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Minutes 11-06-08 MINUTES OF THE YOUTH VIOLENCE PREVENTION PROJECT MEETING HELD ON NOVEMBER 6,2008, AT 5:30 P.M. AT THE CAROLYN SIMS CENTER, BOYNTON BEACH, FLORIDA PRESENT: Jose Rodriguez, Chair Stacey Robinson, Youth Violence Prevention Program Coordinator Buck Buchanan, Boynton Chamber of Commerce Lt. Kelly Harris, Boynton Beach Police Department (arrived 6:01 p.m.) Nate Nichols, Deputy Director, Palm Beach Children's Services Council, (arrived 5:41 p.rn.) Carly Norsesian, Membership Development, YMCA Vickie Henderson, Teen Project Specialist Vinola Rada, Non-Voting Member ABSENT: Sgt. Suzanne Gitto, Boynton Beach Police Department Jim Kidd, President, South Tech Academy Erin McClosky/Robin Johnson, Palm Beach Community College Kathleen Perry, Palm Beach County School District Laura Elena Santos, LaPalma News Elivio Serrano, Vice President, Programs, United Way of Palm Beach County Robert Taylor, CFO, Bethesda Memorial Hospital I. Welcome and Opening Comments - Jose Rodriguez, Chairman Chair Rodriguez welcomed all to the meeting and called the meeting to order at 5:38 p.m. Chair Rodriguez announced he had missed a meeting due to participation in a mission trip to Nassau Bahamas with the Church he attends. II. Roll Call - Recording Secretary The Recording Secretary called the roll. A quorum was present. III. Introduction of Guests There were no guests present at the meeting. IV. Approval and/or additions to the Agenda There were no changes to the agenda. 1 Meeting Minutes Youth Violence Prevention Project Boynton Beach, Florida November 6, 2008 Motion Mr. Buchanan moved to approve the agenda. Ms. Robinson seconded the motion that unanimously passed. V. Approval and/or additions to the minutes of Wednesday, October 1, 2008 Motion Mr. Nichols moved to approve the minutes. Ms. Rada seconded the motion that unanimously passed. VI. Chairman’s Comments Chair Rodriguez advised the members the program needed to have greater exposure at the City Commission meetings. He requested Ms. Robinson make a presentation to the City Commission detailing what the Board has been doing over the past year and their accomplishments. Ms. Robinson suggested the Teen Council be a part of the presentation. Chair Rodriguez informed the Board the program may not receive funding from the County, so there would need to be alternative funding sources available. The more exposure the program received, the more opportunity for financial support. Chair Rodriguez would make the request to put the item on the City Commission agenda in January or February. Chair Rodriguez announced the merger of the Executive and Steering Committees would be discussed at the next meeting. VII. Old Business None. VIII. New Business A. Teen Recommendations for programming (Vickie Henderson) Vickie Henderson, Teen Project Specialist, distributed a listing of programs the Teen Council reviewed and selected to have at the Center. There were eight programs reviewed and they selected six new programs. There would also be four or five returning programs totaling about 11 different programs ongoing in the Center during the week. Two or three programs would be scheduled each night. The Lamplighter program would conduct activities on Saturdays, resulting in programs scheduled six days per week. There were other items the Council was working on such as T-shirts. Ms. Henderson created an informational brochure that would be distributed to the schools and churches to create awareness of the programs they currently offered. The Council would also undertake more advertising. Sgt. Cannon was contacting the local 2 Meeting Minutes Youth Violence Prevention Project Boynton Beach, Florida November 6, 2008 churches, trying to meet with clergy to get them involved in the program. Emphasis was placed on making contact with clergy who had youth that did not know about the programs. The next Teen Council effort was to recruit Teen Leaders and have the youth become involved with Community Service Projects. There were presently 15 youth on the Council, which was the required amount, but there were five more youth that wanted to serve on the Council. There was brief discussion whether the Council was too big. Ms. Henderson responded 20 youths was fine. It was thought as the Teen Council progressed, some youth may drop out. Ms. Henderson noted there was a scheduling conflict with football team activities and she moved the meeting to accommodate. She did not want the youth to be put in a position to have to choose which activity they would participate in. She explained two weeks ago, there was football practice and the youth asked the football coach if they could arrive late because of the Teen Council meeting. The coach agreed. She explained conflicts were rare unless there was a school function. At the September meeting they had 18 youths present. Discussion about whether the Teen Council would have a President, Vice President and other officers took place. Ms. Henderson anticipated having Teen Council Leaders in place by December. Ms. Robinson also noted they would hold a Leadership Retreat during one of their mission trips. The Teen Council youth interviewed the service providers. Ms. Henderson noted there was a new Computer Concept program. The program would teach youth how to build and repair computer hardware. B. Service Provider Recommendations (Stacey Robinson) Mr. Buchanan noted in the new programs listed, the Art of Film Making was selected; however, it was also listed under returning programs. It was explained the program was a new component of the program. The earlier program encompassed audio and visual aspects of the program. The second component, called “Beats,” encompassed music. The Mad Dads program was eliminated completely and the decision to do so was made by the Executive Board. Ms. Robinson explained since October 1st, Mad Dads only had the one program and she advised, the youth, who come to the Center, did not know even about