TITLE
Recommendation to receive and file a report from the Health and Human Services Department on the My Brother’s Keeper Youth Leadership Program. (Citywide)
DISCUSSION
As part of an ongoing effort to support the needs of boys and young men of color who reside within the city of Long Beach, on January 17, 2018, the My Brother’s Keeper (MBK) Initiative launched the City’s first ever “My Brother’s Keeper Youth Leadership Program” (Program), with the stated goal of engaging Long Beach youth more actively in the development and implementation of programs, policies, and initiatives related to violence prevention and equity. The Program runs for six months, from January through June 2018. Tonight, MBK youth will be presenting their findings and an overview of the MBK Program.
Developed and supported by the Office of Equity in the Health and Human Services Department, the Program is designed to serve youth ages 16-24 from Long Beach Unified School District (LBUSD) high schools and Long Beach Community College (LBCC). The Program utilized a multi-prong outreach strategy to recruit young people from Long Beach that included online and in-person outreach, as well as outreach across the MBK Advisory Council partnership network, with the goal of sharing the Program opportunity with as many eligible young people as possible. In total, 18 young people from Long Beach were selected from a pool of nearly 50 applicants to participate in the Program.
Youth in the Program are working to develop fundamental leadership, community engagement, and policymaking skills to engage their peers in conversations designed to inform the Safe Long Beach Violence Prevention Plan and Office of Equity indicators. In addition, the Program also seeks to increase the self-awareness, prosocial, and leadership skills of the participants through workshops, panel discussions, and youth-led engagement activities. Finally, the Program is designed to expose young people to the concept of health equity and the field of public health and public service. To achieve this goal, each young person in the Program was matched with a Health and Human Services Department staff mentor according to their area of interest and expertise. In addition, various City leaders have been invited to share their experience in public service with the youth throughout the course of the Program.This report is intended to provide an overview of the work accomplished by the youth in the Program and to provide a summary of the findings that resulted from their citywide outreach and engagement efforts with their peers.
This matter was reviewed by Deputy City Attorney Linda T. Vu on May 22, 2018, and by Revenue Management Officer Geraldine Alejo on May 24, 2018.
TIMING CONSIDERATIONS
Due to the anticipated program end date of June 27, 2018, the Program youth would like to present their findings at the June 19, 2018, City Council meeting.
FISCAL IMPACT
There is no fiscal or local job impact associated with this recommendation.
SUGGESTED ACTION
Approve recommendation.
Respectfully Submitted,
KELLY COLOPY, DIRECTOR
HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
APPROVED:
PATRICK H. WEST
CITY MANAGER