peer-to-peer youth enterprises and the peer-to-peer youth enterprises investment fund

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Peer-to-Peer Youth Enterprises

and the

Peer-to-Peer Youth Enterprises Investment Fund

Helping Baltimore City…One Peer at a Time

Power Point Presentation

May 19, 2008

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What are Peer-to-Peer Youth Enterprises?

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In Peer-to-Peer Youth Enterprises, young people are paid to share knowledge and skills with other peers. This means peers teaching/training peers and/or to using their knowledge to help peers reach their goals.

Peer-to-Peer Youth Enterprises can be community based, and school based. Peers can be paid to teach/share skills regarding academics, art, and a variety of other skills.

Peer to Peer Youth Enterprises are youth led. Adults are there to teach specific skills, and guide the work – but the young people participating in these enterprises lead the group.

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What skills are learned in Peer-to-Peer Youth Enterprises?

Paid peers learn time management, responsibility, problem solving, and more about the knowledge they impart to other youth.

Paid peers are transferring knowledge or teaching their technical or academic skill, responsibility, and are role models and mentors to other youth.

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Why are Peer-to-Peer Youth Enterprises Important?

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Paying peers is important because:

Otherwise they have to find other jobs that would not enable them to learn and utilize skills needed for the knowledge based economy. Their knowledge is valuable, just like yours, and requires compensation. Receiving a steady income is a deterrent to getting into the drug trade or crime for economic reasons.

Peers teaching other Peers is more effective:

As one Youth Dreamer paid peer put it: “We can relate better, and the kids we serve can talk with us without being intimidated. They listen to us.”

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___________________________________________________________ * According to Robert Balfanz, a researcher for the Center for the Social Organization of Schools at Johns Hopkins University, “failure to graduate from high school has become a ticket to the underclass.” Between lower tax contributions and higher social program use, each high school dropout can be expected to cost at least $200,000 more in public funding over the course of his or her life than if he or she had earned a high school degree;

* According to the KidsCount Data book in 2007, 32.6% of middle school students and 42.6% high school students are absent more than 20 days within the school year and there is a direct correlation between attendance rates and drop out rates;

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___________________________________________________________

* Peer-to-Peer Youth Enterprises are one way that we are working with the rest of the city to reduce juvenile arrests, gangs, and reduce the drop out rate - and increase the success of the next generation of leaders in Baltimore.

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Who Supports Peer-to-Peer Youth Enterprises

and the Fund?

___________________________________________________________ * Dr. Andres Alonso, CEO of the Baltimore City Schools System: “I am committed to ensuring that every school has a Peer-to-Peer Youth Enterprise component to it. We will make this work, but it takes a lot of people’s investments to do this.”

* The entire City Council of Baltimore City

….and more!

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Examples of Peer-to-Peer Youth Enterprises:

Peers tutoring other Peers - Youth Dreamers Homework Club, Algebra Project, who tutor students one-on-one.

Photo Credit: Youth Dreamers

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Peers teaching other Peers a skill - Wide Angle Youth Media where peers create videos and events to educate other peers, and Unchained Talent produces plays to educate other peers. More experienced peers teach the new peers the skills in both organizations

Photo credit:

Wide Angle Youth Media

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Peers training other Peers in a product or service- Liberty Learning Center cooking program, young people learn catering/cooking, child care, and computer support as they relate to running a school-age child care center, and those young people are paid to train their peers in the same skills. Also, the Chesapeake Center for Youth Development offers middle school youth the opportunity to get paid as managers of their own school store, Dollars and Changz. The managers supervise their peers who also work in the school store and train them in various aspects of business operation, including marketing, inventory, accounting, sales, writing business plans, staffing, store security, etc.

Photo credit: Unchained Talent

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Peers educating other Peers – Street Soldiers where paid peers promote violence prevention to other peers through programs, mentoring, etc. In addition, Community Conferencing pays young people to be a part of “daily rap” where young people build a variety of social skills (self-concept, personal responsibility, relationships, communication, emotional intelligence, social support, problem-solving and collective efficacy) and are trained as daily rap facilitators, learning how to be neutral, non-judgmental and non-directive as they provide these safe, confidential and mobilizing sessions with their peers.

