Lackawanna by CCE Erie County. Implementation focused on establishing a foundation for sustaining Youth CAN through the development of two youth-led networks of youth-serving organizations, Albany Youth CAN and Buffalo Youth CAN, and creating opportunities for broad-based community involvement in the project, while simultaneously providing a high quality, high context program experience for participants. Albany Youth CAN partnered with the Boys & Girls Clubs of Albany, Arbor Hill Community Center and Ezra Prentice Homes. Arbor Hill is a drop-in recreational center operated and staffed by the City of Albany Recreation Department. Ezra Prentice Homes is a family development, public housing complex operated by Albany Housing Authority. Buffalo Youth CAN in Erie County partnered with Global Concepts Charter High School in Lackawanna, Tapestry Charter School in Buffalo and Buffalo Public School 156 Frederick Law Olmstead. Youth CAN focused on providing the opportunities and supports young people need in order to meet the challenges of growing up in poverty, graduate successfully from high school prepared for college, careers and citizenship. Weekly afterschool seminars with visiting professors from local colleges, universities, businesses and community organizations were conducted throughout the year. Youth completed in "Public Adventures," training, conducted a variety of youth-led, youth-directed community improvement projects and engaged in civic engagement, workforce development and leadership skill building projects. The Youth CAN Teen Leaders served as delegates to 4-H Capital Days and participated in the 4-H State Teen Action Representative Retreat (STARR) and 4-H Career Explorations at Cornell University, all traditional 4-H Youth Development opportunities offered to 4-H members statewide. Youth CAN Teen Leaders had leadership roles in each of these experiences, serving on the advisory or planning work teams for the events. Youth CAN Teen Leaders were employed through summer employment funds received from the City of Buffalo's Mayor Office, Erie County Youth Bureau and Erie County Youth Board. Summer projects in Albany County focused on planting/maintaining a community garden, collaborating with local groups and the Albany Mayor's Office on revitalizing blighted areas of the community and college tours. Erie County Youth CAN summer employment placed the Youth CAN Teen Leaders in job shadowing/internship positions aligned with their future career interests. Internship sites included Sisters Hospital, Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus, Buffalo General Hospital, Buffalo Zoo, Buffalo Museum of Science, WNY Minority Media Professionals, Community Action Organization of WNY, and Center for Elder Law and Justice, Computers for Children, and Clinton Brown Company Architecture. Successful projects completed by Albany Youth CAN during the reporting period included: • Albany Youth CAN began programming at two new community partners, Ezra Prentice Homes and Arbor Hill Community Center. An information night was held for parents and youth, MOUs were signed with the community partners and youth signed Youth CAN Teen Leader: Teen Contracts. • Albany Youth CAN completed a number of community improvement/service projects. They put together toiletry gift bags with soap, toothpaste, toothbrushes, deodorant, hand sanitizer and playing cards and donated them to residents at Mercy House, a shelter for battered women and children in Albany. They donated 30 craft bags to Albany Medical Center Children's Hospital and conducted an activity night at Teresian House, a nursing home in Albany. • Albany Youth CAN Teen Leaders served as delegates to 4-H Capital Days and 4-H Career Explorations. • Albany Youth CAN Teen Leaders participated in the City of Albany Summer Youth Employment and visited various colleges, as part of Youth CAN's emphasis on promoting career exploration and college preparation. Successful projects completed by Buffalo Youth CAN during the reporting period included: • Buffalo Youth CAN Teen Leaders completed a video documentary about the issues Muslim students face. • Buffalo Youth CAN Teen Leader Felissa Masumbuko, a student at Global Concepts Charter High School in Lackawanna, was selected to represent New York State 4-H at the 2017 National 4-H Conference. • Teen Leaders worked on Hate Crime Awareness Month by organizing a bake sale to raise money for organizations that support communities that are victims of hate crimes and interviewed students about their experiences with hate crimes. • Teen Leaders held a bake sale and raised funds for local organizations to support victims of discrimination and hate crimes. The organizations included the Pride Center of WNY, ACCESS WNY (an organization promote understanding and strengthen the bonds of faith and friendship between members of the Arab American community) and the Buffalo chapter of the NAACP. • Through a generous grant from the Erie County Youth Bureau, 17 Youth CAN Teen Leaders were placed in internships related to their career interests. Placements included: Sisters Hospital, Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus, Buffalo General Hospital, Buffalo Zoo, Buffalo Museum of