The 4th of July is a great time to get together with friends and family, throw your favorites on the grill (on a side note, if you are looking for grilling ideas check this out), and watch some fireworks. On a more serious note, our national celebration is also a great moment to reflect on what makes this country so unique. One of the things that come to mind is federalism – we have this crazy system where the federal government shares power with each individual state. The debate over the merits of this model has gone on since its inception, but there is no denying that it leads to interesting variation among states. As a statewide association, YIPA, naturally, focuses mostly on what is happening here in Minnesota. In honor of the 4th of July, this week we will take a closer look at other states and at what is going on for youth intervention at a national level.
In Massachusetts this month at the Harvard Law School Charles Hamilton Houston Institute for Race and Justice, Marian Wright Edelman gave a keynote address to representatives from Massachusetts social service and juvenile justice agencies, foundations, youth-serving non-profits, universities and young people. She talked about the need to bring agencies together to provide a continuum of care, she talked about addressing the needs of the whole child and she stressed the vital importance of taking young people out of the “cradle to prison pipeline.” Does any of this sound familiar? If you have been following any of the conversations we have been having here in Minnesota, it sounds a great deal like what Dr. Edelman was saying. If you have a little time, it is worthwhile to watch this whole video – don’t miss the young man’s story about the power of youth intervention at the end!
While in Massachusetts, higher education took on the convening and advocacy role that YIPA plays here in Minnesota, in Texas the state government coordinates early intervention and prevention programs within their Department of Family and Protective Services. Sometimes we can fall into the trap of thinking that the way that we do things is the way that “everybody” does it, but YIPA is actually a fairly unique model for bringing together early intervention programs.
In Illinois, an extraordinary new intervention program designed to address the urban violence in Chicago was recently highlighted in the New York Times. This is an important reminder that early intervention, mentoring and youth services are getting more attention in the press. In the last few months many YIPA members have been highlighted in local newspapers and TV stations. This is a call to keep doing great work and remember to recognize the work that is being done by our neighbors.
Nationally early youth intervention is popping up in all kinds of places. A few weeks ago, we shared an article about an advocacy group that is trying to include more intervention programs into federal education reform. Another place to go to check out federal early intervention priorities is Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP) and check out the Center for Disease Control’s public health approach to violence prevention.
What sets Minnesota apart? What brings us together? What can we do to support federal initiatives that support our young people? What do you think?
No comments:
Post a Comment