Janapril newsletter

HILL COOPERATIVE YOUTH SERVICES

Spring Edition Volume 1, Issue 2

21 Future’s Gazette Ringing in the New Year...

Along with the a new year come a new dawn in the 21 Futures program. New resources, new opportunities with the same mission to create tomorrows leaders today.

Members of 21 Futures have planned to make the year 2002 a better year then the one before it with commitments to better themselves and the community in which they live. Fundraising is paramount on our list of things to do. As our program

“Some men look at things as they are and ask… why…

Others look at things as they are and ask, why not”.-J.F.K

grows, we have realized that for programs like this to survive, we need to become selfsufficient. After the Sept 11th tragedy, programs like 21 Futures have been the target of many budget cuts. Cutting social services is not something the city, state or federal government is readily doing, but when cuts need to be made, they are usually cutting programs that have low visibility, which makes 21 Futures a potential target.

Showing the city of New Haven that members of 21 Futures are part of positive change need to be a part of our focus for 2002.

21 Futures members have committed themselves to working with other commu-

Phillip Dennis and Darrin Gass during a 21 Futures “lock-in”. nity based movements to create positive change in the Hill Community to the city of New Haven. Working with community organizer Meg Robinson, 21 Futures have join the communities of New Haven in demanding a “social contract” with Yale to demand better wages for it’s employees, equal treatment towards home-ownership for

Hill Cooperative Youth Services joins the commute on the “INFORMATION SUPER-HIGHWAY” In march of 2002 Hill Cooperative Youth Services received a grant from Power-Up for ten new Gateway computers. Along with the grant comes a host of software for all ages. For the younger members of Hill Co-

operative Youth Services, there are learning software, the teens, skill building software, and services coming for adults. With the grant, Hill Cooperative will be able to open up a whole new world of opportunity for the youth of Hill Cooperative services.

Volume 1, Issue 2

21 Future’s Gazette Page 2

INFORMATION SUPER HIGH-WAY cont...

Tramont Murray setting up all of the new computers

“It is ok to think of the things you want to do, until it is time to do the things are supposed to

Through the addition of a computer lab to Hill Cooperative Youth Services, we are now able to offer services we were not able to before.

skills training in the very near future. We hope to expand the computer lab to service more of the community.

Computer classes taught by our youth workers, resume building, web design, graphic arts and much more.

For Hill Cooperative, the new computer lab symbolizes its on going commitment to empower not only the New Haven youth, but all of its residents.

The computer lab will also be open to the adult community members for job readiness

There will be a grand opening to be held at this year summer carnival held June 8th 2002.

We invite the entire city to join in our celebration.

do”-Anonymous

21 Futures join other youth organizations to improve youth services in the state of CT Members of 21 Futures were invited to attend a conference concerning improving youth service programs in Bridgeport, CT.

benefits of being apart of programs such as 21 Futures and well as lead tips to other or-

ganizations on how they can better serve youths within their own organization.

21 Futures members talked with adults and youth involved in similar programs.

We are proud to be considered to be one of the states leading youth empowerment organizations and continuously strive to set the standard for which all other will be

21 Futures have been identi-

Antione Heath during a fied as one of the leading youth empowering organizaYouth Development workshop in Bridgeport, CT tions and members were

asked to speak on some of the

21 Future 24 hour “LOCK IN”

Dreamcast and the boys

21 Futures held there yearly lock in to brainstorm around fundraising, community issues as well as recreational activities they would like to do in the upcoming summer months.

Some of our fundraising will be used to purchase a much needed van to shuttle youth

back and fourth to special events and activities held at Hill Cooperative Youth Services and through-out the state of CT. Besides talking about fundraising, we also discussed issues that we are facing as an organization and as a group of young adults. Some of the

issues addressed were around the public school issue.

21 Future’s Gazette

Volume 1, Issue 2 Page 3

“LOCK-IN” cont...

The “lock-in” also gave the members a chance to just hang out with each other doing a range of group activities. Things that are very important in being a youth.

The members were concerned about the stopping of the youth parties sponsored by Hill Cooperative Youth Services. The administration of Hill Cooperative Youth Services and the community members have been trying to

address the issue but with very little success. The major issue to the community is when the party is over, the youth attending these parties sometimes do not disperse quickly.

Community members have been complaining about property damage, vandalism and loitering that takes place after one of the parties. Added to those concerns were the New Haven Police Department

having to deal with more then 100 youth in a small area of the city representing different neighborhoods.

Until youth understand the correlation between what some youth do and the effects to all youth, events such as a city-wide youth party will always be met with opposition from community members and police officials.

Members of 21 Futures will

Business Plan Competition Winners Since its inception as part of Hill Cooperative Youth Services longstanding tradition of offering city youth with the opportunity for growth and self-development, the N.F.T.E. curriculum continues to play in important part of that tradition.

For a lot of its participants,

N.F.T.E. has opened a whole new world of opportunities and options some of the youth many not have considered.

Since the beginning of the academic school year, members of 21 Futures have been working hard to one day be able to master the skills needed to establish and main-

tain their own business.

Timothy Batts during a NFTE business plan competition.

When the course first started,

Business Plan Competition Winners cont…

Those who completed the first portion of the course were allowed to compete in the business plan competition hoping to compete at the state level.

Hill Cooperative Youth Services held its own business plan competition to determine

who will compete at the state level. Of all the participants in the business plan competition Antoine Heath took third place with his customize jewelry making business, Dereck Allen and Timothy Batts came in second with there Wed Design company and

Dereck Allen during a NEFT presentation

Corey Barnes winner first place with “The Hill Newsletter”. Corey advances to the state competition in spring of 2003. Corey and 2003 winner of Hill Cooperatives business plan competition will be then compete at the state level, Corey Barnes preparing his business hoping to make it to the naplan

21 Future’s Gazette

Volume 1, Issue 2

Page 4

Summer Youth Employment for City Youth Summer youth employment was something that any youth could readily find in the city of New Haven.

This is no longer the case this summer. With the cuts impacting across the board, city summer youth employment has dropped from employing approximately 1200 youth, to now approximately 400.

This makes for a great deal of city youth without an option for employment for the sum-

mer. Hill Cooperative Youth Services will be one of the few agencies to address this concern. There has been an in -flux of youth coming in inquiring about potential job opportunities.

Hill Cooperative Youth Services has created a job readiness and placement course to help city youth secure employment. Hill Cooperative Youth Services offers its 21 Futures members job readi-

Inside Story Headline

Inside Story Headline

Timothy Batts skipping rocks out at Killiam’s Point.

ness courses. Those who can successfully complete the job readiness course will then be hired to work as summer youth counselors.

21 Future’s Gazette

Volume 1, Issue 2 Page 5

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make predictions for your customers or clients.

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HILL COOPERATIVE YOUTH SERVICES Primary Business Address Your Address Line 2 Your Address Line 3 Your Address Line 4 Phone: 555-555-5555 Fax: 555-555-5555 Email: xyz@microsoft.com

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This would be a good place to insert a short paragraph about your organization. It might include the purpose of the organization, its mission, founding date, and a brief history. You could also include a brief list of the types of products, services, or programs your organization offers, the geographic area covered (for example, western U.S. or European markets), and a profile of the types of customers or members served.

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