Friday, 29 March 2013

[CPN] Great 8 News - March Issue

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A Word from Councilman Brooks

It Takes a Village

This year 2,000 kids in Denver will drop out of high school. This affects the entire city of Denver, not just the students. Many of the kids will have a higher chance of being incarcerated, and the harsh reality of having few opportunities will almost guarantee a life of poverty. This is no way to function as a society, and we must do better.

I was raised in a family that put a high value on education, which is something my wife and I stress with our three children. All my life I have been investing in youth and leading programs designed to help them succeed in school, so it upsets me to live in a society that places such a low value on the quality of education that we provide for all of our kids. I realize that there are many great schools, but if you can’t afford to attend them or you live in the wrong zip code then you don’t have equal access to a high quality education. Oftentimes people will hear the term “education equality” and immediately jump into the ferocious debate over school policy. While the adults spend their time going back and forth and arguing, kids are falling through the cracks with each passing day.

Fixing our broken education system is a daunting task, and while many leaders and advocates start at the top with policy and programs, I want to highlight the pressing need for people to be involved at a grassroots level. One of the greatest assets a neighborhood should have is its school, and whether or not you have children in your local school you should realize the value that a good school brings to a neighborhood. In order for us to succeed as a society, we must all get involved with our local schools and help build a stronger spectrum of opportunities for our youth. Parental and community engagement is one of the best ways to fix a broken system, so we must be sure that we invest in our future by investing our time and money in our local schools

Birds Eye View

Education Does Matter

by LeviJohnsen                                                                                                             

C.S. Lewis once said that, “the task of the modern educator is not to cut down jungles but to irrigate deserts." The current education landscape in Denver and in urban America is definitely a combination of jungles and deserts. In order for us to understand the importance of why we must “irrigate deserts” we must know the facts.

According to Education Week’s Children Trends Database, over 3 million students drop out of high school every single year. This makes them ineligible for roughly 90% of all job opportunities. So, if we have millions of young adults dropping out of school, what are they dropping into?

The answer to that question is grim. 75% of crimes committed in the US are by someone who has dropped out of high school and 69% percent of jail inmates do not have a high school diploma. On average, high school dropouts end up costing taxpayers $292,000 (incarceration costs, social services, decreased taxable income, etc.)  So, if the poverty rate is twice as high for individuals without a high school diploma and if they are 63 times more likely to be incarcerated then why aren’t we doing more as a nation to provide better education for our youth? It is cliché to say that youth are the future, but is it true? If youth are the future then why are we doing so little to invest in them?

Providing access to great education is not only a sound investment, but it is one of the greatest moral obligations we have as a society. The likelihood of success or failure of a child should not be determined by his/her zip code and if we are going to ensure that our nation is prosperous it is time we start “irrigating the deserts.”

Neighborhood Spotlight

An Overview of the Denver Public School Board Race

by Brande' Micheau

As you may or may not know, there are seven members on the Denver Board of Education. Five are elected by voters within five districts; two are elected at-large by voters across the entire city. However, when a board member resigns, as Nate Easley did in January 2013 to run the Denver Scholarship Foundation, a new member must be appointed by the remaining members of the board. The newly appointed individual will serve out the remainder of the former Board member’s term.

For Easley's replacment, the board received 25 applications and narrowed that pool down to nine individuals by using a secret ballot process. The six board members then narrowed that list down to three people - Taggart Hansen, Antwan Jefferson and Landri Taylor. Following two months of intense consideration, Landri Taylor, President and Chief Officer of the Denver Urban League, was appointed to represent Northeast Denver’s District 4 for the next eight months.  

Before Taylor began working for the Denver Urban League, he was Vice President of Community Affairs for Forest City Stapleton (the development company behind the mixed-use neighborhoods), he was also Co-Chair of Denver’s successful $100 million neighborhood bond campaign and Board Treasurer for the Regional Transportation District Board.  

As he finishes out the last eight months of Easley's term, Taylor will work on several major issues that include: revisions to the Denver Plan, which guides DPS in key decisions and he will work on a modified consent decree, which governs how the district works with English Language Learners. 

Some of the opposition to Taylor's appointment comes from deep concern about the lack of representation for District 4's large and growing Latino population. According to Denver Public Schools, nearly half of the students in that area are Hispanic, 27% are black and 12% are white.

Despite the bumpy selection process, Taylor is eager to get started and focus on the one issue he sees as being the most important - eliminating the achievement gap among all students in Denver Public Schools.

 

 

 

 

City Wide Perspective

Integr8 Youth!   

by Chy Montoya

Collaboration is what seems to work best when it comes to helping our young adults get back on track. Our office is happy to announce that we have teamed up with Denver’s Office of Economic Development (OED) and the Youth Workforce Development team to design the first Denver City Council District 8 Job and Resource Program for Disengaged Youth (Integr8 Youth!). We will be working together to offer quarterly trainings that will focus on our young adults who have dropped out of school or are considered to be disengaged.