Photo credit: Liberty Learning Center

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Groups that currently have a Peer-to-Peer Youth Enterprise (in Alphabetical order)

Baltimore Algebra Project Baltimore Urban Debate League

Chesapeake Center for Youth DevelopmentCommunity Conferencing Center Entrepreneurial Training University

Follow Your Dreams Hampden Family Center

Hip Hop CongressKids on the Hill

Liberty Learning CenterSAFE, Inc.

Southeast Youth AcademyStadium School Youth Dreamers

Unchained TalentWide Angle Youth Media

Womb Works ProductionsYouth As Resources

…and more!

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The Peer-to-Peer Youth Enterprise groups have come together to form this Peer-to-Peer Movement to accomplish four (4) main things:

Change the way Baltimore thinks of youth, from trouble makers to part of the knowledge based economy and positive contributors.

Work to build an Investment Fund that will ensure a steady stream of funding in order to pay the young people involved.

Design a fair and unique process for distribution of these funds and reporting success

Bring the young people in these groups together to learn from each other, publicize the Peer-to-Peer efforts to their respective audiences, and be involved in the Peer-to-Peer Youth Enterprises Movement.

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The Peer-to-Peer Youth Enterprises Investment Fund

Creating an Investment Fund is important because:

We need to have a steady stream of income for ensuring Peer-to-PeerYouth Enterprises can pay their peers.

To leverage several funding sources and build on them – such as:

• City funding

• School system funding

• Private Corporate Investors

• Private Foundations

• Individual investors

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Status of fundraising so far:

* The City Council passed resolution 08-0021R requesting the Mayor to add $3million to this investment fund. To date, this line item is not included in the proposed budget

* We already raised $85,000 in foundation funds, and we anticipate raising another $1 million in investments from a wide variety of sources.

* More corporate and foundation investments have been requested.

The Investment Fund will be held at the Baltimore Community Foundation but managed by the Peer-to-Peer Youth Enterprises Investment Board.

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Groups that want to have a Peer-to-Peer Youth Enterprise will submit Business Proposals that articulate:

Product or Service: Description of Peer-to-Peer Youth Enterprise, and where it takes place

Size and scope: Numbers of young people affected (those paid, and those served by paid peers.)

How this enterprise reaches “the underserved”

How the Knowledge transfer happens:How the youth participating in the Enterprise will become experts in the relevant fieldHow the youth experts are transferring their knowledge to other peersHow the youth participating are interacting with peers to impart their expertiseHow the Enterprise benefits the community.

Management: Peer or adult capacity or track record for managing the enterprise.

Marketing: Evidence of target audience for paid peers, peers served, and market for service (i.e. in school, neighborhood, or sector specified by the enterprise)

Budget: Costs of the Enterprise

Return: Quantified Social Return On Investment (SROI) and other evidence of expected returns.

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What does $3 million from the city pay for?

(this is increased exponentially with the additional money we intend to raise)

Number of Youth Employed 700-1000*

Number of Youth Served by paid peers 2,000 - 6,000*

Hours of Youth Involvement School year: 5 to 20 hours a week per young person

Summer: 10 to 35 hours a week per young person*

Average Student Earning Around $1,200 for summer and $1,800 for school year= $3,000 per year per young person*

* (number depends on exact rates, hours, nature of enterprise, weeks, etc.)

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The Peer-to-Peer Youth Investment Fund will fund the following items. Groups submitting business proposals have to make compelling

arguments to the Fund:

Peer-to-Peer Youth Enterprises – funds to pay the peers as staff

Paid peers: ages 10-13 (stipends) and 14-24 (stipends or formal wages) to serve other young people

Peers served: under 24 years old.

Salary of adult staff and other supplies as needed to ensure a successful Peer-to-Peer Youth Enterprise.

Full or part-time staff who were once paid peers in the program, and then “aged out.” The organization in effect creates a career ladder for the Peer-to-Peer Youth Enterprise.

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Expectations in the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd year of the Fund.

Year 1

Launch of the Peer-to-Peer Youth Enterprises.

Investment Board determined and governance determined.

$3.4 million in the Investment Fund

At least 20-30 Peer-to-Peer Youth Enterprises

Each Paid peer opening bank account at MECU

Over 1,000 paid peers teaching/training up to 6,000 young people.

