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View the Word document Here’s the text: January 23, 2008 In regards to: Youth Programming Dear Prairie Star Board Members, Beginning in April 2007, I have communicated directly with Prairie Star District Board of Directors about youth programming in PSD and the current governance body for PSD youth events – the YAC (Youth – Adult Committee). Having worked as Youth and Young Adult Specialist for two years with the YAC, it is my opinion that the YAC structure does not successfully provide an environment in which volunteers can meet the goals of our organization. The following is a proposal of how PSD can provide services to youth that are in harmony with their self-identified needs as reported in the UUA’s Consultation on Ministry to and with Youth. (http://www.uua.org/aboutus/governance/boardtrustees/youthministry/index.shtml). As stated in my memo to the PSD Board in November, I will address these areas of concern:
I would begin by dividing PSD loosely into regions – North, Central, and South, and provide some services based on those geographic regions with representation in leadership by people living in those regions. To create a governance structure that provides training, support, and accountability for PSD volunteers at the youth programming level, I would work toward creating a structure would be that of an advisory board, similar to the advisory board that works with LifeSpan Faith Development in Prairie Star District. Each region would have at least one adult and two youths who would work as equally responsible members of a team with the Youth and Young Adult Specialist, with whom the ultimate responsibility for providing programming would rest. One face to face meeting of the entire group would occur every year, probably in Summer, at which we would welcome new members, train for the next year’s events, and carry out strategic planning for the future. Regularly scheduled phone conferences would provide communication opportunities for conducting the ongoing business of the group. Financial resources would be needed to reimburse for mileage and assure appropriate and safe housing for the members of the advisory board during this summer “retreat”. Members of this board would be appointed based on personal interviews between the Youth and Young Adult Specialist and the potential members, and standardized applications. Congregational referrals would be required from youth advisors, religious education professionals, ministerial staff, or other adults in leadership positions, such as trustees/directors, for both youth and adult applicants. Adults would be required to submit to and pass the background check used currently by PSD for adults working with youth. Positions would encompass a two-year time commitment by youth, staggered eventually after the initial adoption of this model, with an effort given to identifying and recruiting youth who have strong ties to congregations and represent the diversity of our district. In the current continental YRUU structure that is undergoing evaluation with YRUU’s Youth Council and key adults with a vested interest in the future of YRUU (rumored to be going by the wayside as a name for youth groups), each district elects a Social Justice Coordinator and a Youth Council Representative to YRUU. The future of these positions is unclear, and if the continental youth movement continues to utilize these positions in some capacity, PSD can incorporate an election process into our work, with a more thorough process for nominating and electing youth into these positions. If these positions still exist in the future (or other youth positions are created to work at the continental level), they will be ex officio members of the youth advisory council and supervised by the Youth and Young Adult Specialist. The YAC Seal of Approval would be renamed Prairie Star District Seal of Approval (PSD SOA) and the responsibility for approving applications for the PSD SOA would rest with the Youth and Young Adult Specialist. Requirements for receiving the PSD SOA would be reviewed annually by the advisory board. PSD has a responsibility to address safety for youth and adult volunteers through means of appropriate levels of background clearance, dependent upon the level of involvement of volunteers, i.e., more thorough background checks for adult drivers of youth to events than for adults providing workshops at youth events. It is desirable that adults who wish to become members of the advisory board be active in some capacity with children, youth, and/or leadership within a PSD congregation. If a background check has already been conducted by a local congregation, releasing that information to PSD would be requested so that duplication of efforts does not occur. It is also proposed that PSD require and fund background checks for adults who act as drivers to transport youth members of the advisory board to events that require their attendance. Other levels of volunteering might be identified as this model evolves. One of my concerns about current programming has been the relative accessibility of events across PSD given the legal and financial limitations of youth and their ability to get to events. I would address this dilemma through creation of events that are more cluster-oriented, geographically accessible, shorter in length, and cost effective. Currently, PSD YAC is tasked with offering one “working” conference per year – either a Leadership Development Conference (LDC) or a Spirituality Development Conference (SDC). Attendance is limited by the structure of these conferences, and PSD YAC has heavily subsidized the cost of these events which are expensive due to the UUA requirement that two UUA-trained volunteers, one adult and one youth, facilitate the weekend training. Organizing these trainings is time consuming and dependent on the UUA’s ability to arrange for trainers, who have been known to commit early to the event, then back out with little notice when it becomes inconvenient for them to attend. UUA has no recourse to deal with a trainer’s lack of follow through and the event planners are left no other option but to cancel the event. I propose that we forego the UUA programming