Currently, OED administers a highly successful Workforce Development Program, Transitions for Young Adults (TYA).  This program was developed to address the specialized needs of participants (16 to 21 years old) who have been adjudicated or convicted of a criminal charge and because of these circumstances, are having difficulty obtaining employment and retaining their positions. 

This newly established collaboration with OED and the Youth Workforce Development team will allow for the expansion of services, specifically for youth in District 8, through the following activities:

Focused and Time-Limited Job Development
TYA develops relationships with employers and comprehensively supports them in the hiring and retention of this specialized population. Their targeted and customized job development is geared toward permanent placement.

Work 4 $uccess (W4$) Training
A 32 hour Job Readiness Training (JRT) curriculum that addresses offender-specific risk factors and prepares disconnected youth for placement and (most importantly) retention in jobs located in their communities.

Job Fair
Youth who successfully complete the Work 4 $uccess curriculum have an opportunity to participate in job placement services offered by OED.

  • Additional opportunities for subsidized employment may be available to incentivize businesses to engage youth from their community in employment opportunities.

Connections with collaborative support services (pending funding)
Participants in the Integr8 Youth! Program may have opportunities to access the following services:

  • Transportation assistance to ensure that participants are able to attend training and the job fair
  • Clothing vouchers for interview clothes
  • Haircut vouchers to ensure that access to basic grooming is not a barrier to placement
  • Lunches during program participation

The Denver TYA partnership includes an alliance of over 30 local agencies who serve youth offenders. Programs with similar goals, target populations and services are
coordinated to maximize the expertise of our partners and reduce overlap/duplication of services. By leveraging resources and streamlining participation, we can be more effective in Denver’s efforts to:

  • Increase employment obtainment for re-entering citizens
  • Increase employment retention for program participants
  • Reduce youth recidivism

Next Steps for the Integr8 Youth! Program

  • Additional funding to cover costs of training and any optional direct participant costs such as clothing vouchers and transportation assistance.
  • Assistance securing a site for training and the Job Fair
  • Participant recruitment and involvement
  • Staff support to develop employer relationships

Long Term Collaborative Options

  • Quarterly training and Job Placement events
  • Referrals of District 8 residents for W4$ training and subsequent job placement opportunities
  • Establishment of permanent opportunity activities in District 8 by seeking permanent funding through grants, foundations, or other sources.

If you would like to participate or need more information please contact our office at (720) 337-8888.

Great 8 Events, Information and Updates

Let the Paving begin

Denver Public Works Street Maintenance department’s 2013 paving program will address a total of approximately 380 lane miles. Thanks to Denver voters’ overwhelming support of ballot Measure 2A, the city is able to eliminate its budget deficit, restore essential services and put Denver on a path to full economic recovery. 75 of the lane miles in the program will be paved as part of the significant improvements Measure 2A, passed in 2012. Paving operations are scheduled to take place in Sunnyside and Highlands neighborhoods as follows:

Week of April 1:

• Crews will continue to rotomill streets in Sunnyside and Highlands.  The paving crew is scheduled to begin laying asphalt on the streets that had been milled the previous week.

 

2013 GMDMA Safety Summit Weekend

The Greater Metro Ministerial alliance is hosting the 2013 GMDMA Safety Summit Weekend. The focus will be on Violence in the African American and Latino communities, violence against women and police community relations. Everyone is invited and the admission is FREE.

Where: Manual High School

When: April 4th-6th 2013

From:  8am - 11am

End of Watch 5k In Memory of Denver Police Officer Celena C. Hollis

When: Sun., April 7th

Time: 9am - Run
9:10am - Walk

Where: Denver City Park

Proceeds will benefit the Denver Police Officer Celena C. Hollis Scholarship Fund and to purchase a memorial park bench to be placed at the District 2 Police Station.
For more information on sponsorships, volunteering, or to register for this event, please call, (303) 877-8534 or (303) 641-0031.

East High School Arts Walk

You are invited to join to the 2nd Annual East High School Arts Walk

Where: East High School

When: Thursday, April 11th

From: 5:30-8:00pm

Free Tax Preparation at DHS Extended through April 11

Due to increased demand, the free tax-preparation assistance program provided by AARP Foundation Tax-Aide volunteers will continue at the Denver Human Services Castro Office located at 1200 Federal Blvd. through Thursday, April 11. Tax preparation available for all basic returns without income limitations. This complimentary service is available 9:30 a.m. – 3:30 p.m. on Wednesdays and Thursdays on a first-come, first-served basis. For a list of required documents, visit http://www.denvergov.org/Portals/692/documents/flyer_Free%20Tax%20Preparation.pdf.

Recycle Your Large Rigid Plastics

Denver Recycles, a program of Denver Public Works/Solid Waste Management, and Waste Management of Colorado are partnering with Keep Denver Beautiful to accept large rigid plastic items for recycling at four locations around the City on Saturday, April 6th between 9 AM – 2 PM as part of the Great Denver Cleanup!

