March 22, 2005 Leadership Committee Meeting Minutes

 

In Attendance:              Chief Ray Rose, Mundelein Police Department

                                    Patti Lappala-Bardell, ISBE EBD Network   

                                    Mary Penich, Lake County Regional Office of Education  

                                    Alex Marx, Mundelein Park District

                                    Barbara Daudelin, Round Lake Park District/Mundelein Park District

                                    Chuck Balling, Gurnee Park District

                                    Demar Harris, Lake County Workforce

                                    Marie Schalke, School District 96

                                    Jeanne Spiller, School District 96  

                                    Jason Dietz, Fremont Middle School       

                                    Michelle DiCarlo, Hawthorn Junior High

                                    Jennifer Tempest Bova, Woodland District 50

                                    Reyna Hernandez, School District 60

                                    Ken Brucks, US Department of HUD, Region 5

                                    Loomis Mayfield, Illinois After-school Alliance

                                    Melissa Ray Schaefer, Omni Youth Services

                                    Evelyn Dalenheim Russell, YWCA Lake County      

                                    Lisa Barrie, Warren Township Teen Center

                                    Michelle Michaels, State’s Attorney Office

                                    Debra Trude-Suter, YWCA Lake County                           

                                    Theresa Loerch, Rep. Ryg’s office

 

 

The next After School Coalition Leadership Team meeting will be held at 8:30 a.m. on Monday, April 18, 2005 at the Mundelein Police Department.

 

 

 

 

Announcements:

 

Melissa Ray Schaefer, Omni Youth Services announced that on March 9th Staples in Mundelein presented them with a check for $10,000 at a special ceremony announcing their partnership with Omni Youth Services and a store dedication honoring their long-time supporter Police Chief Ray Rose.   This check will be used for Omni’s after school programming.    An additional $4,500 was later awarded with a matching store promotion.

Patti Leppala-Bardell, ISBE EBD Network reported that due to funding cuts, as well as a new state law redirecting dollars to local school districts, the Illinois State Board of Education cut over 40 statewide projects that were previously funded with these dollars from their FY06 budget.  The programs being cut are grants that help schools and families support, and work with, students with special needs.  Currently there are 57 funded programs/grants; after the budget cuts, it will be reduced to four.  However, even the four remaining programs will suffer large funding cuts. 

The statewide EBD Network, which works with children who have emotional and behavioral disabilities, as well as their families and the school and community staff who support them, has been completely cut from the budget.  Their "partner", the PBIS Network (a proactive systems approach for creating and maintaining safe and effective learning environments in schools) will remain funded but with much less funding than previous years.

The EBD Network members across the state, including Patti, have been notified that they will no longer have jobs after June 30, 2005.  She regretfully reports that as a result, she will no longer be able to participate in the interagency collaborative efforts (one of the focuses of the EBD Network) that she is currently involved with, such as the After School Coalition.

 

Patti also reports that the Administrative Office of the 19th Judicial Circuit and the Lake County Juvenile Justice Council will be sponsoring The Girl Wise Conference II.  This conference was held last year for the first time and was quite successful, and an even bigger turnout is expected this year.  The conference is for Jr. High and High School Girls.   It is scheduled for May 7th at the College of Lake County, and will be held from 10:00am - 2:00pm. The HealthWorks Theatre will perform the play "Silence" which is a violence prevention play focusing on issues including violence, body image, and substance abuse.  Workshops will focus on Healthy Bodies and Healthy Minds.  The conference is free for the adolescents and lunch will be provided.  Advanced registration is required, and flyers will be going out soon. 

 

Loomis Mayfield, Illinois After-school Alliance reported the Governor’s FY06 budget proposal cuts Teen REACH by more than $2.6 million from last year (13%)  These cuts are proposed despite the letters signed by 115 legislators asking the Governor to increase his support for after-school efforts this year.   Loomis encourages everyone to contact the Governor and their elected legislators with a phone call or letter.  For more information, go to www.icvp.org/advocacy.asp

 

Ken Brucks, HUD, Region 5 presented an overview of Federal Programs available to groups applying for grants.   

 

Connecting with Communities:  A User’s Guide to HUD Programs and the 2004

SuperNOFA Process – a user guide to help you understand HUD programs and

assist your community in deciding what funding opportunities may best meet local needs.    The Community Outreach Partnership Center (COPC) Program was discussed at today’s ASC meeting.  This program is designed to help nonprofit colleges and universities establish or conduct outreach and applied research activities to address problems in urban areas.  

 

Guidance to Faith-Based and Community Organizations on Partnering with the

Federal Government – this document contains valuable information on frequently asked questions about the federal system, the do’s and don’ts for faith-based organizations, and more.  Federal Funds for Organizations that Help Those in Need – this catalog includes Federal grant opportunities suitable for faith-based and community organizations.  More information about these publications is available at www.FBCI.gov

 

Center for Faith-Based & Community Initiatives, The Art and Science of Grant

Writing    Grants.gov allows organizations to electronically find and apply for competitive grant opportunities from all Federal grant-making agencies.

 

If you have any questions regarding HUD programs, please contact Ken Brucks at

312/353-6236 ext 2343 or Kenneth_Brucks@hud.gov     The US Department of Housing and Urban Development’s website is www.HUD.gov   

 

Report from Special Needs CommitteePatti Leppala-Bardell reported that the

“Tools for Working with Special Needs Youth” Conference was a huge success with over 250 in attendance.   The evaluations were overwhelmingly positive with 98% indicating that they would attend another conference.   The committee is reviewing evaluations from this conference and will meet to discuss future plans. 

 

Report from Assessment CommitteePatti Leppala-Bardell reported that they are still receiving Assessment surveys and will continue to send more out – this is a work in progress.  The committee is working towards having the results of the returned surveys on the ASC website by summer.

 

Review of the By-Laws:   Mary Penich reviewed the approved By-Laws with revisions noted in bold print.  By-Laws are attached for your review.

 

 

 

Next meeting:  Monday, April 18, 2005 at 8:30 a.m., Mundelein Police Department