Youth Policy in CT

Published by the Center for the Study of Social Policy, “Engaging Youth in Positive, Productive Roles: State Policies that Work” is a useful policy brief that – along with its accompanying research report -- identifies a series of specific state policies that have been shown to impact positively on youth outcomes:

Universal Policies: Health care services policies; Preventive health policies; Education polies; Civic participation policies
Youth-focused Policies: Youth programming policies; Coordination of youth-related programs and funding policies; Youth representation on boards and advisory committees
Policies for Vulnerable Youth: Child welfare and transition to independent living policies; Juvenile justice policies
Runaway and Homeless Youth: Runaway and homeless youth policies; Workforce development policies.

The Center is available for technical assistance to states interested in conducting a strategic policy audit of their youth policies.

Forum for Youth Investment

The Forum for Youth Investment is a nonprofit, service organization directed at assisting organizations and government to improve the development and delivery of positive youth development systems. Its website provides a wealth of information youth policy and programs as well as on youth development and youth action. Led by national youth expert, Karen Pittman, the Forum for Youth Investment is currently partnered with the National Conference of State Legislatures to advance a "Ready by 21" network of states and agencies. The Forum also provides:

Key reports and materials
Linkages to information on budgeting and performance measures
Youth agency report cards, and
Youth advocacy and engagement

The Forum For Youth Investment
www.forumfyi.org

National League of Cities Institute for Youth, Education and Families (IYEF)

Established in 2000 as a special entity within the National League of Cities, the Institute for Youth, Education and Families functions as a national resource to mayors, city council members and other state and local leaders to strengthen families and improve child and youth outcomes. The Institute works in five program areas: education and afterschool; youth development; early childhood development; safety issues for children and youth; and family economic success.

Beyond the Met Life Youth Master Planning initiative (see Appendix E), the Institute offers a broad range of tools and strategies to municipalities with whom they are engaged, including:

Action kits related to topical areas
Technical assistance initiatives
Targeted research and periodic surveys of local officials
Peer networks and other learning opportunities.

National Youth Employment Coalition

The National Youth Employment Coalition (NYEC) is a nonprofit, nonpartisan resource focused on improving the effectiveness of organizations that assist youth to become productive citizens. The website serves as a hub for events, research, evaluation and accountability initiatives, best practice and promising programs, state and federal legislation, and specific NYEC initiatives. Additionally, the Coalition hosts a valuable electronic news service -- Youth Notes -- that is transmitted to subscribers on a regular basis via email.

National Collaborative on Workforce and Disability for Youth

The National Collaborative on Workforce and Disability for Youth (NCWD) serves as an information hub on employment strategies for youth with disabilities. The website provides event information, NCWD research reports, and links to other publications in the field. One key report, "Guideposts for Success," provides an "extensive literature review of research, demonstration projects and effective practices covering a wide range of programs and services -- including lessons from youth development, quality education, and workforce development programs -- has identified core commonalities across the disciplines, programs and institutional settings.

Connect For Kids

The Connect For Kids website - now managed by The Forum For Youth Investment - is an ongoing effort to build a strong, informed constituency for children and youth by serving news and resources for advocates, journalists and policy makers in the child and youth field.

Connect For Kids
www.connectforkids.org

A Sample of National Resources for Community Capacity Building

Ten Lessons from the Community Change for Youth Development (CCYD) Initiative

Public/Private Ventures is a national nonprofit organization works to improve the effectiveness of public policies through training, technical assistance, learning opportunities at the community level, and the documentation of effective practices. In the early 1990s, Public/Private Ventures undertook a nearly decade long initiative called Community Change for Youth Development based on five core concepts:

Adult support and guidance for youth
Positive activities during non-school hours
Opportunities to combine work and learning
Opportunities for community involvement and leadership, and
Support during times of transition.

Following a five-year engagement with six cities to implement the initiative, Public Private Ventures has published a seminal report entitled "Ten Lessons from the Community Change for Youth Development Initiative." These lessons are summarized on Appendix F.

MetLife City-Schools Youth Planning Initiative

With support from the MetLife Foundation, the Institute for Youth, Education and Families sponsored and hosted by the National League of Cities is helping cities from across the country work with a broad range of stakeholders to develop community-wide, long-term plans and priorities for youth. The MetLife City-Schools Youth Planning technical assistance project focuses on identifying and enhancing strategies for this cutting-edge process through peer networking, learning from local and national experts, and customized training and assistance for developing locally appropriate youth master plans. Cities selected to participate in this project include: Diamond Bar, CA; Des Moines, IA; Minneapolis, MN; Lakewood, OH; Edmond, OK; and Charleston, SC.

A first cross-site meeting was held in California in April 2006. One result was creation of a resource rich CD and online PowerPoint that includes useful information on:

Collaboration tools
Assessment references
Effective resources on increasing citizen voice
Strategic planning tools
Communication pools and campaign materials
Funding tools and resources.

Community Assessment Guide

Helping America's Youth is a Presidential Initiative, led by Mrs. Laura Bush to raise awareness about the challenges facing our youth, particularly boys, and to motivate caring adults to connect with youth in three key areas: family, school, and community. Ten federal agencies are working together to promote local youth. The effort has produced a very useful "Community Assessment Guide" that is available online.

Ready by 21 State-Local Network

The Ready by 21 State and Local Network is a process hosted by the Forum for Youth Investment in which several hundred public officials and others across the nation are working to "better align and coordinate investments to help young people reach 21 ready for work, ready for college and life." Members of the Network are currently working on:

Youth development blueprints and cross-agency frameworks
Building cross-cutting accountability structures and funding mechanisms
Developing youth outcome indicators to inform planning, alignment and accountability
Strategic communications plans
Increasing direct youth engagement
Model policies, initiatives and professional development methods
Stakeholder development at the policy level
Increased technology use for information gathering and dissemination.