Good Afternoon!
We hope everyone is enjoying our spring weather as we slowly roll into summer. It is always an exciting time of year as school begins to slow down and summer vacations arrive. It is also a busy time of year for most youth support programs; getting the message out, getting opportunities to youth for productive participation in various activities and supporting healthy physical and mental growth. To that end please bring any information to our next meeting about your summer programming to share with all our youth program constituents.
Our next meeting will be Thursday JUNE 13 at 11 AM
Thank you to all those who were able to attend our last meeting on May 9:
Impact Project / School Justice Panel
Crime Victims Council
The Program
Community Commitment Inc.
Prolifick Radio
Penn State Extension
Community in Schools of the Lehigh Valley
Parent Advocate
St John’s Lutheran Church
Lehigh County
Juvenile Probation
Allentown City Hall
United Way
Presentations for our May 9 meeting:
Community That Cares
We had a very productive meeting on May 9. Denise Continenza started our round table discussion with insight about “Community That Cares” (CTC). Denise thoroughly explained and offered handouts and in conjunction please permit this synopsis; CTC is a delinquency and violence prevention planning model that helps the community to mobilize, identify risk and preventive factors and develop a comprehensive prevention plan. It is a deep look into what youth want and need to be better young adults and productive members of society. It begins with an entire community working together with trained leadership to facilitate the programs’ step by step application – this is where AYC can play a part. An important step is collecting data from the source; youth. The Allentown School District is a major factor in this step with the Pennsylvania Youth Survey (PAYS) administered to 6th, 7th 10th and 12th grades. Through this information and all the supportive parties working together with focused resources at hand the program is initiated on multiple levels but with some very primary steps in place.
This presentation was followed by some very good questions about outreach, funding, and implementation. Paulette expressed concern for funding and what happens when the grant runs out – which has been the case in many other programs through the years. Denise explained that an aspect of the organization is a committee whose focus is sustainability – it is a key component. The bottom line is that it is moving forward. Joyce pointed out our community needs to hear from youth – a leadership council of youth per say. Alfonso Todd offered his radio and internet connection to youth and getting a message out (link below). He also commented on getting information from those youth are not in the school district and still need to be heard.
Some key topics were that youth of Allentown need consistency in approach, the fight is getting youth to remain in school and to begin to turn around the dropout rate, and finally youth need a forum.
A joint effort between AYC and the CTC program needs to be considered, coordinated and applied to a timeline in the near future.
IMPACT Project
Dwight Lichtenwalner and Diana Mantore offered insight into the IMPACT Project and the School and Community Justice Panels. This program has been running, growing and successful for 13 years in the Lehigh Valley. It is a multi-systemic diversion program designed to hold first time juvenile offenders (middle school and high school) accountable for their behaviors, while screening for underlying issues that may be contributing factors to the presenting crime. The panels consist of volunteer panelist from social service agencies and the represented middle school who work with the first time juvenile offenders. Panel members are trained to review the offense and offer suggestions for resolution. Emphasis is strongly placed on victim’s rights, community involvement and due process protection. The statistics in regards to the success rate of this program are very impressive. It prevents youth from being processed into the criminal system and gives them a chance, through a thorough collective effort (panel, school, support groups, and family) to change their lives before it becomes too late.
Dwight is looking for any interested parties who may want to serve on a Justice Panel – please contact him at: IMPACTDL@ptd.net
Also, their program is in serious need for volunteers who can help with Spanish translation or offering time as an interpreter – there is a language gap (as is the case for many of our programs) and they really need assistance. If you or anyone you know can be of assistance to this very important youth program then please The IMPACT Project at 610-965-5599. THANK YOU!
**Some important information for youth and providers in Allentown, please use or pass this information on in support of our collective efforts:
TRANSITION AGE YOUTH and YOUNG ADULTS (TAYYA)
As you are aware, transition age youth and young adults (TAYYA) face a vast array of issues as they transition into adulthood. The concerns and needs of TAYYA population do not always fit neatly into the Adult BH system or the Children’s BH system and therefore many times they are left straddling two very different systems with very different perspectives. Often the transition from one system to the other is disjointed leading the young person down a rocky and uncertain road.
OMHSAS, in collaboration with the Mental Health Planning Council (Children’s Advisory Committee) would like to develop a statewide workgroup to more closely examine the needs and system challenges of TAYYA. The purpose of the work group is to continue to build upon the cadre of innovative services and supports we have begun highlighting in our Web Ex’s for TAYYA as well as exploring possible opportunities for system wide replication.
Several counties and BHMCOs are currently implementing various pilots for this population with much success and we would like to explore the various approaches being utilized. The perspectives and input from family members and youth/young adults who are familiar with the transition process will be of great value to the workgroup. With that thought in mind, we are currently recruiting family and youth/young adults to participate on the workgroup.
