| The Rockland 21C Strategic Planning Process
In 1998, Rockland 21C brought together 33 community leaders, representing a wide range of sectors, to serve on a Strategic Planning team. Their charter was to develop a Strategic Plan to benefit the children, youth and families of Rockland. They created six Action Teams involving a broad array of 200 community members who articulated 50 Action Plans. These Action Plans were prioritized and grouped to achieve implementation. Each Implementation Team was given $18,000 to seed three projects. 21C’s investment of $105,000, and the dedicated work of Team members, were critical to the growth and development of important Countywide initiatives including: planning a Countywide Information and Referral Service, developing a Countywide Home Visiting Network known as the Parent-Child Home Program, supporting accreditation of after-school programs, promoting resources for out-of-school youth, as well as helping to establish pilot mentoring, artist-in-residence programs and collecting critical needs assessment data.
Creation of Non-Profit Organization
Our Collaborative became incorporated in 1999, in order for us to have a solid fiscal and administrative structure so we could work together seamlessly. We achieved tax-exempt status in 2001. We moved into our office on the BOCES campus in April, 2000. Our Executive Committee remained our governing structure until March, 2002 when a full, broad-based Board of Directors was inaugurated.
The Establishment of School Based Family Resource Centers (FRCs) and 21C Schools
Beginning with the first FRC, at Upper Nyack School, in 1997, Rockland 21C has helped eight school districts develop FRCs in 41 schools, which are predominantly elementary schools. They have become a focal point in their schools for parent involvement and critical pre-school and after-school services for the entire family, and a vehicle for the non-profit community and the public sector to support thousands of children and parents in cost-effective and innovative ways. The Yale University community school model, came to our attention in 1995. Their involvement in Rockland was made possible by school district financial support. Our regional and collaborative approach to this model has greatly influenced the development of Yale’s model nationwide.
The Implementation of a Countywide Home Visiting Network
A national research-proven early literacy program, Parent-Child Home (PCHP) was selected by school districts from a roster of options presented by Rockland 21C, and is implemented in five districts. 21C partners with the Rockland County Youth Bureau so that members of its Literacy Corps can provide many of the home visits. 21C has also provided partial funding thanks to Senator Morahan and the United Way of Rockland County.
Raising Awareness About Child Health
21C's earliest work with the Rockland County Department of Health was to use FRCs to promote free and low-cost health insurance programs to families. This grew into a complex multi-year, multi-organization partnership in 2004 to support seventy-five percent of Rockland schools as they assessed and improved their health environments, leveraging state Steps to a HealthierNY funds. Rockland's combined efforts have interlocked with federal health initiatives aimed at schools, and today even without funding, a School Health and Wellness Coalition continues to plan joint programs in response to the critical mass of interest and effort that has been built. Also, several FRCs in high need communities have received health department funding for nutrition and exercise programs. The initiative also supported a healthy afterschool program known as the Catch Kids Club. These partnerships provide an example of maximizing county resources, and how 21C can assist in building schools' capacity.
The Dissemination of School-Community Partnership Best Practices
Through our annual Educational Symposia, Rockland 21C (in collaboration with other local organizations and agencies) has brought best practices, professional development opportunities and innovative solutions to the attention of its partners. Speakers of national significance such as Dr. James Comer of Yale University's Child Study Center, Dr. David Katz from Yale University's School of Public Health, Dr. Vincent Ferrandino, Executive Director of the National Association of Elementary School Principals, Ellen Galinksy, President of Family and Work Institute, and leaders of the national Coalition for Community Schools have enriched the practices in Rockland.
Our 21C newsletter County Connections, our List Serv and periodic professional development forums, extend this information to more than 3,500 educators, parents and service providers throughout our community. We have also been featured presenters at numerous state and national conferences and meetings on community schools and related topics.
Development of Strategic Alliances and Collaborations
Rockland 21C established the School Age Care-Higher Education Task Force to support joint efforts to bring college students to school age care programs as employees and interns, and in turn to enhance the quality of their education. This alliance has the potential to shape the education of hundreds of college students and to relieve the staffing crisis in our school age care programs. In many other circumstances as well, Rockland 21C has played a critical role in linking community organizations with one another to achieve together what they could not achieve alone.
Rockland 21C continues to connect families, schools and community. Moreover, 21C is widely recognized as a conduit between county nonprofit organizations and agencies and families.
Collaboration with the Big Apple Circus
Fundraising dollars are garnered by a multi-year relationship with the Big Apple Circus, aided by school districts and local nonprofit partners who promote and sell tickets for the circus on 21C's Benefit Night.
Funding
Rockland 21C is unique nationally in that we are the only regional school-community partnership in the U.S. with significant funding support from County government, independent of a state level initiative.
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