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Yale University's Voice
Carole Weisberg
Program Associate
Yale University School of the 21st Century National Center
Six years ago, a busload of enthusiastic and curious people from a diverse set of Rockland County organizations and school districts descended on New Haven for the Yale School of the 21st Century Summer Conference to learn about the 21C model and see if it would work in their community. As we anticipate the 13th Annual Conference at Yale this summer, it is exciting to realize that many of those same people who came to New Haven six years ago will be presenters this year, showcasing the hard work that went into building a successful Countywide 21C initiative.
At this year’s Conference, Rocklanders Harriet Cornell, Robert McNaughton and Mark O’Neill will offer their perspectives on the value of a regional school-community partnership, sharing not only their accomplishments but also, in their words, “the bumps in the road” — those lessons that can be so helpful to others. Just two of the many successful partnerships that have so enriched the Rockland County initiative and can serve as models to others around the U.S. will be presented — the Nanuet Networks for Families and the Higher Education/School-Age Care Task Force.
From Yale’s perspective, showcasing the work of the Rockland 21st Century Collaborative at our Conference is a wonderful opportunity to give participants from other locations a glimpse of the synergy and power inherent in a regional approach. While 21C has three statewide initiatives — in Connecticut, Kentucky and Arkansas — Rockland was the first Countywide model in the nation. It is also the first regional initiative to be launched without substantial legislative or foundation funding at the outset.
In trailblazing the Countywide approach, Rockland helps us highlight the advantages of multi-site implementation. First, individual 21C/FRC programs gain strength from each other. The more concentrated they are in a given geographic area, the more support they offer each other … by collaborating on programs, sharing resources, building public awareness and learning from their particular successes. Second, we have found that regional initiatives are less vulnerable to the inevitable changes in staffing or leadership that too often undermine more isolated programs. And third, multi-site implementation highlights the flexible nature of the model. 21C can look very different in different places, even if those places happen to be next door to each other. Finally, having a geographically concentrated group of 21C sites makes it more efficient for us here at Yale to provide meaningful and timely technical assistance to reinforce the work happening at the local level.
For these reasons and many more, Yale has been extremely pleased to work with Rockland County over the last six years. We are proud of all they have accomplished, and we look forward to many more years of partnership and collaboration.
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Rockland 21C's Board of Directors' Voice
Harriet Cornell
Chairperson, Rockland 21st Century Collaborative for Children and Youth
Rockland County Legislator
Our multiple goals for Rockland 21C include one very important one — communication.
Getting the word out about the terrific youth programs in our County, helping child-focused organizations find new resources, enabling them to share knowledge and expertise, fostering collaboration, inspiring more school/community partnerships … and overall, doing all we can to ensure a better education — and future — for our children.
And that’s exactly why we have launched our brand new Web site.
In this age of technology, this Web site will be an important communications and collaboration vehicle for us as we continue on with our work … side by side with our partners. It will grow as we grow.
It will offer background information and perspective to those who are just learning about us, or those who want to know more; keep us all abreast of our latest accomplishments; lead us to others we can learn from; and help us find new and exciting routes to achieving our objectives.
As I said in a recent Rockland 21C newsletter issue, 21C is not a program. We do not teach children, run after-school programs or provide daycare. That is what our partners do. 21C is an engine of change, helping others to function more seamlessly, enlarge their capacity, improve their quality and elevate their vision — all with the mission of helping children reach their optimal development.
Rockland 21C is a mosaic … a partnership … a "collaborative" … of school districts, colleges, child-centered organizations, teachers’ centers, government, business leaders and over 50 public and private agencies. We all believe strongly that it is necessary to reinvent “community” so our children can be emotionally and physically healthy, safe, cared for and well-educated. We want each child to be able to reach his or her own potential. Together, we work steadfastly to see that there are quality pre-school, after-school, and in-school programs and services to meet their needs.
In the words of our New York State Education Commissioner Richard Mills, "The needs of American families deserve the attention of entire communities. The real miracle is when people tie it all together, and Rockland has done just that."
We are truly proud of our accomplishments so far. Keep up the good work."
