Brightmoor Community Parental Involvement Action Plan

1. Brightmoor Community Parental Involvement Action Plan April 21, 2007 Brightmoor Good Neighborhood Initiative

2. Community Goal • All Brightmoor youth will have access to and participate in a range of year-round programs during non-school hours that encourage academic growth and positive social development. Brightmoor Good Neighborhood Initiative

3. Vision Increased parental involvement will lead to academic growth and positive social development of children in the Brightmoor community. Brightmoor Good Neighborhood Initiative

4. Objective • Increase parental involvement of active parents in the lives of children, ages 0-5 years, and beyond, that will enable parents to develop a personal success plan specific to their child. Brightmoor Good Neighborhood Initiative

5. IMPLEMENTATION STRATEGIES (ACTIVITIES) • In order to address our priorities, we will implement the following strategies (activities): • Promote interagency collaboration • Establish personal contact with parents • Develop communications/marketing plan • RESOURCES • In order to accomplish our priorities, we will use the following resources: • Staff • Volunteers • Time • Money • Research • Materials • Equipment • Technology • Partners • Natural Supports • Collaborative Partners • Parent-serving entities • PARTICIPATION • In order to address our priorities, we will reach and involve the following: • Agencies • Decision-makers • Resident groups • Block Clubs • Schools • Head Start Centers • Churches • Neighborhood Associations • Parks • Transportation (Smart/DDOT) • Local Businesses • PRIORITIES • Short-term priorities are… • Focus on parents already actively involved in their children’s lives • Increase involvement of parents in the lives of children, ages 0-5 years • Long-termpriorities are… • Engage all parents • Increase involvement of all parents in the lives of all children • Interagency collaboration Brightmoor Community • OUTCOMES • We expect that these strategies will lead to the following changes in 1-3 years: • More parents engaged in activities involving their children • Circulation of manuals for agencies and parents detailing activities in the local area • Increased parental attendance at all events • Increased collaboration between non-profit organizations, schools, faith-based and other organizations in the area. • Children will feel more safe, secure and valued • Success Indicators: • Parents more involved in their children’s lives: • Schools • Church activities • After-school programs • Community activities and events • SITUATION • Lack of Parental Involvement in the Brightmoor Community • What we know about our neighborhood is “People passionate about maintaining caring and safe neighborhoods.” • Research findings • 80% AA, high percentage of single family homes with 40% children living in poverty • Our community Goal is All Brightmoor youth will have access to and participate in a range of year-round programs during non-school hours that encourage academic growth and positive social development. • Our Action Planning Team defined our Strategy Area as increasing the number of parents who are involved in the community and the daily lives of their children.

6. Quote • Comedian and actor, Bill Cosby, once said, “parents don't involve themselves enough in their children's education and don't know what their children are doing.” - FoxNews.Com, 2007 Brightmoor Good Neighborhood Initiative

7. Today’s Situation • Lack of parental involvement in: • Schools • Church activities • After-school programs • Community activities Brightmoor Good Neighborhood Initiative

8. Today’s Situation Cont’d • What we know about our neighborhood . . . • From Personal experiences: • Residents are passionate about their residential neighborhoods • They share the goal of maintaining caring and safe communities for their families (UM Resource Binder, 2007, p. 1) Brightmoor Good Neighborhood Initiative

9. Quote “We want first and foremost to provide a safe place for our children.” - Brightmoor Parental Involvement Action Team Brightmoor Good Neighborhood Initiative

10. Today’s Situation Cont’d • Cluster 8 - Brightmoor subcommunity – zip code 48223: • 19,837 residents bounded by Puritan, Fielding, Fenkell, Kentfield, Lyndon, Grandville, Schoolcraft and Southfield Fwy. and the Jeffries Fwy. • 80.1% African American population, with a white population of 14.2% (City Connect, 2006) • Young community with 37.2% of population under age 16; Seniors (65+) make up 5.3% • High population of single family households at 29.6% compared to national average of 9.1% Brightmoor Good Neighborhood Initiative

11. Today’s Situation Cont’d • 70.4% out of wedlock births • Mobile community with 57.8% residents moving into residence less than 5 years • Average income rate, $33,943 • Lower income has resulted in higher poverty – 3 times the rate of State of Michigan • Children living in poverty, 40.4% • Unemployment rate, 16.2% • Population receiving public assistance, 13.7% (City Connect, 2006) Brightmoor Good Neighborhood Initiative

12. Today’s Situation Cont’d • Challenges faced by the neighborhood over the past five years are categorized as structural and personal with other challenges: • Structural • Population decline • Demographic changes • Budget cuts • Personal • Changes in school administration • Lack of parental involvement (UOM Resource Binder, 2007, p. 9) • Other challenges • Gang activities, Unemployment, Vandalism, Poor Housing, Lack of Law Enforcement, Lack of Trash Removal, and Few Child Care Facilities (Detroit Parent Network, 2006) Brightmoor Good Neighborhood Initiative

