St. Petersburg, Florida

May 26, 2005

Child’s Park

 

Jobs

Neighborhood Interventions

Youth Related  Issues

School

Solutions

Comments

Not enough jobs for youth e.g. 5  openings for 90 jobs at Child’s Park Center

Church Knight Riders;

Community Policing Officers

Kids are out of school earlier: Need more activities

Must address problems of kids suspended/expelled from schools; Too quick to kick kids out for any little thing

Teens can mentor other Teens

Gov’t cut runaway programs but approved Art funding for Dali museum

Need Transportation to jobs

Work with Neighborhood Association to create jobs: Contact local businesses, Help Elders (creates youth/elder connection); use old system of “Neighbor Jobs (gardening, soda bottles)

Activities cost too much; Parents can’t afford programs; Parents don’t know about programs; Programs use Free Lunch as criteria – may not be on free lunch

“Choice” problems: dislocation of students if students don’t do well;

 

More safe places for kids to play; e.g. more computer rooms;

Mentors, teachers, churches are good, but schools and early interventions are very important to child’s development.

CETA program used to provide 1,500 jobs now there are about 150 – a 10 year shift

Funding Ideas:  Walking Club donated dollars for programs; get Alumni from High Schools to provide scholarship money

Funding cuts have impacted: 1,230 vs. 290 scholarships 76% (info from Children’s Campaign)

- DJJ of $65 million, 11% ( $7 million)goes to prevention; remainder to residential/adm(the prison/ industrial complex;

School under funding: one guidance counselor for 700 kids.

Mentors- Contact Employers to offer paid time to employees to be mentors; Mentors to just listen, not lecture – children need to talk; More black male mentors

-Churches have not been helpful;

-Churches may want to help but don’t have expertise to manage it

- Church volunteers “burnout” from doing too much with too little – need funding help for expenses

 

 

 

 

 

Mayor is committed to mentoring;  will pay city employees …

Don’t give up on Churches – EG Beth- El,…

Jobs

Neighborhood Interventions

Youth Related  Issues

School

Solutions

Comments

 

Fix problem at “Village Level”; Close to home work – Need jobs that are year round and pay Cleaning  up neighborhoods

Must speak to Legislators and Governor

 

Contact School Boards directly with problems to let them know

To mentor kids; is encouraging businesses to partner with schools- donate computers

…Beth El Neighborhood Accountability board; In Home help for troubled kids; Youth justice program

 

Limitations of jobs: must be 15 y.o. and only 10 hours/week

Tutorial programs in neighborhood facilities (Twin Brook)

Too many kids of color on backend of DJJ = JDC

Too many kids dropping out of middle school

- Need multiple kid discounts for city programs

Sometimes mentors stop coming

Summer jobs are Band aid, Kids need jobs all year

 

 Bottom line is for kids not to be hurt.  Advocacy is important. Anyone who doesn’t like kids shouldn’t work with kids.

Black schools (and others) losing vouchers

- Need to get word out about programs; Put notices in Light (Utility) bills; advertise in grocery stores

 

Money makes a difference

Kids should be able to come free to camps

 

Kids need to be treated as humans

 

Role of Media in Marketing programs- community partners;

 

 

 

Lots of JJ people are out to help kids

 

Get ideas and meetings on city/county TV

 

 

 

Events for kids need to be exciting & their attention.  Also it must be competitive.

 

Beth El, Neighborhood Accountability board; In Home help for troubled kids; Youth justice program

 

 

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