Paid peers earning $3,000 annual average

Director (or business manager) of the Investment Fund hired.

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Year 2

At least 10-20 NEW Peer-to-Peer Youth Enterprises (up to 50 total)

$4.3 Million in the Investment Fund


Over 1,000-1,200 paid peers teaching/training up to 7,200 young people.

Increased demand for Peer-to-Peer Youth Enterprises

Extravaganza highlighting the Year 1 successes – all investors invited

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Year 3

At least 60-70 Peer-to-Peer Youth Enterprises funded

$4.8 Million in the Investment Fund


Over 1,200-1,500 paid peers teaching/training up to 9,000 young people.

Increasing demand for Peer-to-Peer Youth Enterprises

Increase in social and economic return on investment from year 1 and year 2

Extravaganza celebrating successes – inviting all investors.

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Social Return on Investment

There are two types of Social Return on Investment:

Advantages Received by those who participate in the Enterprises, and

Actual Value Produced--the value of the products and services produced by each Enterprise (if purchased in the regular marketplace), relative to the investment made in each Enterprise.

Individual Youth Enterprises will submit a Business Plan for funding. The Business Plan will show the costs for each Enterprise, and the value produced (if sold in the regular market) for each Enterprise, and the return received by the participants in each Enterprise. Each Enterprise will designate what success means to them, just as you do in your business

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Advantages Received include:

Academic Skills and competencies achieved during the experience

Technical skills and competencies achieved during the experience

Critical Thinking, problem solving

Increase in Attendance rates, graduation rates and test scores.

Job readiness, responsibility,

Acquisition of at least 30 “developmental assets” (the Search Foundation’s list of 40 Developmental Assets)

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The Actual Market Value Produced could include items such as:

Hours of tutoring (at $25-40 an hour which is market rate for private tutoring firms)

CD’s sold Hours of production time in a studio (market valued at $200 per hour) Tickets sold to shows Hours of training Salaries earned And more…

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We Know it works because:Paid peers Said:

“I find peer to peer teaching to be very beneficial. With my experiences I’m able to learn in a comfortable environment and feel at ease. Not only is peer to peer teaching a youth being taught by a fellow youth - it is also youth connecting and forming bonds. I look at my teachers as mentors who actually want to see me succeed in what ever I aspire to achieve. I personally feel that many youth in Baltimore are missing that at home and in school” (Wide Angle Youth Media youth educator)

“I see the progress in the student I tutor. She shows me the report card and comments, and since the time I have worked with her, her teacher says she turns in all her homework, and her grades have improved. What a great feeling!” (Stadium School Youth Dreamer)

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We Know it works because:

Over 20 after school and out-of-school groups have Peer-to-Peer Youth Enterprises with very positive outcomes. Paid peers have high graduation rates, high college enrollment, more involvement to improve their own communities, job skills and job readiness - ultimately retaining youth leadership in Baltimore.

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Peer-to-Peer Youth Enterprises Investment Board

An independent Investment Board will make awards to Peer-to-Peer Youth Enterprises. Each Investment Board member will be knowledgeable and skilled in at least one technical area of expertise:

The Investment Board will include at least:

• 2 graduates of formal after-school/Peer-to-Peer Youth programs • 2 business representatives• 1 teacher or youth worker• 1 city or school system officer or public official• 1 parent of a participant in a Peer-to-Peer Youth Enterprise• 1 current participant (Peer Educator/paid peer).

The Investment Board will meet every other month to consider business proposals for the Fund, or receive updates on current work.

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The inaugural Investment Board members will be chosen using an open application process and selected by the Peer-to-Peer Coordinating group and the Baltimore Community Foundation.

After that, the Investment Board will be self-perpetuating as normal investment boards.

An Investment Committee will be formed of the Investors into the Fund. These investors will help manage the fund, and ensure its sustainability, and will not make award decisions.

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The Director (or business manager) of the Investment Board will:

• Recruit groups to submit business proposals to the Fund

• Provide guidance to applicants as they apply (such as during the Healthy Neighborhoods process).

• Ensure all Peer-to-Peer groups have the technical assistance needed

• Solicit additional dollars for the Fund.

peer-to-peer youth enterprises and the peer-to-peer youth enterprises investment fund

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