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FOIA Number: 2013-0661-F (3) FOIA MARKER This is not a textual record. This is used as an administrative marker by the William J. Clinton Presidential Library Staff. Collection/Record Group: Clinton Presidential Records Subgroup/Office of Origin: Americorps Series/Staff Member: General Files Subseries: OA/ID Number: 24239 FolderID: Folder Title: Summer of Safety [1] Stack: Row: Section: Shelf: Position: S 66 1 1 3 $3.6 mm Summer $2.9 mm of Safety Total Funds: $1.5 mm $8.6 mm (All numbers are approximate and subject to change.) $.4 mm $.4 mm Summer of VISTA Youth Senior K-12 Learn of Safety Grants Corps Grants & Serve Grants Grants Grants Federal Agency Conservation Projects The Youth Corps Role Number of Corps $154,773 $40,417 doing projects for: $250,000 $744,562 NPS - 6 FWS - 3 NPS BLM - 3 BOR - 1 FWS FS - 10 $69,765 BLM EPA - 3 BOR FS EPA $2,243,864 Breakdown by Agency: NPS - $744,562 FWS - $40,417 BLM - $154,773 Total: $3,503,381 (approximately 2.5% of corps BuRec - $250,000 budgets nationwide) USDA-FS - $2,243,864 Department of Interior Total - $1,189,752 EPA - $69,765 Summer of Safety PRELIMINARY PROGRAM DATA 1994 SUMMER OF SAFETY PROGRAM Report Number: SOS-94-1 Summer of Safety Evaluation Team: David Rymph, Chair Chuck Helfer Carolyn Kari Trish Thompson Ryan Ferrara Nicole Hanrahan John Daniels Jamie Marisotis Bill Millsap Mitchell Ratner Office of Evaluation and Policy Coordination Corporation for National Service June 21, 1994 TABLE OF CONTENTS Page Key Program Facts on the 1994 Summer of Safety 1 91 Grants Awarded 3 Grantees Plan Work in 13 Program Areas 4 Glossary of Terms for "13 Program Areas" 5 Grantees Plan to Recruit 7,644 Participants 7 K-12 and Senior Have Some Non-Stipended Participants 8 Summer of Safety Programs Are in 36 States and D.C. 9 Appendices A. Summer of Safety Programs by Program Component 11 B. Summer of Safety Programs by State and City 16 KEY PROGRAM FACTS ON THE 1994 SUMMER OF SAFETY Corporation Awards 91 Grants for Summer of Safety Programs The Summer of Safety represents the first effort of the new Corporation for National and Community Service to conduct a program that integrates all of its component offices around a central theme. The component offices of the Corporation are represented in the Summer of Safety by: -- 31 VISTA Summer Associate projects -- 20 Senior Summer Corps projects -- 17 National Service grants -- 14 Youth Summer Corps grants -- 8 K-12 Learn & Serve America grants -- 1 NCCC Camp contract Summer of Safety Programs Focus on 13 Activity Areas Planning for the Summer of Safety began with the general theme of promoting public safety by having national service participants working in local programs. Working together, a network of local organizations and the Corporation have created a rich variety of Summer of Safety activities. An analysis of the program proposals shows that program activities can be placed in 13 general, program areas. The most frequent program areas are: -- "Alternate Activities" promoting safety by providing structured environments for at-risk-youth when school is out (70 local programs). -- "Crime Awareness" informing the public about crime and teaching how to avoid becoming victims (in 66 programs). -- "Conflict Resolution" activities helping community members resolve conflicts in a non-violent way (in 51 programs). The other program areas are (in order of frequency): -- Neighborhood Cleanup (36) -- Community Policing (35) -- Neighborhood Watch (32) -- Drug Abuse Prevention (28) -- Victim Assistance (26) -- Safe Places (16) -- Household Security (15) -- Environmental Cleanup (15) -- Playground Cleanup (14) -- Domestic Violence (13) 1 Summer of Safety programs plan to recruit 7,644 participants Each program component in the Corporation is making a major investment in the Summer of Safety. The number of participants in each component are: -- 2,319 in Senior Summer Corps -- 2,208 in K-12 Learn and Serve America -- 995 in VISTA Summer Associates -- 875 in National Service Grants -- 757 in Summer Youth Corps -- 100 in the National Civilian Community Corps Most Summer of Safety participants will receive a stipend in return for their service. -- All of the participants in the Summer Youth Corps, National Service Grants, NCCC Summer Camp, and VISTA Summer Associates are paid. -- Fourteen percent of the Senior Summer Corps members will not receive a stipend. - None of the participants in the K-12 Learn and Serve America are paid. Summer of Safety Programs Are in 36 States and the District of Columbia Every region of the country is represented in the Summer of Safety. Jurisdictions without programs include the States of: -- Alaska -- Oklahoma -- Delaware -- Rhode Island -- Hawaii -- South Dakota -- Idaho -- Tennessee -- Iowa -- Utah -- Louisiana -- Vermont -- Nebraska -- Wyoming and the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico. ? 