HomeMy WebLinkAboutMINUTES - 08122008 - C.74 C�
TO: Board of Supervisors . e E L °� Contra
FROM: Supervisor John Gioia
Costa
Dr. William Walker, Health Services Director p �o
Joe Valentine, C �"�t
Employment and Human Services Director (56
DATE: August 12, 2008
SUBJECT: INDUSTRIAL JOB TRAINING AND EDUCATIONAL SUPPORT FEE DISBURSEMENT
(REVISED)
SPECIFIC REQUEST(S)OR RECOMMENDATION(S)&BACKGROUND AND JUSTIFICATION
RECOMMENDATION
AUTHORIZE the disbursement of$150,000 ($65,000 in 2008 and $85,000 in 2009) from the Industrial Job
Training and Educational Support Fee (Community Development Securities Deposit Trust Fund 894500,
Sub-Account 0830) to the RYSE Youth Center and Youth Development Project in Richmond to provide
youth development and training to West County youth as more specifically described under the Background
section of this Board Order.
FISCAL IMPACT
There is no impact to the County General Fund. These monies would be disbursed from a special trust fund
established by the payment of fees by ConocoPhillips.
BACKGROUND
When the Board of Supervisors approved the ConocoPhillips Refinery Project in September 2007,
ConocoPhillips voluntarily agreed to a condition of approval under which they would pay an Industrial Job
Training and Educational Support Fee to Contra Costa Coun:'ty in the amount of$500,000.
The specific terms of the condition of approval is as follows;; .
"ConocoPhillips agrees to pay an Industrial Job Training and Educational Support Fee to Contra Costa
County in the amount of$100,000 on January 1,2008, $200,000 on January 1, 2009, and $200,000 on
January 1, 2010. Payment shall be made at the beginning of each one year period. The fee shall be
deposited for programs and services which support education, career training, and life skills. The fee
shall be deposited in a dedicated account to be used, upon approval by the Board of Supervisors, for
programs and services which support the educational, career training, and life skills development of
Contra Costa County youth and young adults in preparation for careers that support the economic
vitality of Contra Costa County including those in industry and manufactu g.
CONTINUED ON ATTACHMENT: YES SIGNATUR
,
Wupervisor John Gioia, District
❑ RECOMMENDATION OF COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR ❑ RECOMMENDATION OF BOARD COMMITTEE
❑ APPROVE ❑ OTHER
SIGNATURE(S):
ACTION OF BOARD ON
APPROVED AS RECOMMENDED ❑ OTHER ❑
VOTE OF SUPERVISORS: I HEREBY CERTIFY THAT THIS IS A TRUE AND
CORRECT COPY OF AN ACTION TAKEN AND
UNANIMOUS(ABSENT��J ) ENTERED ON THE MINUTES OF THE BOARD OF
AYES: NOES: SUPERVISORS ON THE DATE SHOWN.
ABSENT: ABSTAIN:
JOHN CULLEN, C RK OF THE BOARD OF
Contact: Terrance Cheung (6-3231) SUPERVISOR D COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR
cc: Terrance Cheung—Supervisor John Gioia
Kanwarpal Dhaliwal, RYSE'Co-Director
E-mail: kanwarpal@sbcglobal.net
Dr.William Walker, Health Services Director
Joe Valentine,EHSD Director
B
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The intent of this condition is to provide an appropriate level'of funding that can be used for programs
and services which focus on developing the knowledge, skills, abilities and employment readiness that
are necessary in order to enter various job training programs including those in the industrial and
manufacturing sectors."
The disbursement of$150,000 from this fund to the RYSE Youth Center and Youth Development Project
would achieve the objectives of the condition of approval as described in this Board Order.
The RYSE Youth Center and Youth Development Project is a multi-agency and community collaborative
effort under the umbrella of a separate California non-profit corporation which is being co-funded by the
following foundations: United Way of the Bay Area, Dean and Margaret Lesher Foundation, East Bay
Community Foundation, San Francisco Foundation, The California Endowment, Stuart Foundation, Walter
S. Johnson Foundation, Kaiser Permanente Community Benefits Progrm, and corporations including
ChevronTexaco, ConocoPhillips, Republic Services (Richmond Sanitary Service),
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P.G. & E. and others. The non-profit's Board of Trustees includes West County community
representatives and representatives from Contra Costa County, City of Richmond, West Contra Costa
Unified School District, Kaiser-Permanente, and community,based organizations such as Youth Together.
There is a strong need for youth leadership and development training for West County youth in order to
prepare them for well-paying and satisfying industrial jobs in Contra Costa County. Over half of the
employees in Contra Costa County's chemical and refinery facilities are nearing retirement age. In order to
operate these facilities with local residents, there is a great need to prepare and train sufficient youth to
enter these jobs. There is currently a shortage of trained prospective workers for these positions. There is
a need for both more industrial training programs and"basic,life skills and pre-apprenticeship programs".
The majority of youth graduating from West County sch''ools do not even meet the basic
requirements to get into an existing building trades apprenticeship program or industrial training
program. There are currently not enough existing programs in West County to develop the skills youth
require to enter industrial training programs. The RYSE Youth Center and Development Project is
designed to develop these skills in youth.
The RYSE Youth Center and Development Project is responsive to the need for youth-friendly training and
support from adults from their own communities and who understand their life experiences. Its
programming is based on research that shows that young people will be more apt to access and participate
in career training programs in conjunction with other activities that interest them and meet their needs, such
as media arts, education and performance arts.
