The Observation Deck

Does anyone know anything about the Youth Mastr Plan and the direction it's taking? Any personal opinions or experiences to share?

Gordon Brumm

Gordon,

The Youth Master Plan will now be co-opted by the Center For Community Solutions. I'm not clear as to the current direction of the plan, or whether this partnership will alter the vision of the plan. I do know that the Blue Ribbon Task Force is in the process of (if not, has competed) planning all future meetings as well as an estimated date of completion.

I will post this information once received.

Dan

Here is an official update:

On the eve of a new year, the Youth Master Plan (YMP) Executive Committee would like to thank everyone who has been involved this past year in a very important initiative focused on strengthening youth and families in Lakewood. We celebrate the many accomplishments of the past year including the engagement of many key community stakeholders, development of a mission, vision and planning process structure and initiation of a community assessment with youth involvement and development in every facet of the process.

Special thanks go to our Phase I community leaders, Lakewood Jaycees President Shawn Juris and Lakewood Early Childhood PTA Representative Christina Gill-McCallum, whose efforts laid the groundwork for our future planning process. Past and future successes are made possible through the support and efforts of many community organizations and stakeholders.

The National League of Cities (NLC) technical assistance was an invaluable catalyst in starting our roadmap for youth development in Lakewood. Although the technical assistance project is completed, our relationship with the NLC will benefit Lakewood for a long time. Over the past few months, the Lakewood YMP has undergone a transition in leadership and a restructuring of the process.

Our recommitment to the Youth Master Plan includes a new partnership with The Center for Community Solutions funded through a grant from The George Gund Foundation. Executive Director and President Gregory Brown and Elaine Sutton, Ph.D., Youth Development team leader, have joined our planning team and bring a wealth of experience and knowledge that will assist us in seeing the final plan developed by mid year 2007. Community Solutions has a 93-year history of working with communities and systems in encouraging young people and their families to make healthy choices, and in developing opportunities to help them be successful. Their current emphasis on human capital development is an excellent fit with our goals.

We invite all residents of Lakewood to participate in this community endeavor. The 2007 Youth Master Plan meeting calendar is below. The future meeting schedule and planning process is designed to make the most of your time. All Community Action Teams will meet on the same day, time and location starting with a large group meeting and ending with a recap of the individual CAT sessions. Meeting notes, announcements and YMP information will be updated on the YMP web site to be launched in January 2007.

Finally, we thank the residents of Lakewood who are committed to civic involvement and the Youth Master Plan process undertaken to ensure that Lakewood is a community where All Youth and Families Belong and Thrive.

Sincerely,

Lakewood Youth Master Plan Executive Committee

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Blue Ribbon Task Force and Community Action Team Meeting Schedule
Meetings will be held on the following Wednesdays from 6:30 to 8:30 pm at Lakewood High School, Learning Resource Center. Refreshments will be provided.

January 24, 2007*
February 7, 2007
February 21, 2007
March 7, 2007
March 21, 2007
April 4, 2007
April 18, 2007
May 2, 2007
May 16, 2007
May 30, 2007
June 13, 2007


*The Blue Ribbon Task Force will convene at 6:00 pm and Community Action Teams will join the BRTF at 6:30 pm.


Contact the Department of Human Services at humanservices@lakewoodoh.net or 529-6685 with any questions.

John,

The rhetoric is all very good, but as I think we all know, the YMP was getting nowhere. And in my considered judgment, it was taking the wrong approach and/or using the wrong model. This kind of undertaking is a unique vehicle for social entrepreneurship, but that is just what was not forthcoming. I hope the new masters of the process have a better understanding.

Gordon

Does the city have an Elderly Master Plan?

Doug

Sort of - the Department of Human Services/Division of Aging developed an "Elder Friendly Community" plan in 2005, as part of the Successful Aging project of the Cleveland Foundation. It was a yearlong process that examined the services to seniors in the city - what was available, what was lacking, etc.

You can find more about the overall project here: http://www.successfulaging.org/page7784.cfm

I'm sure the Office on Aging on Madison Ave can provide more info, too.

Tom Brokaw was on the David Letterman show this week. He went on about Mexican illegal immigrants getting jobs making 14 bucks an hour doing construction and ditch digging in the high growth areas. He claimed American 17, 18, and 19 year olds just don't want to do this work these days.

Even 2/3rds that wage is better than most high school graduates get.

It is a failure of high schools to not promote this aspect of the economy to students. Instead they run in place trying to get everyone through college prep courses and to keep up with No Child Left Behind.

It is also a failure of American industry to recruit from high schools.

On the other hand, most of the growth in the High Growth areas is the kind of sprawl that gets us into oil wars or contributes the continued breakdown of metropolitan areas. So there will be jobs in the military and jobs as prison guards and social workers.

So it doesn't get away from anyone that's interested, there is a meeting this Wednesday the 24th.

That's Wednesday 1/24
From 6:30 to 8:30
Lakewood High School LRC

RSVP your attendance to the Department of Human Services
humanservices@lakweoodoh.net of call (216) 529-6685

Please encourage your young Lakewoodites to participate.

also, the Youth Master Plan has a Web site at:

http://lakewoodymp.com/

A full calendar of all community meetings is listed under the "News and Events" section.