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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2015-04-22DRYC April 22, 2015 Page 1 of 8 Town of Dryden Recreation and Youth Commission April 22, 2015 Members Present: Stephanie Mulinos (Chair), Diane Pamel, Kathy Gehring, Tom Fuchs, David Bravo-Cullen Youth Services Coordinator: Kris Bennett (not present) Town Hall Staff: Jennifer Jones, Recreation Director Liaisons: Not Present Introduction of Guests: Ray Burger Mr. Burger is originally from this area, has worked in Alaska for 30+ years doing regional planning for the State and recently moved back to Dryden. Discussion Items: Review and approval of minutes from March 25, 2015: K. Gehring moved to approve the minutes, T. Fuchs seconded the motion and the minutes were unanimously approved. Program Reports: Nikki Nease: report attached. Kris Bennett: report attached Recreation Department: report attached Dave Hall: - Uses circle of courage youth development model https://www.reclaiming.com/content/about-circle-of-courage - Guides youth by leading them to their own answers and reminds them that everyone has to start somewhere. - The final point on the circle is when they come all the way around until they are helping others. - All of his programs are full - He has split some of his programs by holding the sessions for half the time thus reaching twice the number of youth but limiting the knowledge and opportunity provided. The Commission asked how they can help Mr. Hall. It appears that more money to hire another, perhaps part-time, employee would be helpful. Primitive Pursuits needs someone that knows the program, otherwise they won’t have the skills to actually help. Volunteers are welcome but they would not always be helpful. S. Mulinos explained that the Commission will expect a report from D. Hall and N. Nease every other month (rather than once a month). The Commission will contact each of them for personal visits as needed. Town Board: Not present DRYC April 22, 2015 Page 2 of 8 Tompkins County Youth Services: K. Gehring The 2015 budget has been approved without changes. The County administrator is going to recommend a flat budget for next year as well. That means no increases or decreases for everyone. The municipal youth services think tank has had 3 meetings in the past month. There have been a wide variety of participants and a lot of good ideas. The group is considering holding a summit to get the local youth agencies together to discuss various challenges and strategies. One of the topics has been van sharing. Cornell has indicated that some of their vans are at the end of their viability and have not indicated whether or not they will replace the vans once removed from use. Other Boards: The Conservation Board will be meeting with landowners along the proposed Freeville to Varna trail on the 25th of April. Recreation Department report: see attached - Adult recreation o Potential of a once a week yoga program o Room Policy? (J. Jones will work on it) Action Items/Updates: Distribution of Needs Assessment and Annual Report K. Gehring will present both documents to the Town Board on June 18th. She has a power point that will demonstrate the difference between youth programming and recreation. She will then share a general overview of the two reports. S. Mulinos agreed to take the information to the Village of Freeville. The report has already been sent to the Ellis Hollow Community Center, the Varna Community Center, the Southworth Library, it is on the town’s website and available through the Recreation Department. K. Gehring agreed to share her presentation with the School Board as well. S. Mulinos is contacting the school to make arrangements. D. Bravo-Cullen agreed to deliver the reports to the Dryden Village Board. Dairy Days: The DRYC will discuss the possibilities next month. The Recreation Department will have a bounce house and literature. Community Grant: The deadline for the grants is May 4th but so far they only have 4 applications. The members agreed to meet on May 13th at the normal meeting time. The members were encouraged to review the applications before the 13th. DRYC April 22, 2015 Page 3 of 8 Trail Update: The Conservation Board has created a maintenance task force and a set of guidelines for the DPW when they are working with Trails. Open Discussion: Dryden Park S. Mulinos feels that the potential of a park behind the Town Hall is not feasible and is not moving forward. She recommended that the Town consider selling the land and look at another site – potentially the old dollar store location. The members discussed the idea. There being no further business, the meeting was adjourned at 8:30PM. Respectfully