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Home My WebLink About2015-02-17; City Council; 21862; Proposal Work Effort City and Carlsbad Unified School District, Civic Education Community Engagement Youth/TeensOQ CARZ CITY OF CARLSBAD AGENDA BILL cA6IFORN�O AB# 21,862 PROPOSAL TO INITIATE A COLLABORATIVE WORK DEPT. DIRECTO MTG. 3-17-15 EFFORT BETWEEN CITY OF CARLSBAD AND CITY ATTORNEY DEPT. CED CARLSBAD UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT TO CITY MANAGER DEVELOP A CIVIC EDUCATION AND COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT PROGRAM FOR YOUTH/TEENS RECOMMENDED ACTION: That the City Council approve Resolution No. 2015-042 authorizing staff to proceed with a collaborative effort between the City of Carlsbad and the Carlsbad Unified School District, and perhaps other school districts serving Carlsbad, to develop a program for youth/teens that will focus on civic education and community engagement. If authorized to do so, the Housing and Neighborhood Services Department will immediately deploy staff resources to collaboratively develop the noted program and return to City Council at a future date for further consideration and final approval together with a budget request for any required implementation resources. ITEM EXPLANATION: Since 2002, the city has successfully implemented the innovative, Helen Putnam award -winning CityStuff program within the third grade classes in elementary schools throughout the City of Carlsbad. The program brings students and teachers together with volunteers from the community for six lessons that explore how a city works, including segments on city planning, the role of business and newspapers, local history and city government. It concludes with a mock city council meeting. The city worked with Junior Achievement to develop the curriculum, which is tied to the third -grade social studies curriculum in the schools. The activities are very hands on and extremely fun. The success of the above noted program to inform and engage third graders in city government has created a desire among some city and school district representatives to develop a similar but further enhanced community engagement program for high school students. City and Carlsbad Unified School District staff members have met with Councilmember Wood over the past few months to brainstorm ideas for a youth/teen program that would provide for opportunities of civic education, leadership development and community engagement. This effort could also create an opportunity to implement a Healthy Community — Healthy Youth initiative, which could be an important resource to help the community better value young people's voices and ideas and actively include them in community building efforts. Staff is seeking City Council direction on whether or not to add this initiative to the current work program for calendar 2015. DEPARTMENT CONTACT: Debbie Fountain 760-434-2935 debbie.fountain@carisbadca.gov FOR CITY CLERKS USE ONLY. COUNCIL ACTION: APPROVED ❑ CONTINUED TO DATE SPECIFIC ❑ _ DENIED ❑ CONTINUED TO DATE UNKNOWN CONTINUED ❑ RETURNED TO STAFF ❑ WITHDRAWN ❑ OTHER — SEE MINUTES ❑ AMENDED ❑ Continued from February 17 2015 meeting. No Action I aKen. Youth Program Feb. 17, 2015 Page 2 If authorized to proceed, there are many options that can be considered in developing a youth -oriented engagement strategy and/or Healthy Community - Healthy Youth initiative. Staff would develop a team of allies in the community as well as various other city staff members to help develop and implement the strategy, which will most likely have a long term phased approach to implementation. There is a diversity of activities and programs that could be considered under this strategy, including but not limited to: • Education, with activities such as a Teen Citizen Academy or a Youth Summit; career development; academic achievement support programs • Service Learning, community service combined with education on why the service is important • Training; how to participate effectively in local government; careers in government • Leadership development; mentoring, coaching, youth court/youth justice program; youth activism; youth leadership academy • Representation, Consultation, Shared Leadership; community building participation; youth advisory programs within the community • Youth empowerment; peer support networks, neighborhood problem resolution; positive self-image; mediated solutions If directed by City Council, staff will proceed with a collaborative effort with one or more school districts and other community allies to develop a youth -oriented strategy for engaging local teenagers in the workings of city government through education, information, service and relationship building. This program or strategy, once developed more fully, will be returned to City Council for further consideration and approval at a later date. No specific program or budget is proposed or recommended at this time; this action authorizes staff to proceed with program development only. FISCAL IMPACT: There is no fiscal impact to bring forward a proposal to City Council. It is anticipated, however, that both additional funding and staff resources will be required to initiate a youth -oriented strategy for civic education, leadership development, and community engagement. A budget enhancement request will be presented to the City Council at a later date if staff is authorized to proceed with this initiative at this time. A rough estimate indicates that there will most likely be a need for approximately $50,000 in additional funding for initial program development and implementation; additional funding may be required in future years for more specific program implementation or related activities. ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT: Pursuant to Public Resources Code Section 21065, this action does not constitute a "project" within the meaning of CEQA in that it has no potential to cause either a direct physical change in the environment, or a reasonably foreseeable indirect physical change in the environment, and therefore does not require environmental review. EXHIBITS: 1. Resolution No. 2015-042 authorizing a collaborative work effort between the City of Carlsbad and Carlsbad Unified School District to develop a civic education and community engagement program for youth/teens. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 RESOLUTION NO. 2015-042 A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF CARLSBAD, CALIFORNIA, TO AUTHORIZE A COLLABORATIVE WORK EFFORT BETWEEN CITY OF CARLSBAD AND CARLSBAD UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT TO DEVELOP A CIVIC EDUCATION AND COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT PROGRAM FOR YOUTH/TEENS The City Council of the City of Carlsbad, California, does hereby resolve as follows: WHEREAS, there is a desire among city and school district representatives to develop a civic education and community engagement program for high school students; and WHEREAS, the program is proposed to provide for opportunities of civic education, leadership development communityNagement; and WHEREAS, the pro m ma Iso crea an opportunity to implement a Healthy Community — Healthy Youth Initiativ which d be an important resource to help the community bett%r valuetou'n--g peo 's voi s and ideas and actively include them in community building efforts. WHEREAS. the%ity Coundl has taken all testimony into account. NOW, 1XEREFORE, BE IT HEREBY RESOLVED by the City Council of the City of Carlsbad, CalifornAh as foll\ws: 1. ThNbok recitations are true and correct. 2. The Carlsbad City Council hereby authorizes the City Manager to immediately deploy appropriate staff resources to work in collaboration with Carlsbad School District representatives, and others School District representatives as appropriate, to develop a program in 2015 for youth/teens that will focus on civic education and community engagement. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 3. Carlsbad City Council directs the City Manager to deploy the resources necessary to develop the desired program for civic education and community engagement for high school students, and return to the City Council for program approval and budget enhancements as appropriate for implementation of the program at a future date. -2- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 PASSED AND ADOPTED at a regular meeting of the City Council of the City of Carlsbad on the day of , 2015, by the following vote, to with: AYES: NOES: ABSENT: MATT HALL, Mayor ATTEST: BARBARA ENGLESON, City Clerk (SEAL) 27 28 -3-