91 Grants Awarded 1994 Summer of Safety VISTA Summer Assoc. 31 Senior Summer Corps 20 NCCC Camp 1 K-12 Learn & Serve 8 National Service Grant Youth Summer Corps 17 14 Evaluation and Policy Coordination Unit June 21, 1994 Grantees Plan Work in 13 Program Areas 1994 Summer of Safety Alternate Activities Crime Awareness Conflict Resolution Neighborhood Cleanup Community Policing Neighborhood Watch Drug Abuse Prevention Victim Assistance Safe Places Household Security Environmental Cleanup Playground Cleanup Domestic Violence 0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 Number of Grantees Evaluation and Policy Coordination Unit June 21, 1994 13 PROGRAM AREAS IN THE 1994 SUMMER OF SAFETY Alternative Activities promote safety by providing structured environments for at-risk-youth when school is out. They give young people an alternative to illicit activity. Programs include summer camps, day care facilities, cadet/boot camps, field trips, schooling/tutoring, mentoring and gun/toy gun trade ins. Crime Awareness programs inform the public about crime and teach them how to avoid becoming victims. These programs provide escort services, scam alerts, tourist safety information, telephone check-ins, aid in using direct deposit services, phone trees, and the identification of unsafe areas. Conflict Resolution programs help community members resolve conflicts in a non-violent manner: they promote peace. Participants get training in counseling and conflict resolution. They act as community mediators, teach conflict resolution skills to others, counsel gang members and open youth courts. Neighborhood Cleanup programs seek to revitalize communities and build clean, safe and beautiful neighborhoods. Participants repair and create residences, board up abandoned buildings, and clean empty lots. They also plant gardens and remove graffiti, abandoned cars and debris. Community Policing activitites build bridges between communities and police departments. The participants work with the police and often assist patrolling officers. Participants and Community Volunteers are trained to patrol neighborhoods, recognize suspicious or potential- ly dangerous situations and report any illicit activities to the police. These programs often create or expand neighborhood centers and police mini stations. Neighborhood Watch programs get residents to patrol their own neighborhoods, looking out for suspicious activities and reporting them. These programs will organize community members either to begin watch programs or to revitalize existing ones. Drug Abuse Prevention programs encourage young people never to begin using drugs or to seek help if they are drug dependent. These programs will promote safety by decreasing drug related crimes and accidents. Participants may get invovled in locating drug hot spots, starting prevention and treatment programs, and improving centers already in service. Victim Assistance programs seek to comfort and support victims and witnesses of violent crimes. Participants may accompany victims and witnesses to hospitals, police stations and trials. Participants may provide transportation to these places, monitor court cases and give legal assistance. Safe Places concentrate on providing safe play areas for children and safe havens and walkways for the public. Participants establish, renovate and expand safe play streets, havens, houses and corridors. 5 Household Security participants tour homes and give suggestions on improved safety. They often install door and window locks and bars, and trim shrubs surrounding walkways. Environmental Cleanup programs will eliminate environmental risks and restore public lands. Participants will test for lead, radon and poor water quality. They will create and maintain gardens by planting trees, bushes and flowers. They will improve parks by renovating and creating trails. Playground Cleanup will improve areas intended for play and recreation. Participants will repair or create playgrounds, playing fields, parks, and fences. Other activities may include cleaning up debris or repairing and painting equipment. Domestic Violence programs seek to prevent physical and sexual abuse. Also, the programs provide services for victims of violent acts. Activities include starting and improving shelters, Victim/survivor counseling, and self defense workshops. Education initiatives such as distributing literature and presenting workshops are also instrumental. 