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2008 Winner
Type: Youth Development, Health Services for Youth
The Tri-Valley cities of Dublin, Livermore and Pleasanton established an unprecedented regional initiative with support from the County of Alameda and direct input and leadership from adolescents in the three communities. The Initiative engaged diverse institutions and stakeholders to assess needs; leverage resources; share best practice; reduce duplication of efforts; coordinate service providers; expand services and develop a vision to support adolescent health. A Youth Planning Board, Steering Committee and Health Action team with representatives from cities, school districts, the county, youth and community providers were established to proved regional infrastructure and develop action plans to address adolescent health priorities. Youth in the Tri-Valley are the least likely to access traditional health services and yet have higher rates of mental health issues than other areas of Alameda County with depression at twice that of other areas, self-inflicted injury at 87% higher than other areas and the highest hospitalization rate of any age group in the area.
2008 Winner
Type: Youth Development, Probation, Mentoring
The HOSTS (The Helping One Student to Succeed) Program works with youthful offenders on probation. Probation youth assigned to the Youth and Family Resource Center (YFRC) participate and serve as mentors on a weekly basis by assisting lower performing elementary school students. The YFRC probation youth are making a difference in the lives of the students they mentor and are learning to give back to the community in which they reside. The students being mentored by the HOSTS youth have gained in academic performance. About 98% of the elementary students who receive tutoring and mentoring have achieved an increase of at least one grade level in reading with 85% increasing their level two or three grade levels. Additionally, school attendance has improved and discipline referrals have been cut in half. The collaborative partners for the HOSTS program are the Orange County Department of Education, the Orange County HealthCare Agency, Children and Youth Services and contracted private non-profit agencies. They work together as a team under one roof to address the needs of the YFRC probation youth. The goal of the multi-disciplinary approach is to turn youthful offenders away from criminal behavior and toward more healthy lifestyles.
2008 Winner
Type: Youth Development, Probation, Mentoring
Rancho Cielo is a Community School operated by the Monterey County Office of Education. In collaboration with the Monterey County Probation Department and various business partners, the campus provides services to youth who are first-time criminal offenders. It assists them in successfully transitioning back to the community before they become hardened criminals. High school-aged youth with multiple risk factors are referred to the program through probation, the courts, schools or parents. The County Office of Education provides teachers and classroom aides. The Probation Department provides supervision of the students and meals. Students are picked up from their homes in morning by a probation van and delivered home each day in the late afternoon. Students are given a variety of enrichment programs including job training through community partners.
Academic success is a main focus of the program. Students have shown significant success raising their reading grades from D+ to C+ and math grades from D to B in two semesters. Additionally, 42% of the students were successful in completing job training and securing employment thus meeting the second goal of the program. The third goal is to reduce criminal behavior. In 2006-07 Probation reported a 57% decreasing in arrests of students in the program for 6 months; after a year the decrease was 83%. This compares to a 2% increase for similar youth not in the Rancho Cielo program.
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