TheConnector

TheCONNECTOR is Youth Community Connections’ (YCC) communication tool for sharing updates and for seeking action from its partners. TheCONNECTOR contains the following highlights:

RECENT NEWS AND EVENTS
YCC Welcomes New Promise Fellow
Survey for Minnesota's City Leaders Focusing on Out-of-School Time
SAVE the DATE: Join us on 10-10-10 and March for Minnesota's Children and Youth
"We Want You Back" Drop Out Prevention Outreach

NEW RESEARCH AND RESOURCES
Social Venture Partners Releases Investment Proposal Guidelines
Obesity Prevention Funding Opportunities

POLICY AND ADVOCACY
YCC Policy & Advocacy Committee Meets September 10th
Engage with State and Local Elected Officials
Child Nutrition Reauthorization Clears the Senate


FUTURE EVENTS
SAVE the DATE: 2010 Lights On Afterschool!
Afterschool Investment Projects (AIP) Webinar on Community Colleges and the President's American Graduation Initiative
National Summer Learning Association's Conference
Fall Urban 4-H Youth Development Partnership Kickoff

CURRENT JOB POSTINGS
Camp Fire USA Hiring Finance Manager

YCC Welcomes New AmeriCorps Promise Fellow
Youth Community Connections (YCC) is excited to welcome Matt Steele as our new AmeriCorp Promise Fellow.  Matt worked as a City of Lakes AmeriCorp Vista last year for Minneapolis Public Schools supporting afterschool programs.  Matt previously spent time working with Representative Dan Severson and Governor Tim Pawlenty’s Office.  You can reach Matt at YCC by calling 612-627-0157 or e-mailing him at matt@youthcommunityconnections.org.

Survey for Minnesota's City Leaders Focusing on Out-of-School Time
The National League of Cities (NLC) is writing a policy brief on the investments that cities/municipalities have made over the past five years in afterschool and out-of-school time learning opportunities.  NLC believes this information will be very useful to the field as cities play an increasingly significant role in expanding and improving afterschool learning opportunities. 

YCC will utilize this data as it supports city and local efforts to promote learning opportunities in the community. Please click here to begin the City Afterschool Investment Survey. to complete the short survey and help capture the needed information for NLC to develop the important brief.  

SAVE the DATE: Join Us on 10-10-10 and March for Minnesota's Children and Youth
On October 10, 2010 Youth Community Connections (YCC) will join the Young Leaders of Children’s Defense Fund-Minnesota, along with other key youth organizations, in a march and rally for Minnesota’s youth.  The event will take place from 2:00 PM to 5:00 PM at the Minnesota State Capitol. Attendees will converge on the state capitol delivering ten specific messages to civic leaders, policy makers, and candidates running in the upcoming state elections.  There will be justice music by locally known groups, a celebrity keynote address, short speeches by civic leaders, clergy and youth.  Gubernatorial candidates have been invited and will be given a few minutes to say how they would address the ten focus issues.  The rally will end with a challenge for change to give all Minnesota youth a fair start at life.  Please consider joining YCC under the out-of-school time tent as we highlight the benefits of out-of-school time learning opportunities for Minnesota’s youth.  You can help by:

• Volunteering with YCC to help make the 10-10-10 event a success
• Consider having your organization join YCC under the out-of-school time tent to help promote the importance of after school and summer learning opportunities.
• Recruit youth and their families to march for Minnesota’s youth on October 10, 2010.

                            
If you would like to volunteer, partner with YCC under the out-of-school time tent, recruit youth and their families to help promote the importance of high quality after school and summer learning opportunities or have any questions, please contact Matt Steele at 612-627-0157 or matt@youthcommunityconnections.org or Ceil Meade at 612-627-0160 or ceil@youthcommunityconnections.org.

"We Want You Back" Drop Out Prevention Outreach
Minneapolis Public Schools and the Youth Coordinating Board have joined forces to raise public awareness about the dropout crisis in Minneapolis and enlist the entire community’s help to resolve it. We Want You Back is a grass-roots effort to identify, connect with, and invite un-enrolled young people to complete their credits and get their high school diploma.

The program’s ambitious first year goal is to attract back 200 youth. Already, through grassroots outreach efforts at summer festivals and events, we have connected over 50 people to get them back on the pathway to graduation. But we need your help for the biggest effort to come.

Saturday, September 11th is our citywide door-knocking event. We Want You Back Wants You!

If you would like to volunteer or help find volunteers to fan out across the city that day and let young people know we care about them, please visit  www.wewantyoubackmpls.org to learn more, sign up and help out.

NEW RESEARCH AND RESOURCES

Check out some of the latest research on after school, youth engagement and quality improvement on YCC’s website under latest research.

Social Venture Partners Releases Investment Proposal Guidelines
Social Venture Partners of Minnesota is an engaged philanthropy organization that leverages the money and talents of its members to promote philanthropy and improve the lives of children and youth in Minnesota.  Social Venture Partners provides multi-year funding in the form of grants up to $25,000 per year to be used for general operating support. In its 2010 investment cycle, Social Venture Partners is investing in social entrepreneurs who serve the social, developmental, or educational needs of children and youth ages pre-natal to age eighteen.  For more information about application stipulations and guidelines please visit www.svpmn.org.