Science, WNY Minority Media Professionals, Community Action Organization of WNY, Center for Elder Law and Justice, Computers for Children, and Clinton Brown Company Architecture. • Buffalo Youth CAN hosted Community and Police Speakout for 100 people in the Buffalo community, including four community police officers. The event had nine presenters, a spoken word presentation by one of the Teen Leaders and a piano performance by a community police officer. Open Buffalo and Partnership for the Public Good facilitated a discussion. Griot Nation, a local radio program, interviewed the Youth CAN Teen Leaders (see photo right) during the event. Channel 4 News provided coverage. Open Buffalo, Partnership for the Public Good, Delavan Grider Community Center, Jet's Pizza and Ferry Express helped sponsor the event. • Buffalo Youth CAN Teen Leaders conducted a workshop, "Developing Diversity: How to be an Advocate for Unity in Your Community" at the Building Sustainable Communities through Youth/Adult Partnerships Conference held at Cornell Cooperative Extension of Broome County. The conference was sponsored by the Civic Engagement Program Work Team, chaired by Jamila Walida Simon, NYS 4-H Citizenship and Civic Engagement Specialist, in collaboration with the June P. Mead, CCE Broome, and coordinator for the Expanded Learning Network, a regional chapter of the New York State Network for Youth Success. The Teen Leaders Teen Leaders shared examples of the work they've done to address issues that affect unity in their community including: discrimination, poor police-community relations, poverty, and lack of empathy toward the LGBTQ community. Post-conference evaluations showed that the Teen Leaders' workshop was rated as "excellent" by attendees.
Publications
|
Progress 08/15/16 to 08/14/17
Outputs
Target Audience:High need, at risk youth 14-18 years old in Albany, Buffalo and Lackawanna, New York. Changes/Problems:
Nothing Reported
What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?Technology plays an integral role in Youth CAN. Youth CAN employs various tech tools in conducting community improvement projects, such as asset mapping, Photovoice, GIS/GPS, videography, blogging, electronic journaling and reporting. Photovoice, GIS/GPS, electronic journaling and portfolios, videography, website development, blogging and electronic reporting. The Youth CAN Teen Leaders use technology and social media to research and carry out their community improvement projects. The SCP Technology Specialist is New York State 4-H Civic Engagement Specialist in the Bronfenbrenner Center for Translational Research, State 4-H Office. She has over 15 years of experience planning, facilitating and coordinating programs focused on YCA, as well as website development and technology use. Web tools are being used to develop joint projects and promote multidisciplinary virtual seminars between county and campus. During the reporting period, the SCP Tech Specialist conducted site visits and trainings for both the community project teams in Albany and Erie counties. The Tech Specialist conducted communications and cultural competency trainings for the Youth CAN Teen Leaders, and YCA program model training for the Youth CAN community project directors/coordinators and the community partners in Albany, Buffalo and Lackawanna. A web-based reporting template is used monthly to collect information for Youth CAN e-News. The newsletter has a circulation of over 450 youth workers, educators, funders and partners throughout New York and nationally. In addition, the Youth CAN project team staff attended: CYFAR Professional Development Grantee Conference (National Harbour, MD) Monthly conference calls Professional development team trainings in Binghamton, Ithaca and Syracuse Statewide CYFAR staff (Sate Project Director) site visit Statewide CYFAR staff (Technology Coordinator) site visit/training for CCE staff and CYFAR partner staff Positive Youth Development/YCA Training for community partners and other agencies (facilitated by CYFAR Technology Coordinator; attended by 18 community agency staff) Public Adventures curriculum utilized with partner staff and teen leaders How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?Intentional efforts to sustain Youth CAN continued to be integral to all program efforts. Planning for sustainability is a topic at every Youth CAN team meeting. Intentional efforts have been made to integrate sustainability strategies throughout the program. The Youth CAN project staff focus on establishing mechanisms and relationships to institutionalize the program into CCE 4-H and community sites through publications, community forums, statewide/regional teen summits, and participation in regional, state and national conferences. Efforts are consistently made to promote the accomplishments of the Teen Leaders, their completed projects and the overall success of the Youth CAN through television coverage of community events, newspaper coverage, presentations at NYS 4-H conferences and county-level events. Community partners receive regular, ongoing professional development and training from the Youth CAN project team so that the community partners can continue and sustain Youth CAN