Dennis J. Fleming, Executive Director
Treasurer, Rockland 21st Century Collaborative for Children and Youth
Rockland County Youth Bureau
Parents and educators have long realized the value and importance of having a menu of services available for young people in the out-of-school hours. There is now a wealth of research showing that locally provided youth development and delinquency prevention programs are a wise investment with positive results for young people and their parents, and for the overall quality of life in a community.
All children and youth, whether five years old or even high school age, at some point need additional help that may not be provided during regular school hours or may not be available from parents or caretakers. Every youngster should have the opportunity to receive assistance from public agencies and private not-for-profit organizations in Rockland County.
As Ben Franklin said over 200 years ago, “Leisure is the time for doing something useful.” For the majority of children under age 11 or 12, parents are able to find some program or activity that will provide a safe place and offer some positive youth development experience. This might be something fun, educational or a sports activity, any of which could be offered by the school or a municipal or not-for-profit organization. More attention is appropriately given to not leave this younger population unsupervised and at risk.
For young people over the age of 12, it becomes more difficult to find an appealing and appropriate program that they will join or are eligible for based on criteria such as ability, finances, and transportation, to name a few. This age group — 12 to 17 — needs increased attention.
Fight Crime: Invest in Kids is a national anti-crime group comprised of over 1,000 police chiefs, sheriffs, prosecutors, victims of violence, youth violence experts and leaders of police associations. In their report entitled “America’s After School Choice: The Prime Time or Juvenile Crime, or Youth Enrichment and Achievement,” the following principal findings tell us that on school days, the hours from 3-6 p.m. are peak hours for:
¨ Teens to commit crimes
¨ Innocent kids to become crime victims
¨ 16 and 17 year olds to be in or cause a car crash
¨ Teen sex
¨ Kids to smoke, drink or use drugs
This report states that, “Quality youth development programs can cut crime immediately and transform this prime time for juvenile crime into hours of academic enrichment, wholesome fun and community service. They (these local community programs and services) protect both kids and adults from becoming victims of crime, cut teen pregnancy, smoking, and drug use while they help youngsters develop the values and skills they need to become contributing citizens.”
Youth development is a term used to describe what once was referred to simply as “growing up.” A young person’s development takes place in their family, schools, peer groups and communities. Hugh Price, President of the National Urban League, put it succinctly in 1998 when he said that, “youth development is what parents do for their children … on a good day.”
Karen Pittman, researcher and President of the Forum for Youth Investment defines youth development as, “The ongoing process in which all youth are engaged in attempting to (1) meet their basic personal and societal needs to be safe, feel cared for, be valued, be useful, and to be spiritually grounded, and (2) to build skills and competencies that allow them to function and contribute in their daily lives.”
The 2,400 “discretionary” hours per year that young people have, during which they are not in school, sleeping or otherwise engaged, is almost double the 1,260 hours (180 days per year, 7 hours per day) that they are in school. Positive youth development activities — sports, arts, cultural, educational or recreational — require additional public and private financial support for them to be able to meet the increasing needs of our children, youth and families.
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Rockland County's Voice
Ronaldo L. Figueroa
Director, Community Resources of Rockland
As a community, Rockland County is just amazing … ever evolving, steadily growing, and increasingly diverse in the cultures, faiths and languages of its residents. The most recent census only serves to confirm what we readily see everywhere — that more individuals and families of different ethnic and religious backgrounds are making this beautiful County their home.
With the increased diversity of our population also come special challenges for our local municipalities and school districts. Children and youth from immigrant families arrive here with disparate experiences, strengths, expectations, and levels of need. Many find their way here having survived tremendous hardship, trauma and loss. Despite their astonishing resiliency, these young people are often burdened with an abiding sense of fear, sadness and distrust. This is sometimes worsened by new experiences of bias and intolerance directed at them, at their families or at their ethnic/religious group … by others here in Rockland County.
Those of us in positions to serve immigrant youth and families will be challenged to deepen our understanding. This means not only identifying basic cultural differences, or assessing their levels of social and cognitive functioning for participation within a school setting or the community. We also need to consider seriously and address the impact of poverty, crime, civil war, violence, abuse and other oppression that they have lived through. For this, it may be necessary to create and sustain connections with other local organizations comprised of individuals who are knowledgeable about (1) the various cultures, faiths and traditions, (2) the historical background and significant socio-political conditions commonly experienced by these families, and (3) the resources already available within ethnic communities in Rockland or the surrounding areas. Through these connections, we can work together to develop learning strategies and ancillary services that are culturally relevant and genuinely responsive to the needs of immigrant youth.
