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HomeMy WebLinkAboutCAO-14-034 - Youth Forum and My Ideal City 2013/14 Project Update Staff Report IK[ R CA0 Office www.kitchener ca REPORT TO: Community and Infrastructure Services DATE OF MEETING: June 23, 2014 SUBMITTED BY: Dorothy McCabe, Chief of Staff, x7795 PREPARED BY: Dorothy McCabe, Chief of Staff, x7795 Sarah FitzPatrick, EA to the Mayor, x7859 Marla Pender, Youth Coordinator, x5075 WARD (S) INVOLVED:AII Wards DATE OF REPORT: June 6, 2014 REPORT NO.: CAO-14-034 SUBJECT: Youth Forum and My Ideal City 2013/14 Project Update RECOMMENDATION: That Council maintains the My Ideal City program in its current form and expands the Youth Forum program for the 2014/15 school year as stated in report CAO-14-034. Expansion is conditional on a minimum participation rate of 7 members of council per forum and a continued partnership with the Rotary Club of Kitchener. BACKGROUND: The following report summarizes the 2013/14 growth in the two youth engagement projects, Youth Forum and My Ideal City, which were initiated as pilot projects in 2013. Youth Forum: In the fall of 2012, the Rotary Club of Kitchener collaborated with Compass Kitchener's Youth Engagement sub-committee, City of Kitchener Community Services staff (CS), Resurrection Catholic Secondary School (RCSS) and the Office of the Mayor and Council (OMC) to create a Youth Forum which was held on April 24th, 2013. The planning committee consisted of a representative(s) from each of the partner organizations. The goal of the pilot project was to help the youth involved: • Learn how to create change in the community; • Build positive relationships with members of council, city staff and community volunteers; and • Learn about municipal government and how it impacts their lives. In the 2013/14 school year, four Youth Forums were held, two per semester. In addition to RCSS, Kitchener Waterloo Collegiate and Vocational School (KCI) took part in the Youth Forum program. In total, 394 students participated in a Youth Forum. The breakdown is as follows: 8 - 1 Staff Report ITCa I ?1 R (A0 Office www.kitrhener as • September 23, 2013— KCI, 34 students; Resurrection, 90 students • November 29, 2013 — Resurrection, 90 students • February 13, 2014— KCI, 30 students; Resurrection, 75 students • May 1, 2014— Resurrection, 75 students Council participation is critical to the success of the Youth Forum program. It is required to facilitate the in class presentations three days prior to each Youth Forum and on the day of the Youth Forum. The breakdown of council participation in the 2013/14 school year was as follows: • September 23, 2013— In class, 3; Youth Forum, 7 • November 29, 2013— In class, 3; Youth Forum, 6 • February 13, 2014— In class, 4; Youth Forum, 7 • May 1, 2014— In class, 3; Youth Forum, 5 My Ideal City: In fall 2012, Council approved the "My Ideal City" report contest and mock council debate which was targeted to students aged 10, 11, and 12 years, aligned with the grade 5 civic curriculum. In total, 13 reports were submitted and all students had the opportunity to participate in the mock debate. In 2014, participation in the "My Ideal City" report contest increased significantly with 133 reports submitted. The increased participation rate could be attributed to the lesson plan and playing cards created by Communications and Marketing staff which were sent to teachers with an introductory letter as well as the direct outreach to schools by OMC staff. All 133 students were invited to attend a reception on April 14, 2014. Approximately 60 students and family members attended, met members of Council and toured City Hall. The 133 reports were reviewed by five members of council and 30 reports were shortlisted. These were reviewed by the editors of the Kitchener Citizen and 15 winning reports were selected. A mock debate was held on May 5 which included all members of council, 15 students, the CAO, two DCAOs, and two OMC staff. The debate was aired live on Rogers TV and the reports were printed in the May edition of the Kitchener Citizen. REPORT: Youth Forum: Each Youth Forum has three components which take place over three days: 1) Class Visit: Councillors attend RCSS and KCI civics classes, present the City Hall 101 overview and answer questions regarding municipal government. 2) Class Project: In small groups, students research and create a short presentation regarding a city service they would like Council to consider implementing. 3) City Hall Visit: Students set up table top displays, present their ideas and receive feedback from members of Council, Rotary volunteers and CS staff. A youth guest speaker talks to the students about how they became involved in their community. Students visit the Council B - 2 Staff Report ITCa I ?1 R (A0 Office www.kitrhener as Chambers and tour the caucus room and Council offices. The Youth Forum is a half day program - students arrive at City Hall at 9am and depart at 11:45am. All partners have indicated that taking part in the Youth Forum program was a valuable exercise and they would like to continue to be involved. RCSS teachers and students indicated they found the forum to be educational and informative and that they would like to continue to be involved in the 2014/15 school year. Appendix A contains sample feedback from RCSS students. Potential Project Expansion: Recently, the Youth Forum Committee met with Region of Waterloo staff, involved in their grade 5 student engagement program, representatives from the Waterloo Region District School Board (WRDSB), Futures Forum Program, and RCSS staff to explore options for a potential expansion of the Youth Forum program. The Futures Forum Program (FFP) combines English, Civics and Careers into a two period class with the express purpose of providing students with authentic learning experiences. The Youth Forum program aligns with the civics curriculum. If all six Kitchener FFP classes participate there would be a total of 150 FFP students per session. An initial conversation with St. Mary's Catholic Secondary School (SMCSS) has occurred and it appears they are interested in participating in the Youth Forum program. If all Kitchener area secondary schools participate, it would involve approximately 700 students per year. Options for Consideration: 1. Continue with the program in its current form with RCSS and KCI four times a year. 2. Cancel the program if it is determined that it is not meeting expectations. 