and the YCA program model at the end of the SCP grant funding. The Youth CAN e-News has a circulation over 450. The newsletter contains "Project Updates" from Albany and Erie counties, "Youth Voice News," "Upcoming Events," "CYFAR, Cornell and NYS 4-H News," "Check This Out!" and "$$ Grant Opportunities $$" a feature aimed at fostering sustainability. The SCP Project Director and Evaluator has over 20 years of CYFAR Program experience. CCE Broome County's experienced project staff bring their expertise from New York's successfully completed Community Improvement Through Youth--CITY Project (a 4-H National Headquarters Program of Distinction) and its current Exemplary CYFAR Program, CITIZEN U, and serve as mentors to the new Youth CAN project staff in Albany and Erie counties. Professional development opportunities are routinely offered to partnering community agencies and collaborators in order to support Youth CAN's sustainability goals. Evaluation findings are shared with collaborators and used to pursue funding from new funding streams. In addition, workforce skills learned by teens through their summer employment are expected to enhance both their education and career aspirations, and compliment sustainability objectives. We fully anticipate that Youth CAN's focus on developing tomorrow's leaders, citizenship, civic engagement and workforce development skills will translate into an increased sense of connectedness among the Youth CAN Teen Leaders and their plans to stay in or return to the communities they have invested in through their community improvement projects. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?Youth CAN follows a detailed and comprehensive five-year plan and ambitious sustainability plan to ensure that at the end of the five years of CYFAR funding, the community collaborators are trained and equipped to continue to support and carry out the objectives of the Youth Community Action Network. Albany Youth CAN and Buffalo Youth CAN will continue to follow these plans during the next reporting period.
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
During the reporting period, Youth CAN programming was implemented successfully in Albany by CCE Albany County and in Buffalo/Lackawanna by CCE Eire County. Implementation focused on continuing to establish a foundation for sustaining Youth CAN through the development of two youth-led networks of youth-serving organizations, Albany Youth CAN and Buffalo Youth CAN, and creating opportunities for broad-based community involvement in the project, while simultaneously providing a high quality, high context program experience for participants. Albany Youth CAN partnered with the Boys & Girls Clubs of Albany, Grand Street Community Arts, Schenectady County Community College Albany and Arbor Hill Community Center. Arbor Hill is a drop-in recreational center operated and staffed by the City of Albany Recreation Department. Buffalo Youth CAN partnered with Global Concepts Charter High School in Lackawanna, Tapestry Charter School in Buffalo and PS 156 Frederick Law Olmstead High School in Buffalo. Youth CAN focused on providing the opportunities and supports young people need in order to meet the challenges of growing up in poverty, graduate successfully from high school prepared for college, careers and citizenship. Weekly afterschool seminars with visiting professors from local colleges, universities, businesses and community organizations were conducted throughout the year. Youth completed in "Public Adventures," training, conducted a variety of youth-led, youth-directed community improvement projects and engaged in civic engagement, workforce development and leadership skill building projects. The Youth CAN Teen Leaders served as representatives to 4-H Capital Days and participated in the State Teen Action Representative Retreat (STARR) and 4-H Career Explorations at Cornell University. During July-August 2016, Youth CAN Teen Leaders were employed through summer employment funds received from the City of Albany, Erie County Youth Bureau and Erie County Youth Board. Summer employment projects in Albany County focused on planting/maintaining a community garden, conducting a literacy program for the City of Albany, collaborating with local groups and the Albany Mayor's Office on revitalizing blighted areas of the community and refurbishing a greenhouse at a senior public housing complex. Erie County Youth CAN summer employment placed the Youth CAN Teen Leaders in job shadowing/internship positions aligned with their future career interests. Internship sites included a hospital, nursing facility, summer camp, law office, communications/media company, and the Buffalo Zoo. College visits/tours to area colleges/universities were conducted during the summer as part of Youth CAN's focus on increasing the Teen Leaders' educational and career aspirations. Parent information and open houses were held at Arbor Hill in Albany and Olmstead High School in Buffalo, the new Youth CAN community partners in 2016-2017, to introduce Youth CAN to eligible participants (14-18 years old). New youth from Arbor Hill and Olmstead applied for acceptance into Youth CAN, were interviewed and once accepted, signed a "teen" contract committing to the project for two years. MOUs with the new community partners were put in place. Successful projects completed by Youth CAN included: • Serving as delegates, representing CCE Albany County and Youth CAN at 4-H Capital Days. • Participating in the State Teen Action Representative Retreat (STARR) in Syracuse, a three-day event where 4-H teens participate in a variety of workshops and activities meant to challenge and further develop life skills. • Completing a project to serve individuals in the community who have asthma in collaboration with Cornell's Healthy Neighborhoods Initiative in Albany. • Touring the Capital City Rescue Mission in a project to address the community's homeless population. • Hosting a holiday party for homeless youth at the Albany Boys & Girls Club Teen Center and Kids Night at the Capital City Rescue Mission's shelter for women and children. • Working with Robert Frederick, the Director of Career and Transfer Services at Schenectady County Community College on goal setting and motivation. • Participating in CCE Albany 4-H Public Presentations. • Conducting a nutrition education event at Shop Rite Supermarket as part of National Nutrition Month and helped shoppers and their children learn about MyPlate. • Completing a Global Youth Service Day project in partnership with the City of Albany Department of Parks and Recreation, where the Teen Leaders painted a mural, spread wood chips around playground equipment and helped clean the park. • Conducting an Earth Day event in April with the Albany County Recreation Department to teach children important facts about the environment and importance of recycling. • Conducting a literacy and STEAM program based on 4-H's Library Partnership Program in conjunction with the City of Albany's Summer Youth Employment Program (SYEP) in which Youth CAN Teen Leaders worked as Literacy/STEAM Educators to deliver the program, reaching 62 children at three summer program sites (where one guest reader was the Mayor of Albany, Kathy Sheehan). • Teen Leaders from the two community sites, Global Concepts and Tapestry, participated in a Youth CAN team-building project during which they watched the movie, "Selma" at the Ruben Santiago-Hudson Fine Arts Learning Center at Global Concepts and had a Skype interview with Santiago-Hudson, an actor in the movie and native of Lackawanna for whom the Fine Arts Learning Center is named. The event served as a way for the groups to celebrate Martin Luther King Jr. Day and Black History Month while planning projects to help their communities. • Received funding for the Buffalo Youth CAN Teen Leaders' summer employment program from the Erie County Youth Bureau and the Erie County Youth Board. The summer program included working on community projects planned during the school year and job shadowing/internships aligned with the teens' future career interests. Internship sites included: Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus; Buffalo Zoo; City of Lackawanna/ACCESS WNY Summer Program; Clark Patterson Lee (architecture firm); Community Action Organization of Erie County, Inc.; Legal Services for the Elderly, Disabled, and Disadvantaged of Western New York; Mercy Nursing Facility at Our Lady of Victory; Sisters Hospital; and YMCA. • Toured SUNY Fredonia and Canisius College.
Publications
|
Progress 08/15/15 to 08/14/16
Outputs
Target Audience:High need, at risk youth 14-18 years old in Albany, Buffalo and Lackawanna, New York Changes/Problems:
Nothing Reported
What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?Technology plays an integral role in Youth CAN. Youth CAN employs various tech tools in conducting community improvement projects, such as asset mapping, Photovoice, GIS/GPS, videography, blogging, electronic journaling and reporting. Photovoice, GIS/GPS, electronic journaling and portfolios, videography, website development, blogging and electronic reporting. The Youth CAN Teen Leaders use technology and social media to research and carry out their community improvement projects. The SCP Technology Specialist is New York State 4-H Civic Engagement Specialist in the Bronfenbrenner Center for Translational Research, State 4-H Office. She has over 15 years of experience planning, facilitating and coordinating programs focused on YCA, as well as website development and technology use. Web tools are being used to develop joint projects and promote multidisciplinary virtual seminars between county and campus. During the reporting period, the SCP Tech Specialist conducted site visits and trainings for the project teams in Albany and Erie counties. The Tech Specialist conducted YCA training for the community partners in order to lay the foundation for creating the Albany Youth CAN and Buffalo Youth CAN networks. A web-based reporting template is used monthly to collect information for Youth CAN e-News. The newsletter has a circulation of over 400 youth workers, educators, funders and partners throughout New York and nationally. