Brothers and Sisters ProjectInnovative Partnerships that Meet Community Needs

Coalition for Community School April 8, 2010

Laurie Bohm, Sea Tac Community Schools Director, Community Schools CollaborationAngelica Cardenas, Family, Friend and Neighbor Program Coordinator, Child Care Resources

AGENDA

• Participants will hear about our experience in partnering to create the Brothers and Sisters Project.

• Participants will become familiar with the Brothers and Sisters Project.

• Participants will learn how we are growing the program with new partners and funders.

Community Schools Collaboration (CSC)

– VISION: Schools are vibrant centers of thriving communities that provide essential services, resources and opportunities.

– MISSION: Engage and collaborate with schools and community partners using culturally competent strategies to support child, youth and family success.

Child Care Resources (CCR)

• VISION: Every child has a great start in school and in life.• MISSION: Child Care Resources leads efforts to promote

equity for children, community stability, and school readiness by: – Helping families access and choose high quality child and

after school care.– Partnering with providers and caregivers to offer

excellent care.– Advocating for child care solutions that strengthen

communities.

Intersecting Vision/Mission

• CSC: Concern with school age children and youth• CCR: Concern with young children and their

caregivers

Although concerns are different they intersect when talking about youth caring for young

children.

The Genesis of the IdeaCommunity Schools Collaboration needs assessment in SeaTac, WA

•Youth not able to participate in after school programming because they are caring for younger siblings.

•Parents not able to attend school events without child care.

•High percentage of young children from immigrant and low income communities are not school ready.

The Genesis of the IdeaChild Care Resources Family, Friend and Neighbor Program

• Hearing from communities that there was a large percentage of youth caring for younger siblings.

• Young children who are not adequately supported in their development do not enter kindergarten ready.

• Youth were not part of program focus for reaching and supporting FFN caregivers.

The IDEA!

• Youth caring for young children need to receive support, information and education on how to do it well.

• Youth caring for young children have a skill set that can translate to other career opportunities.

• With proper training and supervision, youth can be a resource to provide quality childcare at school or community events.

“The Brothers and Sisters Project”

Finding the Right Partners• Discussing the overall goal of the project.

• Assessing what we have, what we can offer and what pieces we are missing.

• Inviting agencies that have necessary expertise and would be interested in the goal.

• Looking for the vision/mission intersection – while thinking outside of the “box” for those unlikely partners.

INVITING PARTNERS• A youth from Tyee Educational Complex

• American Red Cross Serving King & Kitsap Counties – Babysitting Certificate – CPR/First Aid for Infants, Children and Adults

• Highline Community College – College and Career Pathways– Possible curriculum to use (Early Learning Center)

• Schools Out Washington– Expertise on youth programming – Possible trainers and resources

WHAT DOES IT TAKE FOR PARTNERSHIPS TO WORK?

• Minimum of two visionary agencies, not just individuals

• The Squeaky wheel(s)– Reach out and contact other partners– Remind partners of why it is important– Keep on top of action steps

• Note taker

• Convener and meeting reminder

• Flexibility – location, date and time of meetings– openness to new ideas and direction toward the common goal

WHAT DERAILS PARTNERSHIPS?• Staff turnover

• Lack of clear understanding from all partners of the goal

• Agency mission/vision getting lost in the process

• Funding cuts leading to changing priorities

• Inconsistent meetings dates and times

• Lack of follow through on next steps

• Over promising and not delivering

• Too much process and not enough action

WHAT DID THE YOUTH PARTNER BRING TO BSP?

• First hand experience for the needs he has in caring for his younger sisters.

• Information on which youth were caring for young children and would be interested in the project.

• Conducted a survey with youth to find out if there was any interest in something like this and what date and time would work best to hold the Brothers and Sisters Project.

• Recruited students into project

• Over time, he kept encouraging the students to continue attending.

WHAT DID THE PARTNERS BRING TO BSP?

Community Schools Collaboration• Time and expertise of staff;• Outreach to and coordination of youth for the classes;• Facilities needs and logistics for trainings at the Tyee

Educational Complex;• 1 AmeriCorps as a facilitator;• $2000 towards training materials, supplies, food, and

incentives.

WHAT DID THE PARTNERS BRING TO BSP?

Child Care Resources• Time and expertise of staff;• Development of lesson plans;• Training of 1 CSC AmeriCorps on CCR lesson plans;• Copying and printing costs.

WHAT DID THE PARTNERS BRING TO BSP?

American Red Cross Serving King and Kitsap Counties • Time and expertise of staff;• A trained Red Cross facilitator for the Babysitting, First Aid,

and Adult, Child and Infant CPR certification trainings; • Discounted costs for Red Cross training materials and

certifications.

