MOST Initiative seeks partners (funds available)

[Tom Sparks]

>From: most at wolfenet.com
>Date: Tue, 16 Jan 1996 09:17:15 -0800 (PST)
>X-Sender: most at gonzo.wolfenet.com
>Mime-Version: 1.0
>To: webadm at scn.org
>Subject: funds available
>
>I've been wanting to inform you about our project, and now that we have
>money to contribute, I just couldn't put it off any longer. I'm developing a
>database of before and after school programs for youth ages 5-14 as part of
>the MOST Initiative. The database will be accessible via PAN, the WWW and at
>local community agencies, and printed in the form of neighborhood
>directories. Our home page is up at http://www.wolfe.net/~most and will soon
>be on PAN. We are planning to house and design home pages for after school
>programs and have volunteers involved for the purpose. At some point soon
>I'd like to have our site linked to the SCN Home Page and perhaps we could
>think of other ways to collaborate.
>
>Below is info on funding for MOST community partners. I'd particularly
>recommend your consideration of the "Find & Choose" partner since it seems
>to me closest to what SCN is doing.
>
>
>Re:     Seeking Two Partners (paid!) to Help Implement the Seattle MOST
>Initiative
>        Responses Due January 19, 1996
>
>
>Dear Friends,
>
>As many of you may know, the Seattle MOST Initiative is underway!  Wed like you
>to join us as a partner in improving the quality and increasing the availability
>of out-of-school time activities for Seattles children and youth.  
>
>Currently, MOST seeks two community organizations or groups to work as
>community partners to the MOST Initiative.  Each would be responsible for
>implementing one of the two projects described below.  These two organizations
>would be paid for their involvement.  The specific tasks will be negotiated once
>the community partners are selected.  Each community partner may work with one
>of the three principle agencies collaborating on the MOST Initiative: Child Care
>Resources, Schools Out Consortium/ YWCA, or the City of Seattles School-Age
>Care Program.  
>
>The MOST Initiative is dedicated to strengthening the quality and availability
>of out-of-school time activities for children of color, children with special
>needs and children from low-income families.  Seattle MOST seeks, as community
>partners, organizations or groups who serve these individuals and who can
>contribute their expertise in these areas to the MOST Initiative.
>
>At this time, we have funding to select community partners for the following two
>projects.
>
>1.     Hold a conference.  The goals of the conference are to increase
>participation of community members in MOST and to fulfill or address one or more
>strategies in the MOST Action Plan (summary attached).  The MOST Community
>Oversight Group has identified the following conference topics:  increasing
>cultural awareness within programs; increasing parent involvement in programs;
>information regarding program options, ideas, and curricula; and increasing
>connections with schools.  The community partner would develop one of these
>ideas, plan and produce the conference.  The conference is tentatively scheduled
>for May 1996, but there is some flexibility in the time.   Some technical
>assistance on conference planning is available.
>
>At this time, there is $7,000 available to plan and produce this conference.  
>
> 2.    Help build a database of out-of-school programs in Seattle.  The database
>will provide parents and youth with a complete directory of out-of-school
>activities throughout the city.  Help is needed with building the database and
>creating effective distribution methods.  (The project already has a lead
>coordinator and an Americorps volunteer based at Child Care Resources.  The
>community partner would work directly with these two individuals.)  Assistance
>is needed as soon as possible and could continue for up to two and one-half
>years.
> 
>For the next six to twelve months, there is $5,000 available to help with the
>MOST database.  We envision that this entire amount would be paid to a community
>partner to cover time spent by them to perform specific tasks related to
>creation and distribution of the database.
>
>A community organization or group interested in either one of these projects may
>want to consider some of the following issues:
>
>. Involvement could bring greater visibility to your organization or group.
> 
>. Involvement could lead to new connections and partnerships.
> 
>. Involvement may result in more suitable and effective services for the
>populations that you serve.
> 
>. Involvement would require time and energy beyond your existing
>responsibilities.
>
>If you are interested in working on either of these projects, please send me a
>one-page letter-of interest no later than January 19, 1996.  The letter should
>express why you are interested and describe why your organization could best
>accomplish the conference or database projects goals.  If you have questions
>before deciding whether to send a letter of interest, please call me at