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?Intentional efforts to sustain Youth CAN began as the project began and planning for sustainability is a topic at every Youth CAN team meeting. Intentional efforts have been made to integrate sustainability strategies throughout the program. The Youth CAN project staff focus on establishing mechanisms and relationships to institutionalize the program into CCE 4-H and community sites through publications, community forums, statewide/regional teen summits, and participation in regional, state and national conferences. Community partners receive regular, ongoing professional development and training from the Youth CAN project team so that the community partners can continue and sustain Youth CAN and the YCA program model at the end of the SCP grant funding. The Youth CAN e-News has a circulation over 400. The newsletter contains "Project Updates" from Albany and Erie counties, "Youth Voice News," "Upcoming Events," "CYFAR, Cornell and NYS 4-H News," "Check This Out!" and "$$ Grant Opportunities $$" a feature aimed at fostering sustainability. The SCP Project Director and Evaluator has over 20 years of CYFAR Program experience. CCE Broome County's experienced project staff bring their expertise from New York's successfully completed Community Improvement Through Youth--CITY Project (a 4-H National Headquarters Program of Distinction) and its current Exemplary CYFAR Program, CITIZEN U, and serve as mentors to the new Youth CAN project staff in Albany and Erie counties. Professional development opportunities are routinely offered to partnering community agencies and collaborators in order to support Youth CAN's sustainability goals. Evaluation findings are shared with collaborators and used to pursue funding from new funding streams. In addition, workforce skills learned by teens through their summer employment are expected to enhance both their education and career aspirations, and compliment sustainability objectives. In addition, we fully anticipate that Youth CAN's focus on developing tomorrow's leaders, citizenship, civic engagement and workforce development will translate into an increased sense of connectedness among the Youth CAN Teen Leaders and their wanting to stay in or return to the communities they have invested in through their various community improvement projects. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?Youth CAN follows a detailed and comprehensive five-year plan and ambitious sustainability plan to ensure that at the end of the five years of CYFAR funding, the community collaborators are trained and equipped to continue to support and carry out the objectives of the Youth Community Action Network. Albany Youth CAN and Buffalo Youth CAN will continue to follow these plans during the next reporting period.
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
During the reporting period, Albany Youth CAN partnered with the Boys & Girls Clubs of Albany, Grand Street Community Arts and Schenectady County Community College Albany. Buffalo Youth CAN in Erie County partnered with Global Concepts Charter High School in Lackawanna, and the Northtowns Boys and Girls Clubs and Tapestry Charter School in Buffalo. During this first full year of Youth CAN programming was implemented successfully in Albany and Buffalo/Lackawanna, New York by CCE Albany County and CCE Eire County, respectively. Implementation focused on establishing the foundation for sustaining Youth CAN through laying the groundwork for establishing two youth-led networks of youth-serving organizations, Albany Youth CAN and Buffalo Youth CAN, and creating opportunities for broad-based community involvement in the project, while simultaneously providing a high quality, high context program experience for participants. Albany Youth CAN partnered with the Boys & Girls Clubs of Albany, Grand Street Community Arts and Schenectady County Community College Albany. Buffalo Youth CAN partnered with Global Concepts Charter High School in Lackawanna, and the Northtowns Boys and Girls Clubs and Tapestry Charter School in Buffalo. Youth CAN focused on providing the opportunities and supports young people need in order to meet the challenges of growing up in poverty, graduate successfully from high school prepared for college, careers and citizenship. MOUs with these partners were signed. Parent information and open houses were held to introduce Youth CAN to eligible participants (14-18 years old). Teens applied for acceptance into Youth CAN, were interviewed and once accepted, signed a "teen" contract committing to the project for two years. Weekly afterschool seminars with visiting professors from local colleges, universities, businesses and community organizations began in January 2015. Training in "Public Adventures" began and a variety of youth-led, youth-directed community improvement projects were completed. The Youth CAN Teen Leaders attended 4-H Capital Days in Albany and 4-H Career Explorations at Cornell University. During July-August 2015, Youth CAN Teen Leaders were employed through summer employment funds received from the City of Albany and the City of Lackawanna. Summer employment projects in Albany County focused on planting/maintaining a community garden and refurbishing a greenhouse at a senior public housing complex. Similarly, summer employment in Erie County focused on building a community garden and hosting youth-led