Obesity Prevention Funding Opportunities
Each year since the inception of the Champions for Healthy Kids program, the General Mills Foundation has awarded 50 grants of $10,000 each to community-based groups like this that develop creative ways to help youth adopt a balanced diet and physically active lifestyle.  Applications for 2011 Champions for Healthy Kids grants will be available in October 2010.  For more information about grant opportunities through General Mills, please click here.

The Saint Paul Foundation and Minnesota Community Foundation have partnered to offer $54 million for projects addressing a broad range of community needs.  For more information about grant opportunities through The Saint Paul Foundation, click here.

Medica Foundation is offering grants for issues, such as alleviating obesity, that drive down health care costs and reduce health care disparities.  For more information about this opportunity through the Medica Foundation, click here.

The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation is looking to award $1.5 million in grants for support research to inform policy and environmental strategies for increasing physical activity among children and adolescents, decreasing their sedentary behaviors and preventing obesity.  For more information about this opportunity through The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, click here.

POLICY AND ADVOCACY UPDATES

YCC Policy and Advocacy Committee to Meets September 10 (Please note change in location)
Youth Community Connections’ Policy and Advocacy Committee will meet on Friday, September 10, 2010 from 9:00 - 11:00 a.m. at the State Office Building in Room 400S.  The State Office Building is located next to the State Capitol at 100 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. Saint Paul, MN 55155. 

Please join us as we review federal policy and funding decisions affecting the 21st Century Community Learning Centers grant, receive updates and discuss YCC’s Supporting Youth Success Initiative and hear from partner organizations regarding the upcoming legislative session.  We will also discuss strategies and opportunities to engage candidates through the election process in discussions about afterschool and summer learning programs.

Engage with State and Local Elected Officials
Youth Community Connections is calling all partners to engage their state and local elected officials in conversations about the benefits and importance of afterschool and summer learning opportunities in Minnesota.  Elections provide critical opportunities for you to educate both incumbent and challenging candidates.  YCC has prepared talking points about the benefits of afterschool and out-of-school time learning opportunities for children and youth.  These talking points can be found on YCC’s website.

Child Nutrition Reauthorization Clears the Senate
On August 5, 2010 the Senate unanimously passed the bipartisan Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act, legislation that reauthorizes the federal child nutrition programs. In addition to increasing access to healthy meals for the children that need them most, the bill includes a provision that expands the afterschool meal program to all 50 states. The bill also requires childcare providers participating in the Child and Adult Care Feeding Program (CACFP) to serve only low-fat or fat-free milk to children aged two and up, among other nutrition standards, and encourages physical activity. Of grave concern to the anti-hunger community is the use of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits as a funding offset to pay for a portion of the child nutrition bill. Attention now turns to the House of Representatives, and whether Congress will be able to pass its version of Child Nutrition reauthorization legislation before the current programs expire on September 30, 2010.

FUTURE EVENTS

SAVE the DAVE: 2010 Lights On Afterschool
YCC is working to promote Lights On Afterschool which will take place October 21, 2010.  Lights On Afterschool, the nation’s celebration of afterschool and summer programs, attracts one million Americans to 7,500 events at afterschool programs across the country. 

YCC is encouraging afterschool and youth serving organizations in Minnesota to take part in Lights On Afterschool and help call attention to the need for afterschool and summer learning opportunities!  Begin to plan your own Lights On Afterschool event today.

For more information on Lights on Afterschool, go to http://www.afterschoolalliance.org/loa.cfm.

Afterschool Investment Projects (AIP) Webinar on Community Colleges and the President's American Graduation Initiative
Join Afterschool Investments on September 8, 2010 for the upcoming webinar on Community Colleges and the President’s American Graduation Initiative.  During the event, Federal staff will discuss the ACF priority on professional development and the workforce. AIP staff will share new resources for community college faculty, developed in collaboration with Child Care and Early Education Research Connections. The School-Age Faculty Module includes information, worksheets and activities that can be used by faculty in two and four-year institutions, and community-based trainings, to help the school-age workforce understand and use research to learn more about effective practice. Faculty and student representatives from Trident Community College (SC) and Tulsa Community College (OK) will also share their experiences with developing new methods to support the afterschool workforce. The webinar event will conclude with an interactive question-and-answer session.  If you want more information or would like to register, please visit, Click Here To Register.

National Summer Learning Association's Conference
Summer Changes EverythingTM, the only national conference focused entirely on summer learning, will be held at the Indianapolis Marriott Downtown, November 9-10, 2010. With 60 workshops on topics from STEM learning to social media outreach, we’re presenting the latest information regarding youth and summer learning. Learn more and register now at our conference homepage.  Or, contact our Conference Manager, Ryan Rebarchick, via e-mail or phone: 410 856 1370 ext 203.

Fall Urban 4-H Youth Development Partnership Kickoff
Tuesday September 21, 2010 9:00 AM - 12:00 Noon at the Urban Research and Outreach/Engagement Center (2001 Plymouth Ave N, MPLS, MN 55411).

Come kick off a new year of partnering with Urban 4-H Youth Development!
Volunteers and program leaders are invited to begin their program year with inspiring entertainment, motivating conversations with other youth workers, and delicious food!

CURRENT JOB OPENINGS

Camp Fire USA Hiring Finance Manager
Camp Fire USA Minnesota Council is currently seeking a part-time Finance Manager.  To see the full job description and application information, visit http://www.campfireusa-mn.org/Jobs/.

Youth Community Connections
200 Oak Street SE, Suite 270B ~ Minneapolis, MN 55455
PH: 612.627.0160
WEB: www.youthcommunityconnections.org