13. Today’s Situation Cont’d • Our community Strategy Area is . . . Parental Involvement • Our Action Planning Team defined our Strategy Area as increasing the number of parents who are involved in the community and the daily lives of their children. Brightmoor Good Neighborhood Initiative

14. Quote • We have to involve the parents because we have to change the thought process and behavior of the whole family. The family has to come along for the child to change.” - Pat Brown Brightmoor Good Neighborhood Initiative

15. Today’s Situation Cont’d • We’ve already done the following: • Conducted monthly team meetings • Participated in Focus Groups facilitated by Detroit Parent Network • Participated in Stakeholder meetings facilitated by Skillman Foundation • Identified key issues/problems • Generated goals/solutions • Discussed strategies to reach goals Brightmoor Good Neighborhood Initiative

16. Today’s Situation Cont’d • Strategy area defined in Meeting #1: • Increase parent involvement in schools, church activities, after-school programs, and community activities and events. • Parental involvement is defined as follows: • Parents who have children that are involved in activities • Parents who are involved in their children’s activities • Parents who are involved to reach parents that are not involved Brightmoor Good Neighborhood Initiative

17. How Did We Get Here? • Parental involvement is our strategy • Brightmoor survey results ranked Parental involvement as the number 1 strategy area among the top three including Programs in Non-School Hours (2nd Choice); and Schools (3rd Choice) (Brightmoor Meeting 5 Survey Results Summary, 2006, p. 1) Brightmoor Good Neighborhood Initiative

18. Priorities • In ranked order, our short-term priorities are… • Focus on parents already involved in their children’s lives • Increase involvement of parents in the lives of children, ages 0-5 years • Promote interagency collaboration • In ranked order, our long-term priorities are… • Engage all parents • Increase involvement of all parents in the lives of all children Brightmoor Good Neighborhood Initiative

19. Implementation Strategies (Activities) • In order to address our priorities, we will implement the following strategies (activities): • Promote interagency collaboration • Establish personal contact with parents • Create a survey to be given to parents in order to identify reasons why parental involvement is lacking • Encourage parent-to-parent communication Brightmoor Good Neighborhood Initiative

20. Implementation Strategies (Activities) Cont’d • In order to address our priorities, we will implement the following strategies (activities): • Develop communications/marketing plan • Promote pre-existing events to engage parents • Create Community Resource binder • Get information out to people in the community • Provide good information to get parents involved Brightmoor Good Neighborhood Initiative

21. Implementation Strategies (Activities) Cont’d • Develop communications/marketing plan Cont’d • Reach out to children and encourage parent involvement • Person-to-person network/visit homes in the community • Focused recruitment efforts • Form Parent/Youth Advisory Board • Link people to existing resources • Interagency collaboration and networking of natural helpers and leaders • Family-focused activities to make children feel safe Brightmoor Good Neighborhood Initiative

22. Resources • In order to address our priorities, we will reach and involve the following: • Staff • Volunteers • Time • Money • Research • Materials • Equipment • Technology • Partners • Natural supports • Collaborative partners • Parent-serving entities Brightmoor Good Neighborhood Initiative

23. Participation • In order to address our priorities, we will reach and involve the following participants: • Agencies • Decision-makers • Resident groups • Block Clubs • Schools • Head Start Centers • Churches • Neighborhood Associations • Parks & Recreation • Transportation (Smart/DDOT) • Local Businesses Brightmoor Good Neighborhood Initiative

24. Outcomes • We expect that these strategies will lead to the following changes in 1-3 years: • More parents engaged in activities involving their children • Circulation of manuals for agencies and parents detailing activities in the local area • Increased parental attendance at all events • Increased collaboration between non-profit organizations, schools, faith-based and other organizations in the area • Children will feel more safe, secure and valued Brightmoor Good Neighborhood Initiative

25. Quote • “Nowadays, kids are not like when I was growing up. That is why it's important for parents to get involved with their kids' lives. It takes a village to raise a child.”- Clarence Moore Brightmoor Good Neighborhood Initiative

26. Outcomes • Success Indicators • Parents more involved in their children’s lives: • Schools • Church activities • After-school programs • Community activities and events (Success Indicators for Parental Involvement, UM Binder, 2006) Brightmoor Good Neighborhood Initiative

27. Meet Our Team Brightmoor Good Neighborhood Initiative

28. Meet Our Team (Cont’d) Brightmoor Good Neighborhood Initiative

29. Meet Our Team Cont’d Brightmoor Good Neighborhood Initiative