The tenure of the work group will be determined by workgroup participants based on interest and participation, with the first meeting scheduled for the later part of May. Initially, we would like to plan on three or four meetings with the first being face to face in Harrisburg and then most of the meetings would be conference call or webinar. Staff from the Children’s Bureau will do all of the logistics, meeting planning, documentation, etc.
Proposed Membership-up to 20 workgroup members comprised of:
- 2-3 TAYYYA representatives
- 2 Family members
- 4 provider agency reps
- 5 BHMCO reps-1 from each
- 2-4 CASSP Coordinators
- 2 OMHSAS staff (1 children’s /1 adult-policy rep.)
If you are interested in serving on this workgroup, please respond by email and provide your contact information. We thank you in advance for your willingness to participate and contribute to this effort. Please feel free to forward this email throughout your networks.
Sincerely,
Doris Arena, MPA / Transition Specialist
Department of Public Welfare / Office of Mental Health & Substance Abuse Services
DGS Annex Complex
22 Beech Drive/Beechmont Bldg.
Harrisburg, PA 17105
Phone: 717-772-7685/Fax 717-705-8268
JULY 13 – Saturday 9-3 Front Porch Project **SAVE THE DATE**
The Allentown Youth Coalition will be sponsoring this very important initiative for adults in Allentown. The Front Porch Project is a research-supported, community-based initiative based on the belief that prevention of child abuse is everyone’s business. Everyone who is concerned about the safety and well-being of children in the community can be encouraged to help and taught how to make a difference.
It is FREE! Coffee and lunch will be served. Site TBD, but please begin to spread the word – this is a very important and powerful program that can only be a major help to all those who participate – and most importantly to the youth who will benefit from parents, teachers and community leaders participation.
XCAPE Dance Studio
XCAPE Summer Programming Begins on June 17 – July 26, Urban Arts Center, 6th Hamilton Streets, Allentown PA |610-821-0345 ext. 112| Weekly Summer Camps in August. This program is open to anyone interested, there a small fee and once you are registered you can take as many classes as you like!
Youth Entrepreneurial Camp
Hello Everyone,
Do you want to learn how to make money? Have you ever wondered what it’s like to start your own business? Do you want to meet other teenagers who have great ideas too? Then you should come to the first ever JORDAN HEIGHTS YOUTH BUSINESS CAMP. This camp is for 8th, 9th, and 10th graders to meet small business owners, leaders in the industry and other youth like them. The students will get to develop their own business and learn the skills and tools needed to make the business a success. The camp will run from 9:30 am to 2:30 pm at Central Catholic High School and lunch will be provided.
WHEN: JUNE 24-28TH 9:30 AM –2:30 PM Lunch Provided
WHERE: CENTRAL CATHOLIC HIGH SCHOOL 301 N. 4TH STREET
HOW MUCH: FREE
Please register before June 15th. To register or if you have questions please contact
Ellen Denizard
610-433-5703 or edenizard@caclv.org ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
YEAllentown – A Benefit Concert
Thursday June 13, Miller Symphony Hall, 7:00 PM
YEAllentown is a unique evening that celebrates the many facets of Youth Education in the Arts, including The 2013 Cadets, Cadets2, Xcape Dance Company and the Designated Hitters. VIP Tickets are available for $25 which includes a 5 p.m. reception at the Cosmopolitan across the street before the event. Premium Tickets to YEAllentown are $15, and children 10 and under will be admitted free of charge.
Our next meeting will be THURSDAY June 13, at 11 AM. We will meet for one hour at Youth Education in the Arts (YEA!), located in the Musselman Arts Development building on the corner of 6th and Hamilton St in Allentown. We meet at 11:00 for an hour in the Xcape Dance Studio (a program of YEA!) located on 6th St about 50 yards from the corner – it will be well marked. There is convenient public parking on the street or at the corner of Linden and 6th Street – 100 yards from the Studio; you will find a parking lot and two parking garages. It is meter marking at $1.00 per hour.
We will NOT be meeting in July for the traditional summer break but we will begin again on August 8th to share information in regards to programing for Fall 2013.
Thank you and we will see you soon!
Jenna and Eric
Links of interest:
Allentown Youth Source http://www.allentownyouthsource.org/
Alfonso Todd http://alfonsotodd.com/
Eric Kitchenman
Youth Education in the Arts
Director of the Urban Arts Center
USBands Relation Manager
Program Liaison and Outreach
601 W. Hamilton St.
Allentown, PA 18101
610-821-0345, ext 124
267-218-0896 cell phone
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