News
October 21, 2015The Schenectady Foundation Launches Community-Wide Initiative Focused on the Engagement of Youth
The Schenectady Foundation has announced a major initiative focused on improving the lives of the younger generation in the city. The Call to Action for Schenectady’s Youth is a community-wide plan to renew urgency and provide focus around how adults view, work with and serve children and teens in schools, government and community-based organizations. Many groups and individuals, who are committed to this endeavor, showed their support at Girls Incorporated of the Greater Capital Region, as details were unveiled. The Schenectady Foundation is making a $2,000,000 dollar commitment to the Call to Action. Executive Director Robert Carreau said, “A more direct and intentional focus on teens and young adults in Schenectady is important to their success now, and to the future of our community. Through collaboration we can provide youth new opportunities that will positively shape their lives. Collectively we have developed a three-pillared strategy to increase the number of supportive adult mentors, expand opportunities for youth employment and promote participation in leadership and civic involvement activities.”
The key components of the Call to Action are:
- A vision (see separate attachment) and set of core principles to which community members and organizations have been asked to embrace;
- Establishment of a Youth Advisory Council to give youths a voice in how programs are developed and delivered, and to help establish priorities;
- Release of a Request for Proposals for community programs aligned with the focus areas of the Call to Action (mentorship, employment and civic engagement). The Foundation has committed at least $2 million over three years to improve youth outcomes;
- A challenge match by the Foundation to help sustain youth programs. The Foundation will match, on a dollar for dollar basis, the first $250,000 contributed to the Call to Action. If fully achieved it will bring the total investment to $2.5 million.
The Foundation has already several initial seed grants amounting to more than $560,000 to help get the “Call” off the ground. These include:
- $125,000 to Schenectady Job Training Agency to expand youth employment opportunities last summer
- $25,000 to Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Capital Region to increase the number of mentors available to children in their Schenectady program
- $40,000 to Ring of Hope Boxing Club to help more youths participate in their program
- $135,000 to SCCC’s Smart Scholars program
- $150,000 to Revolution Studios (aka Revolution Studios)
- $10,000 to Boys Day Out
- $75,000 to Safe Inc. for the Community Coaching Project
- $1,300 for the Community and Police Basketball League
The three main areas of focus of the Call to Action:
Mentorship:
The focus on mentorship is intended to increase the number of supportive adults, mentors and youth allies trained, prepared and connected to youth. A mentoring collaboration is envisioned to build a cadre of supportive adults available to youths engaged with various partner organizations. There will be several mentorship opportunities for adults ranging from short-term commitments to longer on-going relationships. Rebecca Paavola the director of education and training at the S.E.A.T Center believes mentorship is key in helping children and teens succeed. “If organizations work collaboratively rather than in silos to ensure wrap around services, then there is less duplication and more effective practices leading to efficient change. This means that the community mentors will play a critical role in supporting the connection of services to the youth with whom they are working to support. We are a small enough community. It should not be impossible to connect a continuum of support to strengthen and empower our young community members,” she said.
Yireh Pino who is 23 years old, a mother of five and a future college student is glad that there will be an initiative with an additional focus on youth. She said, “I hope it will support young people in feeling more connected to the community and thereby reducing the violence and negativity that seems to have gained momentum in Schenectady.”
Youth Employment:
Those supporting the Call to Action are interested in expanding opportunities for youth employment, job shadowing and internships. They are interested in more effectively preparing youth to participate in employment. While several non-profits already provide youth employment opportunities, the initiative also seeks to provide for-profit organizations the tools they need to hire youth. Shane Bargy executive director of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Schenectady said, “When teens have a job and are learning how to be good employees, they develop hope and can begin dreaming of realistic career opportunities. Teens who see a bright future typically make smart life decisions such as staying in school and away from destructive behaviors.”
Jonathan Colon who is 19 years old and works for the Boys & Girls Club of Schenectady believes this is an important focus point. “Having a job at the Boys & Girls Club has helped me become comfortable with myself and taught me that I can have a positive impact on the kids in my community. It has helped build my sense of importance and the confidence to develop and achieve future goals,” he said.
Civic Involvement Activities:
The Call To Action will promote youth participation in leadership and civic involvement activities. This will help youth develop capabilities as citizens and as leaders in their schools and in the community. Marion Porterfield is a Schenectady City Councilwoman who sees firsthand the challenges that youth in the region face. “I believe businesses and organizations in Schenectady should encourage youth to take leadership roles and to seek their perspective. I feel this is especially important for youth who are in challenging circumstances. Collectively I believe we can help teens by ensuring that there is a seat at the table for them when making decisions that will have a direct impact on their lives and also to encourage them to pursue volunteer opportunities that will help build leadership skills. Providing them opportunities to interact with other leaders is also important,” she said.
Involving the Community in the Call to Action:
The Schenectady Foundation and its partners will work to promote the three main pillars, encourage community members and groups to sign the pledge, facilitate collaborative projects, and make grants that improve youth outcomes. “This is a challenging endeavor on many levels,” said Carreau. “But we believe it is our responsibility, as citizens and leaders in the community, to better assist our youth to succeed.”
There are three essential ways that the community can participate in this: 1) Commit to the Call to Action – there is a portal on our website available for people and organizations to sign on. More than one hundred supporters have already signed on; 2) Volunteer to become a mentor or youth ally – people interested in this opportunity can register on the Foundation’s website; 3) Offer opportunities for youth employment, job skills training, job shadowing or internships; and finally 4) contribute financially to support the Foundation’s grants and meet the community challenge match.
About The Schenectady Foundation:
The Schenectady Foundation was created by community leaders as a charitable trust to benefit the health and well-being of people who live and work in Schenectady County, NY. The mission of The Schenectady Foundation is to advance the sustainable well-being of the people of Schenectady County. Since its inception in 1963, the Foundation has committed more than $18 million in grants and scholarships for Schenectady County.
