Greater MDI Communities for Children Minutes
Thursday, September 11, 2003
Superintendent’s Conference Room, MDIHS
3:30-5pm

Attending: Doug Michael, Gerry Keenan, Vanessa Tillmann, Terri Lanpher,
Susan Covino Buell, Marty Lyons, Pam Bush, Mary Ellen Martel,
Irene Greene Murphy, Chris Kaiser, Heather Albert-Knopp, and
Genell Vashro

1. Welcome and Introductions

*Tasks established for meeting:
-Facilitator: Doug Michael
-Recorder: Genell Vashro
-Timekeeper: Heather Albert-Knopp

2. Brief review of August 6^th planning retreat held at Camp Beech Cliff.

-Focused on two areas:

1. Early childhood development
2. Giving youth a voice: involved in communities, on boards, and get their voices listened to and respected

(Minutes from retreat are available, contact Vanessa Tillmann: vanessa@healthyacadia.org)

3. Updates on VISTA projects.

-Vanessa Tillmann- working out of the Healthy Acadia office on Early Childhood Development and coordination of the Leadership Council.

Working on:

-Researching state of Childcare on island

-Interviewing providers, becoming familiar with existing programs

-Creating contacts

-Reading past minutes to get up to speed

-Genell Vashro- working out of the Harbor House, but working with Camp Beech Cliff, YMCA, the Neighborhood House, and the Harbor House on Youth Programming and Youth Empowerment.

Working on:

-Meeting and getting a feel for the main four community centers

-Researching minutes, past programs on the island, and techniques of youth empowerment.

-Database: get an idea of all the after-school activities offered on the island offered to youth from grades 6-12.

4. Creation of 2 New Task Forces-

1. Early Childhood Development- working with Vanessa:

Mary Ellen Martel
Gerry Keenan
Doug Michael

Next Early Childhood Development Task meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, October 7, 2003, 8:30 am @ the Harbor House Children’s Center.

2. Youth Empowerment/Involvement- working with Genell:

Marty Lyons
Gerry Keenan
Chris Kaiser
Irene Greene Murphy
Heather Albert-Knopp
Susan Covino Buell
Terri Lanpher

Next Youth Empowerment Task meeting is scheduled for Thursday, September 25, 2003, 4:00pm at the High School.

4. Youth Involvement.

A. MYAN (Maine Youth Action Network) Youth Leadership Conference.

*20^th annual Peer Leadership Council is being held November 6-7, 2003 at Atlantic Oaks, Bar Harbor.

*Topic for the Youth Empowerment task force is to discuss how to involve youth in this conference.

*Contact Heather Albert-Knopp at Healthy Acadia (288-5331) for more information.

B. "Youth on Board" Training

*Program dedicated to creating links and engagement between youth and adults to create stronger communities.

*Question was asked whether or not we want their training here on the Island, or whether or not we should try to attend their training in Maine.

*For more information you can contact Healthy Acadia or look up "Youth on Board" on the web www.youthonboard.org

 

*Doug Michael is looking for a youth to come to the statewide meetings for Communities for Children (C4C) in Augusta, Maine.

*Ideas of how to select that youth:

-Have the students vote for the position (voting for class president, etc. is taking place soon at the schools, we could add in this position)

-Get a younger youth- an 8^th grader vs. 12^th grader, one that can work with us throughout the years.

*Doug is going to send more information to Genell regarding his idea of the job description for the student. From that information, the Youth Empowerment Task force can further discuss how to select this student

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6. Review and adoption of Roles and Decision-Making Guidelines.

*Review handout (see attachment).

*Agreed that consensus was a positive way to reach decisions because it encourages dialogue.

*Group approved the roles and decision-making guidelines using group consensus.

7. Recruitment of Facilitators for "Creating Lasting Family Connections."

*Irene Greene Murphy discussed an upcoming meeting October 9, 2003, 2:30-4pm @ superintendent’s conference room at the High School.

-Survey assessments, results of MYDAUS

-Discuss working in the youth/family domain to enter into the community to spark involvement and education concerning substance abuse/prevention.

-All are welcome and encouraged to attend meeting.

*Irene is looking for a responsible and dedicated young adult to participate in the facilitator training for "Creating Lasting Family Connections."

-Training dates are Nov. 17-21, 2003, and the program will be implemented in January for 10 weeks, for 3 hours each week.

-Please contact her for more information or potential candidates.

8. Announcements

*Comments from Susan Buell:

"Some of the CFC concerns, last year, that were carried over from

the MDI Youth Sub-group had to do with transportation and with the "lost children".  Good news on the transportation front:  MDIHS has instituted a late (activities) bus running everyday (Monday -Friday) at 5:15.  Please encourage any high school parents to encourage their students to use the bus.  The buses are definitely on a trial basis, and I am concerned that the School Committee will end the service if students  are not using the buses is strong enough numbers.  I believe that the cost was $36,000.   Some background:  until this Fall, there was no school funded transportation after the 2:10 buses at the end of the academic day.  The MDI Tomorrow Youth sub-group, and many others within the community and the high school, felt that this was an equity and safety issue.  In other words, the only way students could participate in after- school activities was to have a ride from parents, own their own cars or get a ride with a friend.  The activities bus is a step toward opening up after school activities to the entire student body and toward decreasing students dependence on cars.

Now, the grim news:  Steve Hanson, who, since the 5th grade, was in my

older son's grade a Pemetic School and at the high school, was recently arrested in connection with the Gott's robbery.   Last year, he was arrested in the Boston area, on drug charges.  Steve is an example of the "lost children" that the MDI Youth Subgroup spoke of in our report.  I know that I was not the only person in SWH who watched this young man over the years and knew that he was having a harder time and had fewer "assets" ( to use the Search Institute vocabulary) than most others.  My challenge for CFC and every other children's advocacy group is to keep children safe--NO MORE death by auto and to create safety nets for children who clearly have so much working against them.  No More Steve Hansons."

*Thank you note to Maine Community Foundation Grant was passed around and signed, thanking them for the money to help fund the two VISTA positions.

*Chris Kaiser read writing on Addictions, showing his desire to bring balance to the youth on the island.

-He was asked to write it up as a newspaper article and bring it to the next C4C meeting.

-Irene also stated that this would be great to present as Parent Comment’s at the next Hospital meeting.

-Great ideas for the Youth Task force meeting.

*Reasons for Hope, November 19, 2003. Communities for Children is sponsoring a conference to bring in a national speaker from the Search Institute in Minnesota to speak on "Creating Connections between Prevention & Positive Youth Development."

-Looking for people to attend. Contact Vanessa Tillmann for more information.

9. Set Future Meeting Schedule

To contact MDI Tomorrow:
MDI Tomorrow, c/o University of Maine Cooperative Extension, 63 Boggy Brook Rd., Ellsworth, ME 04605, 207-288-8212.

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