>461-3602.  Mail your letter to:
>
>MOST Community Partner
>c\o Adrienne Bloom
>Schools Out Consortium/ YWCA
>1118 5th Avenue
>Seattle, WA 98101
>
>We strongly invite your interest and participation.  After we have received the
>letters of interest, members of the MOST Community Oversight Group will review
>them and select those groups that seem best matched to the tasks.  We will then
>make informal contacts with applicants to discuss further their interest and
>expertise.
>
>We look forward to hearing from you.
>
>Sincerely,
>
>
>Adrienne Bloom
>MOST Project Manager
>
>++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
>Summary of the
>Seattle MOST Out-of-School Time Project
>
>
>What does "MOST" stand for?
>"MOST" stands for Making the Most of Out-of-School Time.  MOST is a national
>initiative of the DeWitt Wallace - Reader's Digest Fund.
>
>What is the goal of MOST?
>To increase the quantity of activities and improve the quality of
>out-of-school time for children ages 5 to 14.
>
>How did Seattle get involved?
>Seattle was one of five cities across the country chosen in June, 1994 to
>receive a planning grant from the DeWitt Wallace - Reader's Digest Fund to
>develop an effective plan to respond to this goal.
>
>What was the result of the planning process?
>Seattle was selected in June, 1995 as one of three cities (of the original
>five) to receive a $1.2 million grant from the Fund to implement its Action
>Plan over the next three years.
>
>How was Seattle's Action Plan created?
>Over 30 people from all over the city, representing youth, parents,
>youth-serving organizations, schools, violence prevention groups, ethnic
>communities, colleges, licensed child care providers, Seattle Parks and
>Recreation, family support programs, business and many more worked for many
>months to develop strategies that respond to the needs of parents and youth
>in Seattle.
>They began by gathering community input and ideas.  They conducted 30
>mini-summits with 185 parents, 300 youth, 314 program providers, higher
>education representatives, and the community at large.  They also used
>surveys and demographic data to create a vision of how they wanted
>out-of-school activities to work for families and children.
>
>What is the vision?
>By the year 1999, out-of-school activities for children and youth ages 5 to
>14 in Seattle will be available to all families because they will match the
>community's needs and will be culturally relevant; programs will be of high
>quality, will encourage and support parental involvement, and will be
>closely linked with the community.
>
>How will the vision be turned into reality?
>The Action Plan contains detailed strategies to strengthen the entire
>"system" of out-of-school time activities.  Teams of community members,
>community-based agencies, City of Seattle, schools and colleges, and more
>will work together to implement the strategies.
>
>Where will the resources come from?
>The $1.2 million DeWitt Wallace - Reader's Digest grant will provide a
>strong foundation for these efforts.  However, the grant requires increasing
>amounts of local funds and resources as "matching funds" over the 3-year
>period.  The grant alone is not sufficient to implement all the strategies.
>A resource developer will help generate funds for many aspects of the
>initiative and will help agencies and programs become more proficient at
>their own resource development efforts.
>
>What are the strategies?
>The strategies are listed below. 
>
>Seattle MOST Initiative Strategies
>
>
>Quality
>Increase the quality of out-of-school programs
>Develop common standards to rate program quality/ASQ national accreditation
>pilot project
>Build a feasible "path" for staff to obtain a college degree
>Experienced staff mentor newer staff
>Increase cultural relevancy of programs through more diverse trainers
>Create model programs for middle school youth (ages 11 to 14)
>
>Access
>Help low-income parents pay for programs
>Increase transportation to and from out-of-school programs
>Help parents and youth find and choose out-of-school programs through
>effective information services
>
>Supply
>Increase the number of out-of-school programs in areas where few exist and
>develop capacity to sustain them
>Community Education and Support
>Raise public awareness of and support for out-of-school programs
>
>Linkages to the Community
>Increase connections between out-of-school programs and schools
>Increase parent, youth, and volunteer involvement in out-of-school programs
>Use out-of-school programs to help parents find other community resources
>
>For more information about Seattle MOST, contact Adrienne Bloom at YWCA
>School's Out Consortium, 1118 - 5th Avenue, Seattle, WA 98101 or call (206)
>461-3602.
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>=============:)=================
>Philip Klein
>MOST Database Coordinator
>Child Care Resources
>1265 S Main St, #210
>Seattle, WA  98144
>(206) 461-3213 x218
>FAX (206) 461-3726
>


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