Our schools and neighborhoods benefit enormously every day from the contributions that immigrants make, and from the rich diversity within our towns and villages. As we evolve further into a microcosm of the world, we have wonderful opportunities to learn from each other and widen our perspectives. Those interested in learning how to serve immigrant youth and families better are cordially invited to attend the monthly meetings of the Rockland County Immigration Coalition. The meetings are held every third Tuesday, from Noon to 1:30 p.m., at the Kurtz Civic Center, 19 North Main Street, Spring Valley. For more information, call Volunteer Counseling Services at 634-5729.
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Mimi Hoffman, 21C Coordinator
"There is a lot to say about Parent Child Home, an early literacy home visiting model and how it will make a difference to children and their families in Rockland. We are REALLY excited -- and will keep you posted.
On Thursday and Friday Parent-Child Home came to Rockland to train teams of Coordinators in six school districts, and orient six community partners who can play a critical role in helping this initiative grow to serve a significant number of families in the next few years. Rockland 21C feels privileged to coordinate the trainings thanks to enormous support from our school districts and community partners.
Before I wax on, let me give those unfamiliar with this program and its strategy a little background. This home visiting method is meant for families where there is not a lot of parent child verbal interaction - not a lot of vocabulary -, which is common for families living in poverty with minimal education - and for many English Language Learner families. It was developed in Nassau County 35 years ago and has grown rapidly having been adopted recently by the states of Pennsylvania and South Carolina. Parent Child Home truly understands the communities of Rockland and the changing needs of suburbia.
It is a simple and elegant model - The home visitor sees the family twice a week for a half hour each time over two school years. The first visit of the week, the home visitor introduces a book or a toy designed to support emerging literacy. The families who are chosen have children between the ages of 16 month and 30 months (or there abouts). The second weekly visit, the home visitor reviews the toy or book with the child and parent, encouraging the parent to be more involved in the activity. Each week home visitors and the Coordinator meet for group training and supervision. Over time, children in this program achieve outstanding rates of school readiness - and in fact have been scoring way beyond what would have been expected on standardized language tests - well beyond typical measures of satisfaction. Parents too, achieve significant education and employment goals. When the family presents a problem beyond the bounds of literacy, the home visitor brings the issue back to the Coordinator and the Coordinator helps the family access services or an assessment they need.
Well, most everyone who came to this training knew a fair amount about the model - and was really excited to be trained - and to get to their roles as turnkey trainers. One could have predicted that there was nowhere to go but down. Well, it only took the first hour of introductions to find out our trainer, Michele Morrison had a fabulous sense of humor and a deep well of knowledge, common sense and experience - as did just about everyone else in the room. Once we saw a video clip or two of a home visiting session, the eagerness of the child and the off the cuff testimonials from the parents, this group was soaring.
Despite two long days, and the not so ideal conditions of our training environment, there were a lot of smiling faces - some tears - because the videos were truly moving and inspirational - and a lot of fabulous bonding.
What is so awesome is that we have a talent pool in Rockland that is extremely rich - and a philosophy among the pool that is based in a spirit of generosity and collaboration. Parent Child Home is an initiative that is well matched with one of our hallmark strengths - maximizing existing resources.
Here are some examples of potential partnering - Marcia Scheer, of Child Care Resources, a nationally recognized infant-toddler expert, added to the knowledge base during the training, and promises to help us figure out strategies to fulfill the 16 hours of training each home visitor needs before they are deemed ready to make home visits. Kathy Galione, from Rockland's AmeriCorps program, joined us in the event that we are able to add a literacy focus to Rockland's AmeriCorps Program - and left steadfast in her commitment to bring AmeriCorps to this initiative. Barbara Monthie, of the Rockland Teachers Center, only wished she could devote all her time to this initiative and was having no trouble coming up with creative ways the Teachers Center could play a critical role in making this initiative more manageable for each of the district sites.