submitted, Erin A. Bieber Deputy Town Clerk Program Manager: Nikki Nease Dryden OURS Program Report + Dryden Youth Employment Report – Spring Semester 2015 We are proud to announce two recent awards: Highlights: $1000 from The Friends of the TCPL will fund the cost of $500 for books to enhance the OURS lending Library at 4H Acres + $450 for books that youth will hand-pick with their YOURS Mentors and bring home to keep, +$50 to support transportation fees to local library events/functions. OURS & YOURS was also approved for the 2015 Robinson Appel Humanitarian Award! We gained $1,500 from this prestigious board of funders that will enhance the Tuesday Leadership Council in STEM Exploration throughout the 2015/16 academic year, with a culminating “Science Fair” Event next spring of 2016, to which families, funders, and Dryden Central School Staff will be invited! DRYC April 22, 2015 Page 4 of 8 Monday Mentoring + Mentor-In-Training Programs, Spring 2015, 39 Participants, Aged 7 -18, 44 YOURS Volunteer Mentors, 2 YOURS Volunteer Coordinators: Details: The Quintessential OURS & YOURS Program: Each young person is paired with a Cornell Student, YOURS Mentor. Consistent meetings and trainings help facilitate meaningful pairings and progressive, positive experiences for Mentor-Mentee pairs. Pairs bond each Monday of the semester for at least 1 and up to 4 years. Eldest participants are given the opportunity to apply for MIT Positions. MITs get to reshape program through hands on trainings, “shadowing” of pairs, mentoring of their younger peers, & expressive voice that is factored into programmatic development. MITs receive the encouragement and resources to lead activities and workshops & we formally celebrate their unique accomplishments! Highlights: Amazing bonds are forming. Excellent services have been observed and reported to County Youth Services. One current coordinator will graduate from Cornell and move into a Teach For America position, while our other Monday-Mentoring Coordinator will continue to co-lead next year with a Mentor with vivid aspirations who was just voted onto the YOURS Executive Board. Engineering Fraternity, Theta Tau, has & plans to continue next year to facilitate & fund hands-on STEM activities. Challenges: We plan to hire a second driver in order to ensure that I will be present during 100% of the program day, without the responsibility of transporting participants. Many young people residing in the Mobile Home Parks, as well as many volunteer Mentors, are on a waiting-list to participate. Individual challenges are addressed with the cooperation of CCE, participating families, and Dryden School Staff. Tuesday Leadership Council, Spring 2015, 11 Participants, Aged 12 – 17, 7 YOURS Volunteer Mentors, 2 YOURS Volunteer Coordinators: Details: OURS Teens and YOURS Mentors take turns leading Power Point/Prezi presentations of their personal choice; we acknowledge unique interests and strengths that direct a deeper exploration of potential career and college pathways that we actively investigate. Our sharing of personal interests also inspires an awareness of cultural diversity that is present amongst YOURS, and opens doors of communication around stereo types and acceptance, as well as a celebration of unique differences! Highlights: Our culminating event: Over-night fieldtrip to NYC 4/11-4/12, successfully engaged OURS Teens in an eye-opening experience with the greater, highly diverse community outside of Dryden. Participants felt trusted and privileged; two very important emotions that help us retain elder youth, longer-term with positive out-comes. We hope to continue this tradition of rewarding their dedication as MITs! Challenges: The structure of Tuesday Program this spring was shaped in direct response to the challenges we experienced during the Fall Semester. The relationships between YOURS and OURS were challenged by our observation that teens sought attention from Mentors by attempting to shock them with reports of risky behaviors and stories about themselves engaging in adult behaviors that were beyond the norm of what we expect from OURS Teens; Wow! We very intentionally created an atmosphere in which Mentors & teens can present their successes & aspirations to one another in a way that commends constructive, positive ways of being, & affirms high expectations & goals for the future. Thursday Word Buffs + MIT’s Lead The Way!, 17 Participants, Aged 7 – 17, 14 YOURS Volunteer Mentors, 3 YOURS Volunteer Coordinators: Details: This program unites the youngest & eldest of OURS. I read an interactive “story book of the day”, which leads to 4 thematic stations for Mentor-Mentee pairs to engage in hands-on activities that