HomeMy WebLinkAboutSpecial Committee of the Whole June 17 20031
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WHATCOM COUNTY COUNCIL
Special Committee Of The Whole
June 17, 2003
The meeting was called to order at 1:00 p.m. by Council Chair Dan McShane
in the Council Committee Room, 311 Grand Avenue, Bellingham, Washington.
Present:
Barbara Brenner
Laurie Caskey-Schreiber
Sam Crawford
Seth Fleetwood
Sharon Roy
Absent:
L. Ward Nelson
1. SPECIAL PRESENTATION BY CRAIG FENSKE, WSU COOPERATIVE
EXTENSION, REGARDING YOUTH EDUCATION PROGRAMS (AB2003-
017)
Craig Fenske, Washington State University Cooperative Extension 4-H
Extension Agent, gave his background information. He read the Cooperative
Extension mission statement.
The 4-H
5 are three youth
Club program, Challenge program, and Computer Wizards program
development programs.
26
27 The 4-H program is community based and community supported. This year,
28 there are 1,006 youth involved, 242 adult volunteers, and 53,000 volunteer hours
29 are donated. 4-H is still active in the community. Kids who have adults active in
30 their lives reduce risky behavior. He showed slide pictures of kids involved in the
31 4-H program.
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33 The 4-H project PACE is a collaboration with the Nooksack Valley School
34 District, which was a successful applicant for the 21st Century grant to bring up the
35 reading and math levels of students in the district. Cooperative Extension is their
36 community partner. They developed an after school program and hired four staff
37 who became 4-H club leaders. He provided the training and curriculum. They
38 have enrolled 35 youth in the first year. The program received recognition in the
39 Bellingham Herald. He showed slide pictures of the kids in the program. The kids
40 spend time in their individual schools, and then go to 4-H program, where they
41 receive an hour of informal education.
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43 In the spirit of reality TV, they put on Survivor Day. The kids learned how
44 to work together and be a part of a team. A PACE goal is to bring kids, parents,
45 and school staff together. They held a rocket launch that involved everyone. They
46 used curriculum from Ohio State University on bottle rockets and things that fly.
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Special Committee of the Whole, 6/17/2003, Page 1
1 The Challenge program has been in place since 1990. There is a ropes
2 course through a memorandum of understanding with the Bellingham School
3 District. They expanded the program to make it more affordable. There is a
4 portable challenge program. Volunteers work with the seventh and eighth grade
5 mentors to develop games and activities to make kids feel more included. Mentors
6 contact and work with the kids during the day before school starts.
7
8 Family Night Out is a partner program in the Lummi School District. They
9 use the Challenge program volunteers to do family nights that build family
10 strengths, create fun for the family, and connect to school and community. It was
11 a partnership with Lummi Health Department, State Department of Health, and
12 Washington State University (WSU). They've recruited the volunteers from the
13 Lummi community.
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15 Computer Wizards is the third program. The volunteers work with English
16 language learning families. That audience needs access to technology. They set
17 up a computer lab for Saturday sessions. In this program, youth teach the adult
18 learners on the computer, who in turn become teachers themselves. Used
19 computers are donated, rebuilt, and given to families who wouldn't otherwise be
20 able to afford them. A volunteer set up the computer lab at the Lynden Senior
21 Center. It is still in operation. The kids teaching the seniors are learning teaching
22 skills.
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24 This year, they trained 28 new youth. They have 506 volunteer hours.
?5 Computer Wizard sites are at Sterling Meadows, New Hope Center in Lynden, and
26 Nooksack Valley Center for Children and Families. They received a grant from the
27 Gates Foundation to build a dozen computers for the Nooksack Valley lab. Over
28 the last year, 48 families received refurbished computers, they worked with 80
29 migrant youth to teach basic computer skills, and the 20 volunteers learned job
30 skills related to technology and mentoring.
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32 The newest effort is in Ferndale. They've put together a Connecting School
33 and Community grant proposal to the Gates Foundation. They have received
34 funding for the Connecting School and Community high school. Studies show that
35 smaller schools do a better job of providing learning climates for students. WSU is
36 helping deliver that new method and a new way of delivering education by
37 engaging the community in the high school. Ferndale High School is the largest
38 high school in the county. The school district has looked at ways to create smaller
39 schools within the larger school. They've applied for and received this grant. The
40 high school will open in January 2004, and will expand to 400 students after three
41 years. The Gates grant will contribute $400,000 to the school during three years.
42 WSU is also contributing money and mentor hours. Students are working with
43 school staff and community organizations to do their schoolwork as project
44 learning. WSU created an advisory group including community members, school
45 staff, and students. They guide the direction of the new school.
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Special Committee of the Whole, 6/17/2003, Page 2
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it
Whatcom County is one of the best technology counties across the state. 4-
has concentrated on improving the services, providing easy access, and making
easier for volunteers to access and deliver information.
Brenner asked how someone donates computers to the Computer Wizards
program. Fenske stated that person should contact his office.
Roy stated she is on the County Developmental Disabilities Board. That
board talks about trying to find age -appropriate peers for developmentally disabled
young people. She asked if 4-H has anything for those students. Fenske stated 4-
H is located next door to Lynden School District's developmentally delayed office at
the New Hope Center. They are planning to use the computers in the fall. A
Computer Wizard volunteer donated a machine to the Moore home. There are
probably examples in 4-H he doesn't know about. He encourages community
service clubs to do service learning. There are lots of opportunities for 4-H
students to work with developmentally disabled youth and adults.
Fleetwood asked for a background and history of 4-H. Fenske stated 4-H
started at the turn of the century. The Land Grant University mission was to
deliver agricultural information to county people. They set up demonstration plots
with kids. The county agents worked with young people to plant demonstration
plots of corn. When the kids' corn grew better than the parents' corn, the farmers
adopted new methods.
McShane asked about the
summer, young leaders program
computer labs and staff it on Sat
use those computers and learn n
community center.
OTHER BUSINESS
Mayberry Center. Fenske stated that has been a
on Saturdays. The Computer Wizards set up
irdays. The residents at the farm workers camp
�w skills. The community -housing site has a
There was no other business.
I"slei1 7►I
The meeting adjourned at 1:30 p.m.
Jill Nixon, Minutes Transcription
42 These minutes were approved by Council on July 8 , 2003.
43
44 ATTEST: WHATCOM COUNTY COUNCIL
45WHATCOM COUNTY WASHINGTON
46
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48 Dana l3rovvn-Davis, ouncil Clerk Dan McShane, Council Chair
Special Committee of the Whole, 6/17/2003, Page 3