The Youth Development Collaborative is creating a network of agencies and individuals who serve and advocate for youth. The goal: connecting middle- and high-school-age students to education, career opportunities, resources and programming.
New members join Youth Development Collaborative
Joining charter members Allison Green, Brooke Stones, Charles Toomajian, Jennie Marks, John Hegg, Mike Murphy, and Rebecca Wimmer are new members:
- Allison Sinning, EmBe
- Billy Mawhinney, South Dakota Afterschool Network
- Bob Mundt, Sioux Falls Development Foundation
- Michelle Madsen, Lutheran Social Services of South Dakota
- Rylea Iverson, Boys & Girls Club of the Sioux Empire
- Sarah Hanson, Volunteers of America – Dakotas
- Taryn Latza, Sioux Falls Area Community Foundation
The new members of the Youth Development Collaborative have brought new voices to the group. During our first meeting, it was great to see their excitement to get started and their passion for youth. These members have given the group new energy and insights that will help the collaborative meet their goal.
The group wants to be sure all youth are heard. This will require us to be intentional about finding ways to connect with youth representing various ethnic and economic levels. I am excited to see what this next year brings as move we forward.
Out-of-School Programming Has Many Benefits for Teens
Programming available outside of school time (and often outside school buildings) serves a valuable purpose for middle- and high-school-age students. According to the Afterschool Alliance, out-of-school time (OST) activities inspire students to learn, improve their social and emotional well-being, and keep them safe.
A majority of middle- and high-school students spend at least some time in self-care. And during the summer, roughly one-third spend 30 or more hours without supervision each week.
In Sioux Falls, more than 4,000 teens are in need of OST supervision, according to a study by Augustana Research Institute on behalf of Sioux Falls Thrive.
Youth Development Collaborative Responds
The Youth Development Collaborative — an engagement collaborative of Sioux Falls Thrive — is responding to this need by bringing together agencies and individuals serving and advocating for youth. Collaborative members network, stay informed of community services and programs, and find solutions to identified community issues facing youth in Sioux Falls.
The Youth Development Collaborative’s goal is to:
Create pathways to connect targeted groups of middle-school and high-school-aged youth to education, career opportunities, resources, and programs that are primarily designed to enhance their:
Power Skills (aka Soft Skills)
- Ability to interact effectively and harmoniously with others.
- Ability to communicate with others in a variety of ways including verbal, nonverbal, written, and visual.
- Ability to contribute to their groups and share responsibilities.
Technical Skills
- Ability or knowledge needed to do practical tasks in the areas of science, the arts, technology, engineering, math, and others.
Be part of the solution. Help create a network of organizations and tools for teens to connect to programs and services.
Target Groups
- Youth who are disconnected or without a sense of belonging to parents, employment, or friends.
- Youth who are low-income, but not exclusively.
- Youth from the immigrant population, but not exclusively.
Strategies
- Create a community networking group that collaborates to build youth programs and improve program outreach to youth.
- Develop a website resource database for school counselors to use to refer students to programming.
- From the website, develop an app to help kids connect to kids.
- Pilot a model project to maximize youth programming.