it. It was only when the grant was ready to be renewed had Mad Dads begun to come to the Center once a week in the evenings. The Center would keep the R.M. Lee Employment Skills program if R.M. Lee was interested in continuing to teach it. The Life Skills Training by R.M. Lee was discontinued because the youth did not relate to the Life Skills Instructor doing the training. Ms. Robinson explained when R.M. Lee was providing the Employment and 3 Meeting Minutes Youth Violence Prevention Project Boynton Beach, Florida November 6, 2008 Life Skills, the program was split between two instructors. The youth were very interested in both programs, but when the new person was brought on to do the Life Skills, the Instructor and the youth did not gel. After several emails with R.M. Lee, there was no resolution. A replacement was not sent and the youth stopped attending. Ms. Robinson noted the R.M. Lee Cultural Arts program was also eliminated. Ms. Robinson explained the Life Skills program was slated to occur. They interviewed an individual who has taught it in the schools but nothing has been confirmed with her yet. It was also noted staff wanted the youth to go on more field trips and gain a greater understanding of what a life skill really was. Staff was looking to offer a comprehensive program. Chair Rodriguez noted with the recommendations, there were more programs this year compared to last year, and he inquired whether the Center could manage that many programs. Ms. Robinson responded they could run the programs well and effectively. She advised staff gained valuable experience from the prior year and they have seen the providers in action and know what constitutes an effective program. The only programs that were not presently ongoing were a male mentoring program, which would be a Saturday program, and the Gang Resistance Training. The “A Girl and Her Pearls” activity only met three times per year. She explained the Center was not bringing in new providers. The providers that were onboard remained, but the facilitators were now taking over the programming. As a result, they were able to eliminate administrative fees they had to pay in the past, which equated to thousands of dollars. Ms. Robinson explained they found the administrators were not doing the amount of work they said they were. Those monies would now be used on the youth, instead of going towards salaries. Mr. Nichols agreed with the comments made and acknowledged the program was working. He expressed attrition and/or having additional youth identified was something to be considered. He recognized some youth would drop out and they would have the capacity to move kids in quickly. He thought the program was commendable. Ms. Robinson explained they do not turn youth away, they were trying to promote interest in the program. Mr. Nichols noted when the programs were established, the programs would engage the youth and be what the youth wanted, but he inquired if they were programs the youth needed. He referenced the Life Skills program, which gave youth tools and skills on programs which offered competencies to help youth develop. (Lt. Harris arrived at 6:01 p.m.) Chair Rodriguez had similar concerns. He noted the expensive items were the Art of Film Making and Dance, but they were activities that kept the youth busy. The programs were a balancing act. Ms. Robinson noted when staff considers programs for the 4 Meeting Minutes Youth Violence Prevention Project Boynton Beach, Florida November 6, 2008 Center, they are viewed from a vocational aspect so youth can take the information, expand on it, or get a job in the field. The Ultimate Dance program was a cultural art piece. There is a Sister-to-Sister Program, which is a Girl Scout Program, a Book Club, a Drum Club, a Poetry Club and others. The Art of Film Making was discussed. The individuals teaching the program graduated from the Audio/Visual Program from the West Palm Beach Youth Empowerment Center and the instructor travels to Boynton Beach to teach the Center youth. It was a joint effort between the Empowerment Center and a graduate of one of its programs. It also served as an example that the programs could make a difference in people’s lives. The Center was partnering with Debby Coles-Dobay, Boynton Beach Public Art Administrator for Cultural Arts programs. An art program would be held at the Green Market once every three months. The youth would create their art at the market and could sell it there. Working at the market would provide good exposure for the program. The funding for those programs were coming from the Cultural Arts budget and there were already museum trips scheduled. Ms. Robinson explained they have an individual totally dedicated to motivating the youth. The individual would provide cheerleading and flag football. She reported the flag football team was participating in “Take a Need for Character” which was part of a Boy Scouts of America initiative. The initiative was recently shown on television. Youth watching the games see the football players discussing various topics at intermission and they listen. There would be a girl cheerleading team doing the same thing, and between the flag football sport and the cheerleading, they would have boy/girl involvement. A requirement for youth participating in the flag football and cheerleading activities was they must be registered in another program. The youth cannot participate in only the fun activities. They needed to participate in activities that were comprehensive. A directory that could be distributed to the public providing the names and titles of each program was at the printers. Chair Rodriguez noted his son, who plays football, also participates in discussing life situations. On another matter, he recommended the Teen Council operate under Roberts Rules of Order, which would provide order at their meetings and help teach leadership skills. Ms. Robinson suggested the members review the service provider information. She noted the