structure, creating one that fits our needs and takes into consideration our geographic expanse and the obstacles this presents. PSD can provide trainings that are tailored to our district by creating programming of shorter duration, provided by the Youth and Young Adult Specialist, occurring in each region of PSD, with the assistance of the youth and adult members of the advisory board. By creating trainings that are shorter in length than the 3-day model of UUA trainings, we can conduct them more often, reach more people, and not have the expense of flying in UUA trainers who also are paid a consultation fee. Each region would host no more than two PSD-sponsored educational trainings per year, and site hosts would be chosen through an application process. Hosting congregations would in return receive a set numbers of “free” registrations for their youth and adults to attend the event. Registration costs would be low, allowing for the financial cost of supplies and meals. No consultation fees would be paid to the Youth and Young Adult Specialist, but a travel stipend could be paid to the advisory board members who help facilitate the training. The second event that the YAC has assumed some responsibility for in the past has been the PSD Annual Meeting. Level of involvement has been sporadic over the years, and I propose that the Youth and Young Adult Specialist, as well as at least one of the youth from the advisory board be on the Annual Meeting planning Committee. Beginning in 2007, youth were more thoroughly incorporated into the adult programming at PSD Annual meeting, and I applaud and encourage the continuation of this practice. In the future, I would like to see youth leading workshops in addition to the worship service that is lead on Saturday night, and that a PSD Bridging Ceremony be included in the festivities to allow our youth who are transitioning into young adulthood the chance to say good bye to each other. Youth have traditionally stayed overnight at the hosting congregation’s building, which could continue with support from the local hosts as well as the advisory board and the Youth and Young Adult Specialist. Financial support for members of the advisory board who attend the Annual Meeting should be provided, such as waiving their registration fee (adults have traditionally been charged the youth rate if they are overnight supervisors of the youth). PSD YAC is also tasked with conducting the Boone Conference (outside of Boone, Iowa) that utilizes Camp Hantessa, a Campfire Girl facility that is becoming increasingly more expensive. The business function of the Boone conference is to conduct elections for the YAC. The conference in reality functions as an opportunity to say goodbyes to youth who are aging out of youth programming – bridging – to young adulthood. With a more formal bridging process occurring at the Annual Meeting, and greater emphasis on youth programming at the Annual Meeting, this event could attain the popularity of Boone in attendance and truly become the Annual Meeting for all of PSD. Elections that might still need to be held (dependent upon UUA Youth Office and YRUU restructuring) could occur at Annual Meeting along with other elections already taking place. UUA has not been able to provide the type of trainings that PSD youth need, offering more of a one-size-fits-all list of options from which we can choose. I suggest that the advisory board, under the guidance of the Youth and Young Adult Specialist, create training opportunities for youth that address stewardship/leadership, spiritual development, social action, chaplaincy, and other topics as they emerge from congregations and clusters. One of my concerns with the UUA-designed conference material is their lack of district-specific content and the rigidity of the model. There is little room for personalizing the format to fit the needs of the attendees, nor do the UUA-selected trainers necessarily have any prior knowledge of the district in which they are training. By providing our own trainers, who are from PSD or have worked closely with PSD staff to prepare, we can tailor the material to more closely fit the needs of our youth and the adults who work with them, incorporating PSD governance models, resources, and opportunities into the materials. Working more directly with congregations on a regional basis will allow us to identify the areas of interest of the youth of a region and provide opportunities to address their specific needs. Helping our young people understand the demands of leadership, paths to spiritual growth, social action in our society, and how to create safe environments for each other in a setting that includes people from outside of their congregation can foster community and develop relationships outside of their congregations. While I believe that this model of programming and governance will be cost-effective for PSD, I have not created a budget nor anticipated the real costs involved in this proposed restructuring. I also previously been accused of unrealistic optimism, but I feel that we can begin the process of creating the advisory board during the Summer of 2008 and introduce new advisory board members at the Annual meeting in Spring of 2009 in Duluth, Minnesota, if not in person, at least through a workshop that will clarify the new structure. In order to develop this structure and prepare for the future, I would ask that the PSD Board dissolve the YAC at the end of the 2007-2008 fiscal year. I would assume the responsibility for keeping the youth portion of psduua.org current, work with the Annual Meeting Planning Committee, and work with the Central Region congregations to create a “goodbye” conference to take place near or after the end of the school year in Spring of 2009. I also anticipate slightly more travel in 2008-2009 fiscal year in order to gather resources for the creating of training materials and to witness first-hand what other districts are offering for youth leadership development. These exploratory trips would replace my attendance at YAC meetings which would not be taking place, and should not require more financial resources than are already available in my travel expense budget. Thank you, << | Contents | >> |