necessitate reading and celebrate literacy. MITs facilitate activities & lead 1 of 4 stations every Thursday. DRYC April 22, 2015 Page 5 of 8 Highlights: One station is always an edible station; a way to incorporate snack as an actual activity that tends to be the favored station! The range of literacy-celebrating activities has been over-the-top exciting every week! Challenges: The past 3 semesters of this new OURS Program Day had been a combination of success as well as feelings of struggle/uncertainty. We had been attempting, with professional assistance, to identify literacy challenges & then respond with corrective action in order to improve individual literacy skills. For a portion of participants, this worked well. But in the spirit of making program a successful experience for everyone, we resolved to restructure the day in order to provide positive opportunities that align with our age range (7-9 years), & that allow everyone to listen to stories & then read in order to conduct experiments, play games, investigate environments, create crafts & gifts, & to interact as a team to build life-skills that are centered around a celebration of reading & writing! Fridays for 10s & 11s; Cooking Matters, Spring 2015, 11 Participants, 11 YOURS Volunteer Mentors, 2 YOURS Volunteer Coordinators + 1 Volunteer Nutritionist: Details: With a strong Nutrition component, 10 and 11 year-aged OURS have connected new ideas about healthy foods to their taste buds, they have gained confidence to prepare them in highly creative ways, and they have gained knowledge through games, interactive discussions, and activities with their Mentors – who have doubtlessly gained just as much as their Mentee counterparts in this highly successful “Cooking Matters” Program. Highlights: Partnering with the Nutrition Department of the CCETC is always with many advantages! The loads of age-appropriate and engaging activities really work to teach an otherwise challenging topic that can be misconceived as dull and unexciting compared to snazzy candy wrappers and cereal box characters! Nancy Melina, our volunteer Nutritionist, whose family is relatively new to this area, reports an eye-opening, positive experience and I believe she will stay connected to us in the future! Challenges: Friday OURS Participants will cater our End of The Semester Celebration on May 1st at Stewart Park! All Volunteers, families, (and of course the Dryden Youth Commission, too!)– are invited to our BBQ in and around the large pavilion near the lake, between 5:30 and 7pm. Though this is also a “high-light”, it is not without challenges; we are optimistic and excited, hoping for a sunny day, and knowing that everyone will miss each other until next fall… Dryden Youth Employment, Spring 2015, 1 Student Employee + 9 Pending Positions: Details: Dryden High school students can look forward to two info-sessions on Wednesdays; April 29th, and May 6th, directly afterschool until 5pm (with late-bus transportation available). During these sessions, students will gain knowledge of the requirements for our program, details of the process, and they will receive permission forms for their guardians. Informed, first-time job-seekers will have access to a list of participating job-sites and they may sign up in the main-office for time-slots that they can meet with me after school to survey their interests and Rural Youth Services, Youth Employment Program Managers at the Cornell Cooperative Extension meet regularly to share best practices and we are working extra hard this year to "stream-line" resources within our department for the highest quality of services possible. Though we keep in the fore front of our minds that it is always good to be flexible, and each community is unique, we do plan to keep a straight forward policy regarding contracts and consistent, written feedback, in order to uphold our organization's policies, goals, and intentions. The Dryden Youth Employment Budget this year will allow for one, 100-hour work experience position for each of nine, participating sites this summer season. Some positions work better when more than one teen is placed, with the advantage of team-building and camaraderie. We can expect to partner with Tompkins Workforce and other Youth Employment Programs that will supplement funding for wages as per their budget allowances for this year. DRYC April 22, 2015 Page 6 of 8 either be channeled to another Youth-Employment Agency if appropriate, or they will be encouraged to apply and interview at a/specific site(s). They will be instructed to contact job-sites directly to set up an interview, and I should be notified of each correspondence. Each participant will become well-aware of