budget, included on the bottom of the handout, showed the total from grants and affiliated partners. This budget was intentional. She explained the County funds did not allow for flexibility and the Center needed flexibility to bring in one-time programs if there was a concept the youth needed. By setting up the budget in this manner the 5 Meeting Minutes Youth Violence Prevention Project Boynton Beach, Florida November 6, 2008 Center could fund it. Ms. Robinson noted the recommendations made by the Teen Council were the same recommendations made by staff. Motion Mr. Buchanan moved to accept the recommendation of the Executive Board. Mr. Nichols seconded the motion that unanimously passed. (Ms. Henderson returned at 6:10 p.m.) IX. Member Comments Ms. Robinson expressed there may be communication with the City Manager in reference to Mad Dads. She requested, if individual members were contacted, the caller be referred to Chair Rodriguez, or the Police Department. Chair Rodriguez inquired about the status of the tee-shirts. He had received T-Shirts from a different organization that had character traits listed on them. Ms. Robinson explained the T-shirts were ordered. The Teen Council also had a logo created by Ms. Henderson. (Ms. Henderson left the meeting at 6:13 p.m.) Ms. Rada spoke about when they took youth to the Preserve and how an FAU Professor who works at the Preserve invited a student to visit her when she graduated. The Professor was impressed with the student and receiving such an awesome comment from the Professor was something the student would not likely forget. Many of the youth had not seen an alligator before and they were exposed to a new environment. She reported it was a good experience. (Ms. Henderson returned to the meeting at 6:14 p.m.) Mr. Nichols expressed his concern about the financial environment and the funding structures that exist. There would be cuts for the next several years. He inquired if the Committee was strategically aligning itself through the programs they offered to make a difference in the community. He also inquired if the Committee was advocating and supporting the effort. Mr. Nichols predicted all systems would be impacted by budget cuts. Chair Rodriguez shared Mr. Nichol’s thoughts and explained Boynton Beach established a 501(c)(3) corporation, which was independent of the City, to obtain private funding so they can support things they want in the City. The corporation would have a Board of Directors and there were many grants available. He commented there is competition for grants. 6 Meeting Minutes Youth Violence Prevention Project Boynton Beach, Florida November 6, 2008 Ms. Robinson explained the Committee was applying for grants. Sgt. Gitto was working on them and some of the grants almost made it all the way through. The Committee also had a nitch because they were associated with the Police Department and that allowed them to apply for different grants that other centers could not. Ms. Robinson explained with two grants they applied for, but did not receive, the grants were part of a much larger study than it appeared and they needed a University involved. Staff contacted Florida State University, but they were not interested in assisting because the scope of information needed was too large. Ms. Robinson explained they have a lot of data to support the grants. Mr. Nichols noted that aspect was the most important because it reflected whether the effort was effective and worked, and it measured outcomes. The data also would indicate the programs success and the impact in the community. The data shows results of the activity. Ms. Robinson explained they have neighborhood data that reflects crime has been reduced in certain areas, but the City does not delineate between whether the crime was a teen crime or not. The Criminal Justice Commission could; however, extrapolate that information and Ms. Robinson was awaiting the data. She emphasized crime has decreased. Chair Rodriguez explained the program would not make a vast difference, but for the youth at the Center, they make a difference. Ms. Robinson noted many of the youth have not incurred any new police charges since they have been at the Center, or they have been in trouble only once this year as opposed to three times the year before. Chair Rodriguez explained the County Commission would want to be aware of that information because that was the information that created the right image. Ms. Robinson also noted the program is injected in the schools and she praised Sgt. Cannon. Sgt. Cannon was doing a phenomenal job going to the schools twice a week, checking attendance sheets, grades and behavior. She has been reaching out to all the churches. Ms. Robinson advised they are making a difference and having an impact in the community. She announced, finally, a parent came to the Center who requested help with her 13 year old child. The word was getting out to the community the Center was there to help. Chair Rodriguez thanked Ms. Robinson, Ms. Henderson and Lt. Harris, as well as the members of the Board, for their efforts. He noted when the effort was first started there was a lot of awareness regarding the program. The program was now established and a new awareness of what was accomplished was needed. Ms. Rada commented if there is no more funding, they should develop strategies to assist the program, such as fundraising. Ms. Robinson also announced the Criminal Justice Commission was putting a speaker’s bureau together in January and she would be speaking at organizations such as the Lions Club and the Chamber of Commerce 7 Meeting Minutes Youth Violence Prevention Project Boynton Beach, Florida November 6, 2008 about the program. It was hoped funds could be raised for the program through donations made from these organizations. X. Guest Comments None. XI. Adjournment Chair Rodriguez thanked the members for the comments and properly adjourned the meeting at 6:26 p.m. ~~~:;~~~~~~~pA~U L~ Recording Secretary 110708 8