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What's
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INet News Blast Now Available! The February issue of the INet News is now available and contains timely information about upcoming events, legislation updates, and current reports.To request that you receive future issues via email, contact Shannon Wesley at swesley@newwaystowork.org INet News Blast February 2007 (PDF 60 KB) Questions: For more information about the Intermediary Network visit our website at www.newwaystowork.org/initiatives/inet.html. For questions or comments contact Brenda Gray, Project Manager, at bgray@newwaytowork.org or call (707) 824-4000 x 32. For questions or comments about New Ways events contact Shannon Wesley, Event Coordinator, at swesley@newwaystowork.org or call (707) 824-4000 x 28. New Ways to Assist the Chicago Workforce Board New Ways to Work, Strumpf Associates:Center for Strategic Change, and the Human Investment Institute LLC. were selected to assist the Chicago Workforce Board in the transition of WIA youth programs from the Mayor’s Office of Workforce Development to Children and Youth Services. New Ways to Work and its partners will support the development of a coordinated system to ensure effective transition of WIA services, and will provide training and technical assistance for CYS and contractors to improve the quality of services delivered to youth. For more information, contact Charlene Mouille, Project Manager at cmouille@newwaystowork.org. Sonoma County Work Ready Certification Underway Sonoma County’s Work Ready Certificate was featured in the Press Democrat on Tuesday, January 23, 2007. New Ways to Work provided technical assistance to the Sonoma County Office of Education and local business leaders to assist them in developing the Work Ready Certification. The Sonoma County Office of Education worked in partnership with the Workforce Investment Board and the local chamber of commerce to implement the Work Ready program. As many as 400 students will be certified this year based upon demonstrated skills that employers say they value. Through work-readiness certificates, many communities across the country have created successful tools and materials that support student achievement and preparation for the world of work. To view the entire article visit this link: Santa Rosa Press Democrat Article. New Ways to Host a National Conversation on Disconnecting and Disconnected Youth New Ways is planning a national gathering this summer (Mid-August) of 100-150 thought leaders, partners, and practitioners to spend time together sharing thoughts about envisioning and crafting a national strategy to address the crisis facing our nation’s youth. We plan to engage leaders, partners and practitioners from our current and past initiatives, key State legislators, philanthropy and others in this two day dialogue to take place in Sonoma County, California. The event will also celebrate New Ways’ 35th anniversary and include a winery reception for corporate and civic leaders from Sonoma County and the greater Bay Area. Stay tuned for more details!! Minimum Wage Increase and Youth Programs Survey On behalf of New Ways to Work and Youth Today, we’d like to thank all who participated in the Minimum Wage Increase and Youth Programs Survey. A total of 160 responses were received and the results may be viewed by clicking this link Minimum Wage Increase and Youth Programs Survey Results (PDF 100 kb) For more information about Youth Today, visit their website at www.youthtoday.org. The minimum wage story will be in February’s issue of Youth Today which is available in print now, but won’t be available online until later this month. If you are interested in commenting on the story, please feel free to email Editor-in-Chief Patrick Boyle at pboyle@youthtoday.org. Diploma Plus—2nd Round of Selection for Diploma Plus Schools The Commonwealth Corporation, the California Department of Education, and New Ways to Work are continuing the expansion of Diploma Plus (DP) to California. Diploma Plus is an innovative small-schools initiative that charts a new path to success for young people who have not reached their potential in a traditional secondary school setting. In May 2007, two more schools will be selected, bringing the total number of DP schools in California to four (In 2006 – Einstein Education Center and Rhythms of the Village were selected – see their profiles online.) In January 2007, nine applicants were selected as semi-finalists following a review of letters of interest submitted from across the state. They have been invited to submit full proposals due in April. From this pool, finalists will be selected to participate in site visits in May – and the final two new DP schools will be selected. Resources from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation will support planning and capacity-building activities for the two new California schools that will open in the fall of 2008. Support will be provided over three years beginning July 1, 2007 (with 07/08 as a planning year). Each selected school, once established as an educational institution, will receive multi-year capacity-building grants (based on a formula of $1,050 per student, up to 400 students over the three-year grant period) to supplement the initial development of a new Diploma Plus school. For more information about Diploma Plus check out our website http://www.newwaystowork.org/initiatives/diplomaplus.html or contact Chandra Larsen, Project Manager at clarsen@newwaystowork.org. Foster Youth Employment Forums – A Big Success! In the fall of 2006, with the generous support of Casey Family Programs, New Ways to Work partnered with the Child and Family Policy Institute of California to create cross-system awareness and improve local collaboration between county child welfare agencies and local workforce investment areas through a series of forums conducted across the state. The intent of the forums was to better connect these two systems and to highlight and promote cross-agency approaches to better serve foster youth throughout California. The Foster Youth Employment Forums provided an opportunity for participants to learn about quality local programs, to develop a working knowledge of both the WIA workforce and child welfare systems, and to meet potential new partners and colleagues to collaborate for future collaboration. Throughout the state, over 450 county staff members and representatives from child welfare, workforce development, juvenile justice, education, state agencies and leadership, and other partners attended the forums to discuss and learn about programs in their region that have implemented effective strategies for improving employment opportunities for foster youth. In addition, about 50 youth (primarily current and former foster youth) attended the forums and participated as keynote speakers, panelists, and participants in conversations about their county’s services. To learn more about the Forums or to access some of the resources that came out of the Forums, see the following documents or links to information on our website. Foster Youth Employment Forums Summary Report (PDF 436 kb) Foster Youth Employment Forums Full Report (with appendixes) (PDF 820 kb) Foster Youth Employment Forums PowerPoint Slide Show (PDF 1.2 mb) Promising Practices Index (25 New Promising Practices) For more information about the Forums or the Youth Transition Action Team initiative check out our website http://www.newwaystowork.org/initiatives/ytat.html or contact Charlene Mouille at cmouille@newwaystowork.org. New Ways 2007 Calendar The New Ways Initiative calendar of events has been updated through 2007, with a variety of support activities lined up, including content conference calls and statewide and national meetings and events. See the online New Ways 2007 Calendar (PDF 51 KB). Sample RFPs for Transitional Youth Employment On December 5, 2005 the National Youth Council Institute conducted an Infosearch seeking information about local areas that have developed Request for Proposals (RFPs) that respond to the shifting nature of workforce and transitional youth funding under the Workforce Investment Act or other funding streams. In response to many inquiries from practitioners and others, we collected information on RFPs that address and/or promote any of the following:
To view a summary of the RFPs please visit: www.newwaystowork.org/yci/YCinfosearchRFP.1.07.pdf. Many of your colleagues have been asking us for examples of programs and/or school districts that have created innovative strategies to connect foster youth to school-based, career-related opportunities, like career-related academies, Regional Occupational Programs, and apprenticeship programs. Please send the name of the program and/or school district, a link or
brief description of the program, and contact information to Kellie Noe, knoe@newwaystowork.org. In January,
New Ways to Work welcomed 2 new Project Associates.
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