the competitive factor that aligns with the reality of the employment- world at large, and their employment through our program will ultimately be contingent upon the interview(s) with the job-site(s). Participants will also have the advantage of training relative to interview-skills, appropriate work-place conduct, effective communication and assertiveness skills, and open-forums for communicating concerns, areas for improvement/assistance from me and/or other professionals. Teens will be invited to celebrate their employment-experiences with BBQ and games while exchanging critical feedback, 2 weeks prior to the end of summer. Challenges: Dryden/Freeville residents who do not attend Dryden High-school are encouraged to email me at njn35@cornell.edu, or call 585-808-3402, so that I may keep them in the loop with dates for info sessions and meetings. Some job-sites and parents have reported difficulty reaching me regarding the Youth Employment Program; I extend my sincerest apologies, as the Dryden OURS Program is an amazing duty that keeps me more than occupied! But, alas, the time has come to focus more energy this way- and I am confident that we are set for another successful season of Summer-Youth-Employment! Report to the Dryden Recreation and Youth Commission From Kris Bennett, Liaison from Tompkins County Youth Services Department April, 2015 • I am sorry to miss a second meeting; this is the first time since my involvement with Dryden that I have needed to miss two in a row. But I hope you will agree that a new grandchild and a daughter’s wedding are important life events! • The state budget passed; youth development funding was held at the same level as the previous year. Funding was added for Runaway and Homeless Youth services but the Raise the Age component was not included. See my March report for details about these programs. • Staff from my office continue to do our PQA (Program Quality Assessment) visits. Staff recently visited Nikki and the OURS program. Since I have seen both Nikki and Dave in action before I am visiting other programs. We still have a few visits to do but expect to have them done by the end of May. I hope to be able to share the aggregate Dryden information with you this summer. • Cooperative Extension’s annual Duck Race, a significant fundraiser for 4-H and RYS, is scheduled for April 26. Please consider supporting the event by buying a duck or a flock; you can do this on DRYC April 22, 2015 Page 7 of 8 line at http://duckrace.peaksmaker.com/champions/ More info about the event is at http://ccetompkins.org/events/2014/04/27/4-h-rubber-duck-race-color-splash-run. • Finally, I’m glad Kathy Gehring shared with you at your March meeting the update that many (but not all) CCE program managers are meeting regularly outside of work to discuss strategies for raising their salaries. They have been researching other positions they feel are similar to theirs and feel they are under paid. There has also been discussion about the work and whether too much is expected of them (in terms of number of hours of direct programming vs. hours for planning and other activities). There have been meetings internally at CCE, including with the director but no official “ask” has yet come from the staff. I will keep you posted. April 2015 Dryden Recreation and Youth Commission Recreation Director Report Jennifer Jones  Upcoming Events: o May 1st & 2nd - May Day Egg Hunts o Youth Track (May 5th), Lacrosse, and Karate are running. o CPR/AED/First Aid Training this weekend and again on  Community Grants: o Applications are starting to come in. Deadline is May 4th. Review session on May13th.  Summer Planning: o The two summer concert series are almost complete. (Ellis Hollow & VFW) o Summer/ Fall Program guide is on schedule to print the first week of May. o Summer programs this year will include archery, dance, golf and hopefully basketball. We also have set up Yankee and SeaBreeze Field trip days. o I am still looking for someone to run a one week drama camp for kids. I emailed a contact I had with the drama club but didn’t receive a response.  Youth & Adult Sports: o Youth lacrosse (K-8), track (K-6), and karate (K-8) are running smooth. Lacrosse was postponed one week due to field conditions. Also, at this time there are zero girls signed up for lacrosse which is not what we hoped for. Also, youth track has a new coach Billy Finnerty. The varsity coaches were not longer looking to run the program so we would lucky enough to have Billy get involved. o Adult Pickleball will begin its last indoor session running from 4/12- 6/7. There is also the addition of Adult softball and kickball for spring and summer. DRYC April 22, 2015 Page 8 of 8