WHAT DID THE PARTNERS BRING TO BSP?

Highline Community College (HCC)• Time and expertise of staff;• Use of HCC curricula and resources towards the development

of appropriate career pathways lesson plans.

The Brothers and Sisters ProjectAreas Covered

• Child Development •Behavior Management• Home Safety• Adult /Child/Infant CPR, and First Aid• Educational and Career Pathways

The Brothers and Sisters ProjectFormat

• 8 week session• Meeting 2 times a week, 2

hours each week• 12 started and 8 graduated• Youth were required to

attend all sessions

Who Participated• 3 males

• 6 females

• Very culturally diverse youths:– Liberian– Ivorian – Senegalese – Latino – Haitian – Ethiopian – Somali – Thai – Vietnamese

Celebration • Youth invited their parents, friends and teachers to the

event.

• Youth did skits and a PowerPoint presentation on what they learned.

• Youth left with a tailored resume that included their new skills.

• Youth received:• CPR/First Aid certificate• American Red Cross Babysitting certificate • Brothers and Sister Project Certificate• Target Gift Card

GRADUATION!

The Brothers and Sisters Project

By: Jennifer Huynh

Pitchaya Yourglich

Steven Valadez

Selamawit Mergia

What is it?

An 8-week program where students learn about:

•Early Childhood Development •CPR •First-

Aid Response

•Safe baby-sitting practices

How to give proper CPR (Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation)

• Make sure the area is safe

• Tap the person on the shoulder

• Ask someone to call 911

• Check for signs of life

• Rescue breaths

• Perform CPR

Early Childhood Development

The different stages of development:

First-Aid Response

• What to do when someone is injured • Proper ways of putting and removing gloves • Applying gauze and bandage

• When someone is experiencing hypoglycemia (diabetic)

• F.A.S.T. (Recognition of Stroke) • Face • Arm • Speech • Time

Thanks to…

• The American Red Cross

• Child Care Resources

• Highline Community College

• Ms. Jewel Robinson (Career Center)

• Community Schools Collaboration

Programmatic Lessons Learned• Snacks are important!

• Students found videos to be informative but boring.

• Given the make up of the participants reading out loud was not an appropriate strategy for the youth.

• Students enjoyed and actively participated in hands on activities.

Programmatic Lessons Learned

• Relationship with the facilitator is paramount.

• Curriculum needs to be hands on and active.

• Curriculum needs to have regular time for reflection on what they are learning and how it will change the way they care for children.

• Curriculum needs to include intentional discussion on cultural differences in childrearing.

What Students Told Us All youth indicated that the information they learned would change the way

they care for young children.

•“It made me a better person to take care of little kids so that I know what to do when danger comes.”•“I learned a lot about young children that I never knew before!”•“I liked the day where we worked on how to make children not do something without making him or her feel bad.”•“I learned a lot of things I didn’t know before, especially how to manage kids behavior.”•“It taught me to be a better role model and keep the (children’s) environment wonderful always.”•“I learned how to talk to a child and how to make rules for them.”

“Now I am not afraid to be left alone with my 2 year old brother!”

Year TwoPartnerships

• Lost American Red Cross and Highline Community College

• Gained King County Library System

• Community Schools Collaboration took on career pathways component

Partner Lessons Learned

• Without buy in from organization/management project loses momentum.

• Partnerships can change and/or end based on the lessons learned.

• Partnerships need to be active even in the down time.

• Be always on the lookout for potential partners who may be able to contribute to the project.

Year Two Moving to Scale

Implemented in three high schools• Tyee Educational Complex, SeaTac

• Evergreen Campus, White Center

• Foster High School, Tukwila

Year Two Funding

• Funding Sources – United Way of King County– White Center Community Development Association– FACES South

• The funding was used to:– Hire contract coordinators at each school

Coordinate/facilitate lessons; Coordinate graduation; Develop relationships with area organizations to provide volunteer/paid opportunities

for the students based on their new BSP skills.

– Pay CCR’s Provider Services for creation of a BSP specific curriculum– Three CCR staff to facilitate BSP curriculum– Received First Aid kits and Play Kits

Plans for the Future

• Replicable in other communities

• Available for middle school students

• Develop BSP Module 2:– Healthy Habits: For youth and children in their care– Social Marketing: Sharing what they learned with their

families and communities– Career Pathways: Preparing for the future with more in depth

experiences through volunteer opportunities and/or paid internships.

QUESTIONS?

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BROTHERS AND SISTERS PROJECT

Laurie Bohm, SeaTac Community Schools Director, Community Schools Collaboration

laurie@cscwa.org 206.433.2516

Angelica Cardenas, FFN Program Coordinator, Child Care Resourcecardenas@childcare.org 206.329.1011 xt 216