community nutrition education and health fairs/events, after completing Eat Smart New York training. College visits/tours to area colleges/universities were conducted during the summer as part of Youth CAN's focus on increasing educational and career aspirations. Successful projects completed by Albany Youth CAN during the reporting period include: Received training in a youth filmmaking program at Grand Street Community Arts to develop a video about Albany Youth CAN's work in the community Attended 4-H Career Explorations at Cornell University Employed through the City of Albany Summer Youth Employment Program Completed training with the Northeast NY Coalition for Occupational Safety and Health Completed training in financial literacy Refurbished a neglected greenhouse, painted an outdoor mural and planted a garden at the Thurlow Terrace Senior Apartments, a public housing complex in Albany Lead activities for younger youth, 7-12 years old, at 4-H Summer Scene, an environment and health education summer camp Hosted Youth CAN Adventure Day at the local Shop Rite supermarket Hosted a multicultural family pot-luck picnic Toured a number of college campuses, including University of Buffalo, NYU, MIT, Princeton, Syracuse University and the Albany campus of Schenectady County Community College Collaborated with the Regional Food Bank, U.S. Committee on Refugees and Immigrants, and the American Red Cross to learn about the services they offer and how they might work with these agencies on projects in the future Painted a wall in the new Teen Center at the Boys & Girls Club of Albany Developed a partnership with a local grocery store, Shop Rite, and worked with the store's dietician on donations for snacks Served as Tour Guides for the Boys & Girls Club's Teen Program Open House Participated in 4-H Achievement Night and were recognized for their outstanding achievements in leadership, citizenship and civic engagement. Completed a community improvement project inspired by CCE Healthy Neighborhoods by making fleece scarves for families coping with asthma, and donated 60 scarves for asthma sufferers throughout Albany Successful projects completed by Buffalo Youth CAN during the reporting period include: Received training in the "4-H Public Adventures" curriculum to identify issues/ideas for youth-led community improvement projects Served as delegates to 4-H Capital Days in Albany Participated in the State Teen Action Representative Retreat (STARR) in Syracuse, a three-day event where 4-H teens participate in a variety of workshops and activities meant to challenge and further develop life skills Took part of Random Act of Kindness Days in Buffalo Carried out a community health and wellness fair for families in conjunctions with the City of Lackawanna Youth Empowerment Day Successfully completed the "Community Youth Development through Community Gardening Project" to develop two community gardens and engage neighbors in planning, planting and harvesting the garden Toured a number of college campuses, including University of Rochester, Rochester Institute of Technology. Lead STEM activities at the Erie County Fair Collaborated with Global Concepts Charter High School faculty to develop and co-facilitate leadership and team building activities for incoming freshmen, designed to eases their transition to the high school Planted a community garden and welcomed the community to the garden by hosting a community gathering for over 50 people, including Erie County Legislator Lynne Dixon Beautified a garden space by creating a rock design, planting apple trees, and getting a donation of a bench from the Parent Teachers Association Conducted a nutrition education project in partnership with ACCESS WNY, after completing training from Eat Smart New York Lead freshman orientation at Global Concepts in team building activities and performed skits about how to succeed in school for the incoming ninth grade students Co-facilitated a Youth CAN New Parent and Teen Leader Information Night at Global Concepts Helped organize and conduct a multicultural "Fall Harvest Festival" for young children in Lackawanna Volunteered at Ronald McDonald House® of Buffalo to vacuum, clean and disinfect the entire facility
Publications
|
Progress 08/15/14 to 08/14/15
Outputs
Target Audience:High need, at-risk youth, ages 14-18 in Albany and Buffalo, New York Changes/Problems:
Nothing Reported
What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?The Youth CAN project teams in Albany and Erie counties and their community partners have received training in Youth Community Action (YCA). All Youth CAN project team members attended the 2014 and 2015 CYFAR Professional Development Event, Arlington, VA. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?Project highlights, outcomes and progress in implementing the program are routinely shared with Cornell University faculty, community partners and collaborators, Extension staff, local stakeholders and parents/guardians of the youth participants. