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HomeMy WebLinkAboutRES NO 41-96RESOLUtiON NO. 4 1 ' 9 6 A RESOLUTION SUPPORTINO THE KERN COUNTY ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITY CORPORATION'S GRANT APPLICATIONTO INPLENENT THE CALIFORNIA!,~NTOR INITIATIVE. WHEREAS, the City Council of the City of Bakersfield has committed to addressing the needs of children and families in Kern County by participating in the Kern County Network for Children (KCNC) collaborative; and WHEREAS, an objective of KCNC is to establish a mentoring initiative for youth; and WHEREAS, the Kern County Economic Opportunity Corporation (KCEOC), in collaboration with KCNC, proposes to submit a grant application to the State of California to implement the California Mentor Initiative, a joint project of the Departments of Community Services and Development and Alcohol and Drug Programs, which will serve at-risk youth in Kern County by providing trained mentors. NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the City Council of the City of Bakersfield accepts and wholeheartedly supports the goals and objectives of the Governor's Executive Order W-125-95 issued June 20, 1995, which created the California Mentor Initiative and KCEOC's grant application to the State of California. .......... O00 .......... I HEREBY CERTIFY that the foregoing Resolution was passed and adopted by the Council of the City of Bakersfield at a regular meeting thereof held on MAR 2 § ~ , by the following vote: ~¥~.~ ~ D~lOf~, CAR~N, SlI41TH, McOERMOTr, ROWLES, SULLIVAN, SALVAGGIO Acting CITY CLERK and EX OFFICIO of the Council of the City o~ Bakersfield APPROVED Bakersfield APPROVED AS TO FORM: JUDY K. SKOUSEN City Attorney JUDY K. SKOUSEN/meg - 2 - CALIFORNIA MENTOR INITIATIVE EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Kern County Economic Oppo~mity Coq0orafion CKCEOC), in response to Governor Peta Wilson's California Mentor Initiative, is applying for a grant to develop a mentor program for Junior High- aged youth in the Cottnty of Kern. The amount of the application is $100,000, which will fund the program for one year, after which the program will be funded tiaough private sector support, The grant funds are available from the Slate of California Deparlment of Community Services and Development (CSD), and the Department of Alcohol and Drug Programs (ADP), and are discretionaD' funds of the Community Services Block Orant and the Safe and Drug-Free Schools Communities Grant. In an effort to meet the goals and objectives as set forth in the Notice of Funding Availability, KCEOC has secured the support and assistance of the Kem County Network for Children (KCNC), an established collaborative in the county. KCEOC slaff, and representatives from existing mentor organizations and the California Conservations Corps's Ambassadors Menloring Program will become members of the KCNC Menloring Committee. KCEOC will organize and assume responsibility for the Committee and access the Network's vast resources to augment the goals of the program. These goals include increasing the number of trained mentors and proteges, and increasing the hourly commitment of mentors available for the youth of the county. Additionally, since the Program must be privately supported by June of 1997, comprehensive community awareness is also an important goal. The specific objectives of the proposed program are to reduce the incidence of teen pregnancy, violence, alcohol and drug use and school drop-out rates. it has been shown that the special one-to- one bond of mutual commitment, trust and respect between mentors and proleges is an effective intervention strategy to accomplish these objectives. In an effort the increase the effectiveness of this intervention strategy, special attention will be given to screening mentors and providing them with in-depth ~ning, and ~he program will focus on the specific age group in the Junior Highs in Kern County. The grant funds will be used to hire personnel and acquire equipment necessary to create a comprehensive database of mentors and proteges. Once eslablished, it will be updated as necessary, Additionally, funds will be used to provide background checks and training for the mentors and to support the outreach efforts of the CCC's Ambassador Program. Funds will also be allocated to support a major community awareness campaign designed to educate the public and encourage private sector participation.