PROPOSAL YOUTH ACTION PROJECT SUBMITTED TO THE CLEVELAND FOUNDATION SEPTEMBER 15, 1989 FEDERATION FOR COMMUNITY PLANNING 1001 HURON ROAD CLEVELAND, OH 44115 Youth Action Project The Youth Action Project reflects a shift from focusing on a single problem behavior, teen pregnancy, to broad-based prevention efforts addressing the needs of the whole child. The Project, which encompasses the Cuyahoga County Teen Pregnancy Prevention Project, proposes to continue several of the CCTPPP programs and also begin two major youth initiatives. The Youth Action Project will develop programs for youth which will increase and enhance their self-esteem and strengthen basic skills. Three major components are: 1. 2. 3. Community-School Partnerships In this effort, partnerships will be formed between selected Cleveland Public Schools and community agencies and institutions. The primary method of implementing the programs will be through building principals who will work with community agencies to design programs providing social services, tutoring and staff development. After-School Programs This effort will develop two types of after-school programs for youth ages 8-15, school-based, and community-based. Teen Pregnancy Prevention This component includes the Small Grants Program, currently funding 21 projects with $150,000; TSAPP a joint state-local effort to fund programs which encourage the postponement of sexual activity among adolescents; and a media campaign on three radio stations popular with the targeted teen and pre-teen populations. An executive committee will provide ongoing coordination and oversight for the Project. One project committee composed of Cleveland Public School principals will provide ideas and direction for developing community- school partnerships. An After-School Program Committee will coordinate the work required to develop community schools and youth outposts. The Grants Committee will oversee the Small Grants Program and the TSAPP grants. A Media Committee is in place to mobilize the media campaign. The Project will be evaluated on two dimensions: process and outcome. The primary focus of this evaluation will be the assessment of the process or implementation of the Project. In addition, the evaluation will assess the concrete accomplishments of the project components. The Cuyahoga County Teen Pregnancy Prevention Project (CCTPPP) has evolved from a single focus to recognize the importance of seeing youth from a broader, more comprehensive perspective. The CCTPPP has been co-sponsored by the Board of County Commissioners, the Cuyahoga County Department of Human Services (CCDHS) and the Federation for Community Planning (FCP). Incorporating both public and private systems, CCTPPP has broadened the knowledge base of many community agency leaders which in turn fostered partnerships to further community responsiveness around the issue of teenage pregnancy. In addition, the CCTPPP has successfully involved youth, parents, and volunteers, multiple community agencies, and the media in efforts to educate the general population on the negative and detrimental consequences of too-early pregnancy and childbearing. Specific CCTPPP accomplishments include: 1. The initiation of the Clergy-in-Partnership Program with the Greater Cleveland Inter-Church Council. 2. Co-sponsorship with the Junior League and the Delta Sigma Theta Sorority of a conference which increased community involvement in addressing the problems of teen pregnancy. 3. The development and operation of a Small Grants Program which made grants to community organizations, churches, and schools to provide pregnancy prevention programming; $225,000 in funding to date. 2 4. Coordination of $189,000 in funding from the State Department of Education, Teenage Sexuality and Pregnancy Prevention, State-Local Partnership Initiative for four local agencies to add or expand their pregnancy prevention activities. 5. Preliminary exploration of the feasibility of opening Cleveland 6. Development of the K-12 Human Growth and Development Curriculum Guidelines. While these efforts have been successful, there is also a realization that youth who engage in one risk behavior (i.e. early sexual activity) are likely to be engaged in other problem behaviors (e.g. drug abuse, delinquency). In order to address such multiple issues, a new approach is necessary. This reasoning is based on an emerging philosophy which emphasizes services to the whole child, rather than focusing on any one individual problem behavior. The approach includes a myriad of efforts on many fronts addressing more than a single issue. The Youth Action Project proposes to develop programs for youth which will increase and enhance their self-esteem and strengthen their basic skills. The project will also continue several successful initiatives begun by the CCTPPP. Project components will fall into three areas: Community-School Partnerships After School Programs Teen Pregnancy Prevention Activities |