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?In Year 2, two primary, "high context" groups of 12-15 teens each (i.e., two groups or a total of 24 to 30 teens in Albany, and two groups or a total of 24 to 30 teens in Buffalo) will be formed. During the academic, school year September 2015-June 2016, the community project directors and project coordinators with Cornell Cooperative Extension of Albany County (CCE Albany) and Cornell Cooperative Extension of Erie County (CCE Erie) will conduct weekly afterschool Youth CAN with trained staff from the community partner sites. The high context Youth CAN groups in Albany and Buffalo will complete YCA training and work toward the development of networks with other youth-serving agencies, thus extending the reach of the program by forming Albany Youth CAN and the Buffalo Youth CAN. During the summer (June-August 2016), Teen Leaders will gain workforce skills through paid internships aligned with their career aspirations and complete projects planned to address REE goals, such as tackling childhood obesity, food security and climate change. By creating youth-led, community-based networks, Youth CAN Teen Leaders will become community change agents, conduct projects addressing critical NIFA/USDA REE goals, and gain the skills needed to graduate successfully from high school prepared for college, careers and citizenship. After completing "4-H Public Adventures," Teen Leaders will conduct community improvement projects focused on REE goals. "Visiting professors" from local colleges/universities and community organizations provide STEM-based seminars to inform youth-directed community improvement projects. These visiting professors and seminars are expected to elevate project effectiveness, establish a high level of expectations among the Teen Leaders and enhance their career and college aspirations in STEM fields, while increasing their sense of community connectedness and engaged citizenship. In addition, Youth CAN is designed to strengthen county-campus connections and advance research about how to work effectively with vulnerable populations by purposefully involving faculty and staff in Cornell University's Bronfenbrenner Center for Translational Research. To further strengthen county-campus connections, as well as Youth CAN's targeted program outcomes (e.g., citizenship, educational aspiration and workforce skills), the Teen Leaders will become 4-H Club members, elect officers, and participate in 4-H Capital Days, 4-H Career Explorations, New York State Fair and the 4-H State Teen Action Representative Retreat (STARR). County front-line staff and community partners will utilize resources and professional development opportunities from Cornell University's Bronfenbrenner Center for Translational Research and CYFAR Professional Development and Technical Assistance team. All Youth CAN county and campus staff will participate in the CYFAR Professional Development Event. As part of Youth CAN's sustainability plans, the project team will actively engage community partners in Albany and Buffalo in the delivery of the program. These efforts will further develop and strengthen the two broad-based networks of youth-serving organizations, i.e., Albany Youth CAN and Buffalo Youth CAN, and thereby compliment NY 4-H Youth CAN's sustainability efforts. This "network" approach to ensuring sustainability is expected to have a multiplier effect in the targeted communities, as the principles of CYFAR programming are used to enhance the professional development of partner agency/staff and their organizations.
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
New York 4-H Youth Community Action Network (Youth CAN) uses Cornell Cooperative Extension's (CCE) 4-H Signature Program, Youth Community Action (YCA), to promote civic engagement and workforce development among high need teens in Albany and Buffalo. NY 4-H Youth CAN is being implemented by CCE Albany County and CCE Erie County. By creating youth-led networks of community organizations, Youth CAN Teen Leaders become community change agents and conduct projects addressing critical NIFA/USDA Research, Education and Economics (REE) goals. In doing so, Teen Leaders gain the skills needed to graduate from high school prepared for college, careers and citizenship. After completing 4-H Public Adventures, Teen Leaders conduct civic engagement projects such as tackling childhood obesity, food security and climate change. "Visiting professors" provide STEM-based seminars to inform youth-directed projects. This approach elevates project effectiveness, establishes professionalism among the Teen Leaders and enhances their career aspirations while increasing a sense of community connectedness and engaged citizenship. During summers, Teen Leaders gain workforce skills through paid internships. Youth CAN's program plan focuses on sustainability through intentional partnerships with local organizations and businesses, so that by the end of the project, two Youth Community Action Networks will be sustained--Albany Youth CAN and Buffalo Youth CAN. The program is designed to strengthen county-campus connections and advance research at Cornell University about how to work effectively with vulnerable populations, by purposefully involving the Bronfenbrenner Center for Translational Research. During the reporting period, Albany Youth CAN is partnered with the Boys & Girls Clubs of Albany, Grand Street