Community Engagement Housekeeping □During Q&A, press “*1” and give your name to the operator. □Please be brief. □This call is being recorded.

Community Engagement Y2Y’s first year … □Nationwide initiative □Online toolkit and blog □Y2Y Week 2015: Job Corps centers nationwide, 400 Student Ambassadors and 22,000 students □Conference calls and focus groups □Y2Y Listening & Learning Session □Local efforts from Puerto Rico to Hawaii and everywhere in between …

Community Engagement What’s next? □Take your efforts into the community! □Youth violence is a community problem, and it needs a community solution. □Community Engagement Event Pilots: Kittrell, New Orleans, and Penobscot Job Corps Centers □Begin preparation for …

Community Engagement Y2Y WEEK 2016! □Monday, September 19, through Friday, September 23 □National Director Challenge: Every Job Corps center to organize a peace march on Wednesday, September 21 □September 21 is also the International Day of Peace

Community Engagement Community Engagement Event Pilots □Kittrell Job Corps Center, March 30 □New Orleans Job Corps Center, April 1 □Penobscot Job Corps Center, April 14

Kittrell Job Corps Center □Bullying skit and Q&A □Boys and Girls Club □Local middle school and high school students

New Orleans Job Corps Center □“Stop Dat Violence” □Panel discussion □Rosenwald Rec Center □Local middle school students

Penobscot Job Corps Center □Open-mic night with Youth MOVE Maine □Local middle school, high school, and college students

How’d they do it? (And, how can you do it?) SHARE. ENGAGE. CONNECT. INVOLVE.

Community Engagement Tips Engage your Y2Y community in the planning process. □Gather with fellow Student Ambassadors and students. □Students  Center  Community  Beyond! □“Engaging” the community means getting them actively involved.

Community Engagement Tips Use staff members’ skills and connections. □“Student-led” doesn’t mean that staff members can’t help. □Ask your BCL for help with community connections. □Invite community partners and guests to share event info.

Community Engagement Tips A good event does not mean a “big” event. □A meeting is an event too. □Goal: Involve your community in your efforts. □Design your event with an eye toward “opportunity.”

Community Engagement Tips Finding a crowd is easy. Building a crowd is hard. □Take advantage of an existing audience. □Look for community events. □Create opportunities to establish a Y2Y presence.

Community Engagement Tips Match your message to your audience. □Youth violence is a serious issue. □What kind(s) of violence have affected your community? □Are your materials appropriate for your attendees? □If you plan on addressing sexual violence, have a licensed professional in attendance.

Community Engagement Tips Make a connection with your audience. □Don’t assume that your audience knows why you want to involve them in your efforts. □Tell them why … plain and simple.

Community Engagement Tips Follow up with your guests. □Stay in touch with partners and guests throughout the planning process. □Follow up with speakers a few days before the event. □Everyone is busy … especially your fellow students!

Community Engagement Tips Practice! □Gather the planning committee for a “run-through” the day before your event. □Identify last-minute issues while there is time to address them. □Remarks or a performance? Practice in front of your peers first.

Community Engagement Tips Do a site visit. □Visit the event location a few days before the event. □Tables, chairs, sound system, parking …? □Connect with a specific contact at the event location who will be there during your event.

Community Engagement Tips Check the batteries! □Using technology? □A simple PowerPoint or a complex speaker system... it all needs to be tested on-site the day of your event. □Set up early and give yourself time to make sure everything works.

Community Engagement Tips Materials Matter. □Make a list. □Make sure you know who is bringing what. □Make sure it’s all there before you start.

Community Engagement Tips Call your audience to action. □Ask your audience to do something. □No task is too small. □“Engagement” means “involvement!”

Community Engagement Tips Share your successes! □Assign a “scribe” to take notes. □Assign a photographer to take photos during and after the event … and then share them (social media, local media, □Highlighting your partners’ and guests’ involvement in the event will help to keep them involved.

What’s Next? □Y2Y Week, September 19 – 23 □September is National Literacy Month □Pilot event blogs and videos online now!