HomeMy WebLinkAboutCSD-09-035 - One KCI Youth Drop-In ProgramREPORT
REPORT TO:
Community Services Committee
DATE OF MEETING:
May 11, 2009
SUBMITTED BY:
Mark Hildebrand, Director, Community Programs and
Services (x2687)
PREPARED BY:
Lori Palubeski, Manager, Program and Resource Services
(x2623)
WARD(S) INVOLVED:
1, 2
DATE OF REPORT:
April 29, 2009
REPORT NO.: CSD-09-035
SUBJECT:
ONE KCI - Youth Drop-In Program
RECOMMENDATION:
That the Mayor and Clerk be authorized to execute a two year agreement with the
Waterloo Region District School Board, for the implementation of a Youth Drop-In
program at the Kitchener-Waterloo Collegiate and Vocational School (KCI), subject to the
satisfaction of the City Solicitor.
BACKGROUND:
In 2005, in order to build on its character development initiative, KCI introduced a broad-based
community building program. The focus of the ONE KCI Community Alliance was to continue to
strengthen bridges with community neighbours and agencies to support youth, especially those
marginalized by poverty. The Community Alliance included representatives from the Cherry
Park Neighbourhood Association, St. Mark’s Lutheran and Calvary United Church, Central
Fresh Market, Community Care Access Centre, City of Kitchener, Waterloo Regional Police
Services, Grand River Transit, and Grand River Hospital. In its first few years of partnership the
group came together and resolved numerous youth-related challenges, developed a breakfast
and lunch program, a clothing support program and worked to make real connections with both
students and other youth in the downtown core.
In order to solidify and sustain the work of the ONE KCI Community Alliance, KCI Administration
led the steering committee through the submission of a funding proposal to the Urban and
Priority High Schools Funding (Ministry of Education) in the fall of 2008. Essentially, the
proposal represented a “whole student, whole community approach” seeking to address the
social and emotional needs of students, community safety, and student engagement and
achievement. It also sought to address the “downtown” stigma attached to KCI and our city’s
core. It is important to highlight and celebrate the community/partnership approach to this
funding request - while KCI Administration assumed the lead role in the coordination and
facilitation of the process, community partners and agencies agreed to become active in the
implementation of specific projects within the Funding proposal.
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In December 2008, the Community Alliance was advised that it had been awarded two years of
funding ($218,617.00 for December 2008 to August 2009 and an additional $218,617.00 for
September 2009 to August 2010) to implement three projects outlined in the proposal. The
three projects include:
1. The hiring of an Addiction Community Treatment Worker,
2. Community and Teacher training and development focussing on Restorative Justice,
and
3. A Youth Drop-In program at KCI one evening per week.
REPORT:
As per the spirit and intention of the initiatives of the ONE KCI Community Alliance and its
subsequent funding proposal to the Urban and Priority High School Funding, staff is
recommending that the City of Kitchener proceed with assuming the role of lead partner in the
development and implementation of a Youth Drop-In program at KCI. The goals and objectives
of the Youth Drop-In program are consistent with our current service delivery models and
support our desires to improve outreach and program delivery for youth in the downtown.
Additionally, further opportunities to work in collaboration with the WRDSB and community
partners support the City of Kitchener’s strategic direction specified in the community priority
“Leadership and Community Engagement: Partner with citizens, business, agencies,
organizations, school boards and all orders of government, in all Healthy Community initiatives”.
FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS:
The Youth Drop-In centre program will be completely funded via the dollars allocated from the
Urban and Priority High School Funding which will flow through the Waterloo Region District
School Board to the City of Kitchener.
ACKNOWLEDGED BY: Pauline Houston, General Manager, Community Services
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