HomeMy WebLinkAbout2003-02-11 City CouncilCity Manager’s Report
TO:HONORABLE CITY COUNCIL
ATTN:
FROM:
DATE:
SUBJECT:
POLICY AND SERVICES COMMITTEE
CITY MANAGER DEPARTMENT: COMMUNITY SERVICES
FEBRUARY 11, 2003 CMR: 148:03
YOUTH MASTER PLAN REPORT
RECOMMENDATION
Staff recommends that the City Council accept the Youth Master Plan report (YMP),
including a commitment to provide adequate staff support for planning and implementing
the goals; opportunities for youth to meet with City Council members and Commissions
regularly; youth development programs which are regularly evaluated for their
effectiveness; and opportunities for addressing emerging and existing teen needs.
BACKGROUND
The purpose of the Youth Master Plan (YMP) is to guide youth and teen programs within
the City of Palo Alto, address youth opportunities, improve communication and
awareness of youth programs, and ensure ongoing collaborative partnerships that
coordinate, support and monitor youth progr.ams and services.
The impetus for creating a YMP for Palo Alto originated from a joint study session of the
City of Palo Alto Youth Council (PAYC) and the City Council in March 2000, whereby
the YMP was defined as a process to develop a focused and organized approach to the
delivery of programs and services for youth and their families.
It was concluded that a Youth Master Plan would benefit the Palo Alto community in the
following areas: determining existing services and overlaps; identifying service gaps;
addressing the needs of all youth in the community; and evaluating developmental assets
and skills needed by youth to gow into healthy adults.
The planning process for the development of the YMP began with a Steering Committee
comprised of 40 members representing the Palo Alto City Council, the Parks and
Recreation Commission, Community Services Department staff. Police Department staff.
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Youth Council, Youth Advisory Board, Palo Alto Unified School District Board and
Administration, Palo Alto schools, Parent Teacher Association (PTA), Stanford
University, all major youth-serving agencies, youth sports agencies, the business
community, the faith community, and health care agencies.
In October 2000, the YMP Steering Committee began its efforts by defining the basic
components of the YMP (see YMP Report, Plan section, Attachment 1). The YMP
Steering Committee approached the process by asking the question, "How well are Palo
Alto’s youth doing? Are the financial resources allocated to the appropriate areas for the
positive development of youth and teens in our community?" The expectation was not to
see instant growth in a youth’s asset skills, but to enhance experiences.
DISCUSSION .Members of the YMP Steering Committee, Palo Alto Youth Council and other
community members came together to unite on common goals in order to support the
Palo Alto community’s middle and high school youth and their families. The objectives
initiated by the youth for the youth in the YMP include:
1.Encourage and continue to provide opportunities for youth participation in our
community.
2.Improve communication and awaret,ess of youth recreational and social programs.
3.Ensure an ongoing collaborative process that coordinates, supports and monitors
youth programs and services.
Each of the objectives is clearly identified in the short-term and long-term approaches
(see Attachment 1). To achieve these goals, Community Services staff recommends the
City should continue to provide the following:
1. Adequate staff support for planning and implementing the goals;
2. Opportunities for youth to meet with City Council members and Commissions
regularly;
3. Youth development programs which are regularly evaluated for their
effectiveness; and
4. Opportunities for addressing emerging and existing teen needs.
The PAYC will revisit the YMP annually and implement collaborative projects using
existing resources related to the goals in the plan. City of Palo Alto recreation staff will
continue to collaborate with agencies serving youth and teens in the community. Bi-
annually, the PAYC will evaluate the YMP to determine the overall effectiveness of the
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CMR: 148:03
action items identified in the plan to make adjustments based on the current trends and
issues involving this age ~oup.
RESOURCE IMPACT
There is no impact to the City’s resources.
ATTACHMENTS
Attachment A: Youth Master Plan Report
PREPARED BY:<.~..~~.
Superintendent of Recreation
REVIEWED BY:
PAUL THILTGEN
Director, Community Services
CITY MANAGER
EMI 3N
Assistant City Manager
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