East Ramapo will be implementing this model utilizing their VISION Volunteers and their Coordinator, Martha Iglody was looking at a ready pool of volunteers, willing to work with a critical mass of families. Jason Friedman joined us for part of the training. It was great to see his enthusiasm as well. If you know someone who would be interested in joining East Ramapo's Vision Volunteer program, they are always on the look out for an adult passionate about literacy.
And - in case anyone was concerned about how to find families suitable to the program, Head Start, the Health Department, DSS Preventive Services, Rockland Parent Child Center all were ready to provide the districts with names of families just right for the program, and were hoping to find ways their staff could work in collaboration with district sites as home visitors to increase the numbers served. When Michele told us that districts sometimes expand this program when waiting lists become significant and the need is documented - it was clear, the waiting lists will not take long to build, thanks to our strong community networking. They build also, through the recommendations of home visited families.
One reason this model was chosen is that their retention rate of families is over 80%. In the home visiting biz - that is an amazing statistic. Why is their rate so high - families love the books and toys the home visitors bring and leave with families - and love the focus of these meetings - on FUN. We learned that while a potential home visitor could be earnest, committed and knowledgeable, if he/she did not know how to have a good time, and make learning fun, he/she was not right for the program.
We learned about a model that worked, that was feasible, that provided what the Pittsfield Mass Supt. of Schools articulated in a video - it offered school districts a way to invest early and avoid the extraordinary costs of catch-up. Parent Child Home requires many of the resources we have - and some of the resources we will need to grow it, seemed more feasible to access around Rockland than most other large-scale initiatives we've considered.
Here are some ideas that woke me up in the middle of last night -
What if PTAs asked families to donate NEW books and toys on the Parent Child Home bibliography to the initiatives being coordinated at their schools. For example, Mrs. Calvano's class is asked to bring in new copies of Good Night Moon, and they use that as the basis of a language arts lesson, a discussion of community service, and parent involvement in education. No doubt our 2001 NYS Teacher of the Year - Therez Calvano will have a few creative ideas of how to make that happen - and would be able to share them with other teachers.
What if local employers gave their employees release time to match volunteer hours to participate as a home visitor in this program?
What if college students were able to apply work-study funds or social work internships to this initiative - or if field placements could be woven into the AmeriCorps program?
What if other non-profits have staff or volunteers who could be loaned to this initiative a few hours a week? A volunteer leaving an agency for a variety of reasons, a staff member who could become more productive in their work with the training and experience of early literacy home visiting.
What if faith communities get involved? The possibilities are obvious.
Despite the expansive possibilities above, everyone is committed to starting small, with manageable goals and clear implementation plans. At this point districts have allocated modest amounts to this program - and are primarily re-allocating existing resources. At the same time, the request I heard from participants was to make sure the trainers touched on funding. That is a very good sign. There is a great deal of interest in this initiative and a shared expectation that it will succeed - and will need more resources.
How appropriate. Clearly it is also the expectation that every child can enter school as an active learner that is at the heart of the success of Parent Child Home.
Thank you for taking the time to read this narrative. Those at the training, who are on the list, please add your voices. I hope I did not steal your thunder. Those not at the training, please feel free to seek additional information through the list."
Mary Jean Marsico, Ed.D.
Director, Special Education
Rockland BOCES
Throughout our 40 years, Rockland BOCES has truly served as a community “cooperative.” As a cooperative, we have worked in partnership with the school districts and the community-at-large to help meet the diverse needs of the children, adults, and families living in Rockland County.
During the past two years, I have witnessed this cooperative spirit within a group of individuals, representing a dozen differing County constituencies. These community partners have come together with a shared vision of creating a continuum of options for youth with mental health issues, and their families. We have all joined hands to work together and share resources, and braid our collective expertise to meet the needs of these children and their families. This initiative has resulted in the creation of the following school-mental health collaborations:
· BOCES High School at LIU serving emotionally fragile students, generally after psychiatric hospitalization (classified and non-classified)
· Pomona Prep serving secondary school students actively engaged in treatment for substance abuse problems (classified and non-classified)
· Fieldstone Academy Middle School serving emotionally fragile middle school students, generally after psychiatric hospitalization
· Elementary Intensive Day Treatment at Hilltop serving classified and non-classified students in need of a high degree of care
As these programs evolved, our definition of partnerships became clearer and our actions much more effective. Defining the process entailed being able and willing to share a common mission … being able and willing to give the necessary support and expertise required to fulfill this mission.
