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Youth Program Report — Annual Session 2014 (PDF Version, including appendices, 7 pages total)
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Youth Program [Coordinator Supervisory] Committee Report
Pacific Yearly Meeting – Annual Session 2014
Introduction / Overview
This two-page report (plus appendices) addresses the work of the Youth Program Coordinator Supervisory Committee as a whole, our updated Goals and Objectives and subcommittee structure (Appendix A), the work of the Youth Program Coordinator in conjunction with the committee, reflections on the evolution of the Coordinator position, and a recommended name change for this committee to simply “Youth Program Committee.” The new Youth Program Fund (i.e., interest from the Bob Vogel Endowment gift from PFOS) policy and application are in Appendix B of this report and available on the PYM website (“Youth Program” tab > “Resources & Funding”).
Committee Updates
As we have reported in the past, we have been seasoning a recommendation to rename our committee as simply the “Youth Program Committee.” Since the beginning, our committee members have participated more and more actively in program design, implementation, and evaluation, and during Annual Session 2013 we assumed additional responsibilities with regard to distribution of funds from the new Bob Vogel Endowment. The current “Youth Program Coordinator Supervisory Committee’s” responsibilities reach well beyond mere supervision.
Proposed Minute: PYM approves changing the name of the “Youth Program Coordinator Supervisory Committee” to the “Youth Program Committee.”
This committee will continue to conduct annual performance reviews of the Youth Program Coordinator, as well as regular evaluations of the full program, and to serve as ongoing supervisors of the program and employee.
The Youth Program Committee currently comprises Jennifer Carr, Mary Klein (co-clerk), Steve Leeds, Hannah Mackinney, Alyssa Nelson (ex officio, Youth Program Coordinator), Thomas Rios, Steve Smith (ex officio, PYM Presiding Clerk), Jim Summers (co-clerk), and Nathan Walker. Sophie Brinker and Sandra Schwartz also participated this year. Two of the six at-large seats are open, and 3-4 of the four youth seats will need to be refilled for the upcoming year.
We have divided our work into five subcommittees: Big Picture, Program/Resources, Communication, Personnel, and Nuts & Bolts. Please see Appendix A, (attached) which describes the current goals and objectives of the full committee and subcommittees. The full committee meets by conference call monthly, and subcommittees meet by conference call as needed. The full committee held one in-person meeting last November and is holding a second in-person meeting immediately before this year’s annual session. Designated committee members also generally meet each week by phone or video chat with Alyssa Nelson, our Youth Program Coordinator.
Employment Status of the Youth Program Coordinator
In last year’s program evaluation report we noted some open questions about employing a Youth Program Coordinator should the program and position be approved beyond the pilot period, as it was last annual session. Our committee has reached unity that PYM’s Youth Program Coordinator position has filled a demonstrated need for a professional-type position rather than an entry-level or temporary position with regular turnover. The job requires not only the professional-level skills of a youth development worker and a community organizer, but also requires specialized knowledge of the structures, meetings, institutions, and individuals of Pacific Yearly Meeting, and the development of substantial historical perspective on and carrying of institutional knowledge about youth programs and related matters within PYM. We believe that longevity in the position is helpful in this regard, and we hope to establish a schedule of pay and benefits that will make this possible. Appropriate compensation should not only consider salary, but should also provide for cost of living adjustments (which we have), possible merit or longevity increases, and for benefits such as health insurance (which we have), vacation and health leave (which we have), and retirement benefits (which we have been researching). In preparing our 2014/2015 budget proposal with Finance Committee, we worked to adjust our overall program budget to allow for retirement benefits. In addition to budgetary adjustments, the committee is also preparing to rewrite the job description of the Youth Program Coordinator to better reflect the position’s responsibilities as those of a youth development worker and community organizer, rather than those of an event planner (as the position was originally envisioned in 2008 to a certain extent); the committee considers the job description a living document to be revised as needed.
Program Highlights
Alyssa, as Youth Program Coordinator, continues to visit, support, and collaborate with Monthly Meetings, Worship Groups, Quarterly Meetings, Quaker organizations, and various PYM committees, officers, and individual Friends as they seek to meet the needs of youth in their efforts. For example, she has participated in M&O’s work to reorganize PYM’s annual session structure; She and others represented PYM planning the FWCC consultation that was held in Sacramento, CA on March 14-16, helping to design the event to be inclusive of youth and families; She also worked with the SCQM Youth Planning Committee and an artist from Santa Monica Meeting, Tanna Moontaro, to organize youth and adults in painting a mural at the Santa Monica Meetinghouse during SCQM Spring Quarterly Meeting, April 26.
Alyssa offered two sessions of the “Adult Allies to Youth” workshop this Spring – on April 5th at the San Jose Meetinghouse (co-led with Julian Garrett) and on April 19th with Orange County Friends at their annual retreat, with a total of 15 Friends participating. Over this year she has also visited and/or consulted with Fresno MM, Humboldt MM, Ojai WG, Sacramento MM, and Ukiah WG. She has continued communicating with Quaker Oaks Farm about offering the Spring Youth Service Camp again next year and expanding opportunities for PYM youth and all Friends to utilize the Farm.
Since last year’s annual session—when the Youth Program Committee became responsible for distributing income generated by the Bob Vogel Endowment— the committee has worked to develop policies and an application process to guide our work in this area. Please see Appendix B (attached) or the PYM website (“Youth Program” tab > “Resources & Funding”). The committee has planned an interest group for this year’s annual session, during which all Friends are invited to help the committee determine the best ways to direct supportive resources to places where they are needed for developing our Quaker youth and our intergenerational community.
[See PDF version for Appendices]