3. Expand the program: Continue to work with RCSS, and expand to include FFP classes and SMCSS. If option 3 is selected, additional city staff resources required to accommodate the additional schools and students must be considered. If expanded, a minimum participation rate of 7 members of council per forum is required to ensure a meaningful learning experience for all students in attendance. Budget: Excluding staff and council time, the current cost for each forum is approximately $1,250, of which Rotary pays $700 to cover school buses for RCSS and KCI, snacks and drinks, and presentation boards. RCSS pays the remaining $550 to covers the cost of supply teachers. KCI only brings one class and does not require a supply teacher. If the program is expanded to all seven schools the cost would be approximately $2,500 per forum. The increased cost is not proportionate as FFP classes will not require supply teachers. Staff and the partners would investigate options to reduce costs and find efficiencies where possible to lower this cost. 8 - 3 Staff Report ITCa I ?1 R (A0 Office www.kitrhener as City staff time is a major consideration for this event. Currently, two city staff requires a combined 10 hours to organize each Youth Forum (excluding planning meetings). During each Youth Forum, approximately five to seven staff members participate either working with members of council or facilitating the event itself. An additional staff member spends between four to seven hours assisting with in school presentations prior to each forum. However, this is currently being phased out of the program. Expanding this program will require a significant increase in workload to facilitate six or seven additional schools, including arranging in-class council visits, transportation, and an expanded forum (either in duration or number). The Rotary Club of Kitchener is exploring funding partnerships with other clubs in order to cover costs associated with the potential program expansion. Without Rotary's financial contribution expansion of the program will not be sustainable. My Ideal City: Information about this contest and mock debate was shared via a letter to 24 Kitchener elementary schools, through councillors' community newspaper columns, with an ad placed in the Kitchener Citizen newspaper and via social media. In total, 133 youth from six schools submitted reports. All members of council, 15 students, the CAO, two DCAOs, and two OMC staff participated in the mock debate. Council members, the participating youth and the Kitchener Citizen indicated they enjoyed the experience. Students gained a better understanding of municipal politics and were able to make personal connections with members of council and city staff. As well, the students' parents indicated they were very impressed with the program and enjoyed the tour of City Hall. This project requires OMC staff time to coordinate and mail the initial letters and lesson plan to schools, follow up on participation, collect and collate entries, distribute entries for marking by council and the Kitchener Citizen, organize and attend the reception for all students, draft follow- up letter to the winners, confirm attendance of students participating in the mock debate and organize and facilitate the mock debate. In total, three OMC staff members spent approximately 25 hours, collectively, to implement the program in its entirety. Potential Project Expansion: This project saw significant growth over the previous year. As a result, staff are not recommending further expansion at this time. Budget: The project cost (excluding staff time) is approximately $150, which covers snacks for the reception and printing costs. As stated above, OMC staff time is approximately 25 hours. ALIGNMENT WITH CITY OF KITCHENER STRATEGIC PLAN: Both projects connect to the Strategic Plan's "Leadership and Community Engagement" community priority which works to "foster an open and understandable decision-making process and a commitment to two-way communications with the community" and to increase the city's connectedness to our community and youth in particular. 8 - 4 Staff Report ITCa I ?1 R (A0 Office www.kitrhener as Both projects also support recommendations and actions noted in the City of Kitchener's Youth Services Strategy (YSS). The strategy highlights the role and the need for the corporation to develop alternate opportunities for young people to become civically engaged in ways that are meaningful to them. The projects align with the Rotary Club of Kitchener and Compass Kitchener's sub-committee on Youth Engagement's goal to increase youth involvement in and understanding of our community and of local government. As well, the projects align with the WCDSB's goals to educate their students and to increase their understanding of local government and their community. FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS: Excluding staff time, the current cost for both projects is negligible. However, if the Youth Forum program is expanded to an additional 6-7 schools there will be additional expenses as noted in this report. COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT: Youth Forum: The project involves several partners including the Rotary Club of Kitchener, Waterloo Catholic District School Board and Waterloo Region District School Board students, Compass Kitchener, council and city staff. My Ideal City: The project involves council, the Kitchener Citizen, Rogers TV, participating youth, teachers from 6 local schools and city staff. The Kitchener Citizen provided editorial coverage and ad space, and Rogers TV broadcast the mock debate live on May 1 as well as archiving it on their website. ACKNOWLEDGED BY: Jeff Willmer, CAO 8 - 5 Staff Report ITCa I ? R (A0 Office www.kitrhener as APPENDIX A Resurrection Catholic Secondary School student feedback received via an in-class evaluation: "I thoroughly enjoyed presenting our boards. I feel like it will encourage people to vote at the municipal level." "I found the Dragon's Den really interesting and surprisingly fun because it gave you the chance to offer your ideas to the councillors and get feedback." "I enjoyed the Dragon's Den. It gave me practice speaking in front of an audience and having my voice heard by important people. I did find [discussions with councillors] useful because we received feedback from councillors and got to know our councillors better." "...it was great to see all the ideas that other people had and it was a great way to get young people involved in politics." "I thought that thy Dragon's Den is a good idea to help young people get involved. It helps young people feel that they are a part of the city and feel their ideas are heard." 8 - 6