For locations and additional information, please visit: http://www.denvergov.org/trashrecycling/TrashandRecycling/Recycling/tabid/438304/Default.aspx

Denver Parks and Recreation New Policy on Permits

The Denver Parks and Recreation Department (DPR) is developing a new policy to address those individuals and entities who have been using the park for private or personal gain without a permit.

The public meeting schedule is:

• Tuesday, April 9, 5:30 p.m. – Scheitler Recreation Center

• Wednesday, April 17, 5:30 p.m. – Cook Park Recreation Center

• Thursday, April 18, 5:30 p.m. – Central Park Recreation Center

• Saturday, April 20, 9:30 a.m. – Fleming House (1510 South Grant St.)
Additional information can be found on the DPR website by clicking here: DPR Community Relations

Pet Spay/Neuter Project Dates Available for your pet – New dates announced for spay/neuter project in 80205

Denver Animal Shelter has partnered with the Metro Denver Shelter Alliance in a spay/neuter project in the 80205 zip code.  Residents of 80205 are being offered free spay/neuter services for their cats in a state-of-the art mobile clinic. 
Dates and locations for the clinics have been confirmed as follows:


• April:  2, 3, 6, 7, 10, 12, 16, 17, 24, 26, 27 & 30 at St. Martin’s Plaza, 1300 Burch Randolph Ave.
 

• May:  Saturdays & Sundays at Harrington Elementary, 2401 E. 37 Ave.

Five Points Jazz Festival 2013!!!!

Save the date! The 2013 Five Points Jazz Festival will be held on May 18th from 11am - 8pm
 

This free community event celebrates the music, culture and history of Denver’s historic Five Points neighborhood, with performances that highlights many of Denver’s finest jazz musicians. Performances and activities take place in numerous venues in Historic Five Points, with food and art vendors all along Welton Street

Enroll your child in SEEK Denver

                                                                                                

When:  July 8, 2013 till August 2, 2013

Time:  8:15 - 8:45 a.m., free breakfast; 8:45 - 3:30 p.m. SEEK program

Where:  Maxwell Elementary (14390 E. Bolling Dr, Denver)
For more information got to https://www.nsbe.org/seek.aspx

“Be the ONE” this April

“Be the ONE” person in a child’s life who makes a difference in honor of Child Abuse Prevention Month. The campaign is designed not only to build awareness, but also to encourage participation in a number of activities that will help strengthen our community. If you are interested in learning more about Child Abuse Prevention Month, or participating in any of the activities listed above, please visit www.denvergov.org/preventchildabuse.

 

Denver Police Department Partnering with Nextdoor

The Denver Police Department is partnering with Nextdoor to support crime prevention and increase public safety through increased communication. In an effort to help facilitate a virtual neighborhood watch program and foster neighbor-to-neighbor communications, the Denver Police Department has partnered with Nextdoor, a private social network for neighborhoods. Each Denver neighborhood establishes and self-manages its own private Nextdoor website, free of charge. Residents can use their website to share information about:


• neighborhood watch
• safety issues
• local events
• Lost pets and much more.

If you have questions about your Nextdoor website you can contact DPDPublicAffairs@denvergov.org or help.nextdoor.com

My Denver Card

Mayor Michael B. Hancock today announced that more than 90,000 Denver students now have free, year-round access to the city’s 26 recreation centers and 29 pools with the MY Denver Card. The Mayor announced the creation of the MY Denver Card at his first State of the City address last July. Today, thanks to Denver voters’ overwhelming support of ballot

Measure 2A, the city is able to expand programming at the city’s recreation centers to support all Denver students ages 5 to 18. Presently, the MY Denver Card will act as a recreation center pass and a Denver Public Library card. Parents may take their children to any of the 26 recreation centers throughout the city to fill out the appropriate paperwork and receive a MY Denver Card.

The 2013 Summer Youth Employment Program is now accepting applications

You must be a resident of the City and County of Denver to register for SYEP. Use this link to register on the State's online database Connecting Colorado (CC) www.connectingcolorado.com and follow the directions below. (for detailed information, please go to http://connect.e-colorado.org/newccjobseeker/). For more information and questions, please visit http://www.denvergov.org/oed/DenverOfficeofEconomicDevelopment/WorkforceDevelopment/YouthServices/SummerYouthEmploymentProgramFAQs/tabid/440663/Default.aspx

Stop Flushing Away Money:

Toilet Maintenance To Boost Your Bottom Line
By Sal Perez
Denver Urban Renewal Authority

The toilet uses more water than any other fixture in your home, which never bodes well for utility bills. The good news is that it’s easy to take control of the situation and minimize the amount of water (and money) that goes down the drain each day.

(1) Beware of secret leaks
The toilet can spring a leak without any puddles to speak of, with water seeping directly from the tank to the bowl

(2) Displace water to save water
Toilets made before 1994 can use anywhere from 3.5 to 8 gallons of water per flush, when it only takes most models around 1.5-2 gallons to get the job done.

(3) Watch what you flush
Just because toilets are often capable of disposing of gum, cigarette butts or Kleenex, doesn’t mean they should.
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