Community Arts and Schenectady County Community College Albany. Buffalo Youth CAN in Erie County is partnered with Global Concepts Charter High School in Lackawanna and Northtowns Boys and Girls Clubs in Buffalo. Specific outcomes accomplished by the project sites follows. Albany Youth CAN Community Partners Boys & Girls Clubs of Albany - provides staff, site, snacks, free memberships Grand Street Community Arts - provides staff Schenectady County Community College Albany - provides site and visiting professors Community Collaborators Shop Rite of Albany - provides snacks and collaborates on special events at Shop Rite City of Albany - provides paid employment through Summer Youth Employment Program and collaborated on Global Youth Service Day project Thurlow Terrace Senior Apartments - staff and committee of residents collaborating on projects Walmart - provided gift certificate for Global Youth Service Day project Home Depot - provided gift certificate for Global Youth Service Day project Albany Youth Build - provided staff volunteer for Thurlow Terrace raised bed project Northeast NY Coalition for Occupational Safety and Health - providing workplace safety training for youth Youth FX - providing filmmaking/project documenting workshops CCE Albany County staff - providing financial literacy training for youth, providing horticulture staff resources for Thurlow Terrace project, providing opportunity for Youth CAN teen leaders to participate at lead poisoning prevention fair CCE Albany County Master Gardener Volunteer - assisted with project planning and building of raised garden beds at Thurlow Terrace Senior Apartments Albany City School District (Thomas O'Brien Elementary School) - provided opportunity for youth to participate in Health Fair Spouses of CCE Albany County staff - volunteered at Thurlow Terrace Senior Apartments building raised garden beds Number of youth recruited - 22 Events/Activities/Projects Carried out Albany Youth CAN Information Night for parents and youth Lead Poisoning Prevention Fair - teen leaders operated carnival games for participants Health Fair - teen leaders tabled 4-H healthy living info and led participants in exercises National Nutrition Month - @ Shop Rite; teen leaders met with the mayor's representative and witnessed the presentation of a mayoral proclamation and toured Shop Rite with the store dietician Shop Rite Kid's Day - teen leaders planned and implemented storewide activities Global Youth Service Day - teen leaders planned and conducted a community improvement project at a meeting site, Boys & Girls Club 5 teen leaders attended Career Explorations Conference at Cornell University Trainings/Professional Development CCE staff attended: CYFAR Professional Development Conference Monthly conference calls Professional Development meetings in Syracuse (x2) Statewide CYFAR staff (Sate Project Director) site visit Statewide CYFAR staff (Technology Coordinator) site visit/training for CCE staff and CYFAR partner staff Albany CYFAR Staff provided: Positive Youth Development/YCA Training for community partners and other agencies (facilitated by CYFAR Technology Coordinator; attended by 11 community agency staff) Public Adventures curriculum utilized with partner staff and teen leaders Buffalo Youth CAN Major accomplishments: Established partnership with Global Concepts Charter High School-committed two staff people to help with recruitment and retention of teens and planning and leading meetings Signed on an additional 4-H volunteer leader to serve as chaperone on Youth CAN trips and group mentor Established partnership with Northtowns Boys and Girls Club-committed one staff person to help with recruitment and retention of teens and chaperoning 4-H field trips Total youth recruited: 12 at Global Concepts and 7 at Northtowns Boys and Girls Club Community collaborators: City of Lackawanna-committed to providing funding for hiring 6 Youth CAN teen leaders to work on a "Youth Community Development through Community Gardening" project for six weeks during the summer of 2015 Baker Victory Services-providing technical support on summer community gardening project Code Blu Juice Bar-offering a motivational talk around careers CCE-Erie Eat Smart NY program-providing training around nutrition and food preparation CCE-Erie Agriculture program-providing training on gardening Grassroots Gardens of Buffalo-offering technical support around community gardening Activities carried out: Random Act of Kindness Days at Northtowns Boys and Girls Club: on two separate dates, went to local businesses and opened doors for customers coming in and out-served a total of 4 businesses and 75 customers Led activities at the City of Lackawanna Youth Empowerment Day Established partnership with City of Lackawanna to hire six Youth CAN teen leaders to work part-time (15 hours per week for six weeks) on a community garden project Trainings and/or professional development: Trained 3 staff people at each of two sites on Youth Community Action and Public Adventures Project coordinator attended Positive Youth Development 101 training Took 4 Youth CAN teen leaders to Capital Days in March 2015 Took 9 Youth CAN teen leaders to STARR in April 2015
Publications
|
|