The RYSE Center will have an emphasis on developing"life skills"in young people and is based on a
resiliency-based approach to youth development and leaders hip. The Center's programs are based on the
philosophy that the more we access the existing skills, resources and expertise of young people, the greater
their investment and success in their educational and career endeavors.
History of The RYSE Center
The need for the RYSE Center in Richmond was originally ii articulated by local youth in West Contra Costa
County after the killing of four high school students a few years ago. One of the young victims was badly
wounded and died immediately in front of Richmond High School. These deaths left students shocked and
depressed and lowered student morale. The students, feeling unsafe in their schools, decided to express
their concerns and needs to public officials and the broader community.
The collective community shock over the loss of these young men created a desire for change among the
students from Richmond and Kennedy High Schools. Students expressed concerns about inadequate
educational resources and insufficient employment as underlying causes of such violence. The most
frequently articulated reason given, as the root cause of youth violence by the students was a lack of"things
to do". The young.people at the forum also shared real life examples of how young people are at greater
risk of becoming victims of crime in the after-school hours,'particularly when they have no programs or
activities to participate in or no adult at home.
Responding to this identified need for a physical space, the County made available a 6,600 square foot
vacant county building in Richmond near a major bus line and near the County's Richmond Health Center.
In partnership with Youth Together, a youth leadership andi;educational justice organization that works in
East Bay schools and founding member of RYSE, and reSOURCE, a consulting team with a rich history of
youth and community organizing and public sector.collaboration, they spearheaded an effort to plan and
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secure resources for the building's conversion into a comprehensive youth center in Richmond.
Construction begins in July 2008 with the RYSE Center opening and programs starting in October 2008.
Mission, Purpose and Goals
The RYSE Center will provide a safe space that young people from West Contra Costa County can call
their own. Through adult and peer,relationships, leadership development and integrative programs
grounded in a youth development framework, the RYSE Center will support participants in building upon
their existing assets to become confident, self-sufficient, healthy adults who contribute to their
communities. Programs will include arts and culture, education, leadership development and community
organizing, health education and health services, and youth employment and career opportunities.
At the RYSE Center, young people will participate in an integrative, seamless program model that allows
for multiple points of entry. Programming will run the spectrum of drop-in and recreational activities,
structured programming, and intensive case management services. This model supports the healthy
development of young people through a holistic approach, which engages youth in activities and services
that practice principles of youth leadership and social justice: This model is anchored in the belief that
young people are the "experts" of their lives, and have the most knowledge and capacity to identify,
prioritize, and direct programs, activities, and services that will benefit their well-being. We believe the
long term benefits of helping young people realize their vision of a youth center, designed for and by youth,
will contribute to the health and economic vitality of their communities by reducing violence, increasing
youth participation and leadership in civic activities, improve physical and mental health, increase
educational attainment and expand career options for West Contra Costa County youth.
The overarching goals of the RYSE Center are as follows:
• An increase in the sense of community and collectivity experienced by and between youth from the
diverse communities that comprise West Contra Costa County;
• Significant improvement in the social, physical, and emotional well-being of youth and young adults in
West Contra Costa County;
• The development and presence of meaningful multi-racial youth leadership and advocacy across West
Contra Costa County.
The Center's target population includes West County youth and young adults, ages 14-21. The Center will
strive to reach the diversity of youth in West County—across culture, community, and neighborhood,
including those in and out of school, homeless youth, LGBTQ youth, low income and middle class youth,
as well as those working in the street economy, experiencing or acting out violence, and will include
everyone from formally incarcerated to college bound youth.
RYSE Integrative Model Description
RYSE engages diverse communities of young people in West Contra Costa across an array of
programming, services, and recreational activities grounded in social justice, harm reduction, and youth
leadership. The integrative model builds on the assets and resiliencies of young people in order to identify
opportunities and needs towards their holistic well-being. This model supports the personal development
of young people, stronger peer relationships, and stronger youth-adult relationships. It engages young
people as members of families, neighborhoods, and communities in which they hold influence, in which
they are learners, and from which they build collective power. The model allows for multiple points of
entry and engagement for young people in a seamless manner that feels like"one program". On-site
programming, off-site programs and activities, and referrals are coordinated through collaborative cross-
sector partnerships and linkages to ensure accessible, relevant, and comprehensive program delivery.
The RYSE Center's Youth Employment and Career Success Program will connect youth with existing
career and employment services and opportunities; build relationships with business and agencies that
currently hire youth or are interested in hiring youth through employment or open internships; provide
coaching and support for Center members in harnessing their existing employment and career skills and
helping to expand their career options and abilities, and provide labor rights education and training for
youth pre-, during and post-employment.
The RYSE Center's Academic;,and Educational Success Program will connect youth and young adults to
existing resources, and collaborate on making these resources more accessible and relevant for a broader
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diversity of youth and young adults in West Contra Costa County. Specific activities include,but are not
limited to the following:
1. Workshops to support and increase time management skills, study skills, and organizational skills;
2. Courses to prepare youth and young adults for equivalency tests such the high school exit exam,
SAT/ACT, GED, and others as necessary;
3. "College-going"clinics that will inform and educate young people about opportunities, options, and
requirements to apply to college and provide support in completing applications;
4. Peer-led study groups led by peer mentors from local 'universities, colleges, and educational programs
and agencies;
5. Literacy skills workshops and classes;
6. Language acquisition classes;
7. Referrals and linkages to tutoring and mentorship programs.
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