Given this, our partnering continues to evolve. We are now working with the 21C Family Resource Centers in developing our BOCES Family Resource Center. This brings to fruition another piece of our shared mission — enabling families within BOCES programs to receive additional supports and helping to reintegrate children and families back to their home communities and neighborhood FRCs. It is through this expanded definition of “partnering” that BOCES is slowly, but systematically, creating a community school model for children with emotional challenges, and their families.
The invaluable support of our partners has given us the opportunity, as a County, to join hands and support our most vulnerable community members.
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School Preventive Services: Early Intervention and a Shared Vision
Tom Kumer, Special Services Supervisor and
Joan Stuart, Deputy Commissioner,
Rockland Department of Social Services
When collaboration works well partners discover that by sharing resources, exchanging information and redefining traditional roles, they are able to increase the capacity of each organization to achieve a common purpose. School Preventive Services (SPS), a 10-year collaborative initiative of the Department of Social Services (DSS) and 21C schools, is an example of a school/community partnership which is demonstrating excellent results.
Experienced DSS caseworkers, who are a part of the SPS unit, are based in elementary school buildings to help build stronger connections between individual families, their school and community in order to improve a child's chances for success in school and in life. Research confirms that early school success can help protect school-age children from delinquent behavior later on. Since parental involvement in their child's education increases the likelihood of school success, a key strategy of SPS caseworkers is to assist families by offering solutions to barriers that often prevent them from participating. In
addition to traditional case management and crisis intervention activities, School Preventive staff partner with Family Resource Centers in a wide variety of boundary-crossing roles, such as:
· In North Rockland's Parent/Child Home program SPS, staff and the FRC coordinator work with families of very young children to increase parent-child verbal interaction, which we know is critical to early childhood development and subsequent success in school.
· In East Ramapo, summer workshops are offered to parents of incoming kindergarteners to help parents access services that are available through the school and in the community, e.g. assistance in signing up for programs like Child Health Plus. Reading nights, parent networks, and ESL classes are other avenues which have been successful in jointly reaching out and engaging parents in the educational process.
· In Nanuet, through the joint efforts of the FRC coordinator and SPS worker a child was able to continue in an after school program until a child-care subsidy could be arranged. Eyeglasses were obtained free of charge for needy children through an agreement the FRC has with LensCrafters.
· At BOCES, an evening parenting skills program was initiated. Through the efforts of the FRC and SPS worker, problems with child-care, transportation and other barriers that might prevent a parent from participating have been removed.
Annually SPS staff, school personnel and administrators review the results of work with individual families and children, surveys of parents and feedback from school personnel. Better access to community services, increased parental involvement, higher academic achievement and improved classroom behavior are consistent outcomes. Because of its success SPS has expanded to nine 21C schools in 5 school districts. Although program models vary according to the needs of each school, DSS and our school partners maintain a constant commitment to early intervention and a shared vision of better outcomes for the children and families we both serve.
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Lisa Ficucello
BSW Student, Dominican College
As a social work student from Dominican College, working as an intern at the South Orangetown Family Resource Center, I have been able to apply my knowledge from the classroom to my experience at the FRC. I see how a change in one’s environment has a strong impact on a young child. The connection, therefore, between school and the family, is critical to easing the transitional process for a child entering pre-school or kindergarten and is particularly valuable for a child who has special needs.
The Family Resource Center (FRC) is an optimal setting in which parents can interact with other parents in an informal manner. It is a place where parents can express the concerns they have about their developing child. As a college student, I was able to witness first hand what happens when children begin to develop peer relationships. Having a special event such as a story hour allows for this interaction. The children are eager to play together, increasingly comfortable separating from their parents, and learn the social skills they will use the rest of their lives.
The FRC offers important information, referral and supportive services to South Orangetown residents. But, during my time here, I did notice one service gap. Parents frequently call the Family Resource Center looking for free tutoring. Yet, the only tutoring service for young children within the County is rather expensive. I would like to see the FRC offer a free tutoring service in partnership with local colleges.
Overall, the South Orangetown Family Resource Center has so much to offer parents, teachers and care providers of young children. It is an outstanding resource to have available within the community and a great internship experience.
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