6 Grantees Plan to Recruit 7,644 Participants 1994 Summer of Safety Senior Summer Corps 2319 K-12 Learn & Serve 7 2208 NCCC Camp 100 Youth Summer Corps 757 VISTA Summer Assoc. Nat'l Service Grants 995 875 Evaluation and Policy Coordination Unit June 21, 1994 K-12 and Senior Corps Have Some Non-Stipended Participants 1994 Summer of Safety Non-Stipended Stipended Stipended 100% 100% 100% K-12 Learn and Serve America Youth Summer Corps National Service Grants (N=2,208) (N=757) (N=875) 8 Stipended 86% Stipended Stipended 100% 100% Non-Stipended 14% NCCC Summer Camp VISTA Summer Associates Senior Summer Corps (N=100) (N=995) (N=2,709) Evaluation and Policy Coordination Unit June 21, 1994 SUMMER OF SAFETY 9 LISTING OF STATES AND COMMONWEALTHS WITHOUT SUMMER OF SAFETY PROGRAMS/PROJECTS 1. Alaska 2. Delaware 3. Hawaii 4. Idaho 5. Iowa 6. Louisiana 7. Nebraska 8. Oklahoma 9. The Commonwealth of Puerto Rico 10. Rhode Island 11. South Dakota 12. Tennessee 13. Utah 14. Vermont 15. Wyoming 10 LISTING OF 1994 SUMMER OF SAFETY PROGRAMS BY PROGRAM COMPONENT PROGRAM COMPONENT PROGRAM/PROJECT NAME CITY STATE K-12 Community School District Brooklyn NY #23 - Project "ACT NOW" DREAM of Hattiesburg, Inc. Hattiesburg MS DuKette Catholic School - Flint MI Flint Summer of Safety Los Angeles Unified School Los Angeles CA District Metropolitan Police Boys and Washington DC Girls Clubs, Inc. Norwalk Economic Opportunty Norwalk CT Now, Inc. Saint Mary's County Leonardtown MD Government/ Board of Commisioners United Neighborhood Houses, New York NY Inc. Count: 8 N.S. Grants Austin Housing Authority Austin TX Blue Hills Together Kansas City MO City of Baltimore City Baltimore MD Public Schools Cleveland State University: Cleveland OH Community Coalition Culture of Peace Summer of San Francisco CA Safety Dorchester Summer of Safety Dorchester MA East Bay Conservation Corps Oakland CA Friends of Chicago H.S. of Chicago IL Agricultural Sciences Harlem Peacemakers Project New York NY Los Angeles Unified School Los Angeles CA District Metropolitan Denver Summer Denver CO of Safety PACT New York Police Department New York NY Summer of Safety Program NH sos Domestic and Sexual Concord NH 11 LISTING OF 1994 SUMMER OF SAFETY PROGRAMS BY PROGRAM COMPONENT PROGRAM COMPONENT PROGRAM/PROJECT NAME CITY STATE Violence Victims Assistance Pueblo of Jemez, Office of Jemez Pueblo NM the Governors St. Louis Safety Service St. Louis MO Corps Partnership University of MD Baltimore Baltimore MD County/The Shriver Center Youth in Service Ambassadors Bridgeport CT Count: I7 NCCC Boston University Summer of Boston MA Safety Count: 1 Senior Corps Boston Senior Summer Corps Boston MA Brevard County Senior Summer Cocoa FL Corps City of Phoenix Senior Phoenix AZ Summer Corps Cleveland Summer of Safety Cleveland OH Coalition Colorado Summer of Safety Denver CO CSS/RSVP In New York New York NY City-"Take Back Our Block" Douglas/Joseph County's RSVP Roseburg OR Greater Lawrence RSVP Lawrence MA Guntersville Summer of Guntersville AL Safety Las Vegas Senior Summer Las Vegas NV Corps Madison Summer of Safety Madison WI Monroe County Senior Summer Rochester NY Corps Newport News Senior Summer Hampton VA Corps RSVP of Morton-Burleigh Bismark ND Counties/Bismark Summer of Safety 12 LISTING OF 1994 SUMMER OF SAFETY PROGRAMS BY PROGRAM COMPONENT PROGRAM COMPONENT PROGRAM/PROJECT NAME CITY STATE Senior Corps Safe Summer Project Lansing MI Senior Summer Corps San Diego CA Summer of Safety, Florida Orlando FL Senior Programs Tacoma/Pierce County RSVP Tacoma WA Union/Magnolia Senior Corps El Dorado AR Wichita Summer of Safety Whichita KS Count: 20 VISTA Alabama Association of Ozark AL Housing and Redevelopment Authority Alabama Coalition Against Montgomery AL Domestic Violence Black Veterans for Social Brooklyn NY Justice, Inc. Chicago Alliance of Chicago IL Neighborhood Safety Children's Law Center, Inc. Covington KY City of Lansing Lansing MI Cleveland Task Force on Cleveland OH Violent Crime Community Development Kansas City MO Corporation - Kansas City Denver Mayor's Commission Denver CO Detroit Public Housing Detroit MI Department Enterprize Foundation Columbia MD Family Crisis Center, Inc. Keyser WV Fighting Back New Haven CT Greater Philadelphia Philadelphia PA Federation of Settlements Horace Mann-Ambridge Gary IN Neighborhood Organization Juvenile Services Program, St. Petersburg FL Inc. 13 LISTING OF 1994 SUMMER OF SAFETY PROGRAMS BY PROGRAM COMPONENT PROGRAM COMPONENT PROGRAM/PROJECT NAME CITY STATE VISTA Leaders Roundtable (P.A.L.) Portland OR Mayor's Youth Initiative Washington DC Office National Conference of Pittsburgh PA Christians and Jews/Hill House NE Arkansas Council on Jonesboro AR Family Violence New York Council of Smaller New York NY Churches Newark Fighting Back Newark NJ Ohio Crime Prevention Columbus OH Association Project for Pride in Living Minneapolis MN San Antonio, Department of San Antonio TX Community Initiatives San Bernardino Housing San Bernardino CA Save the Children World Clarkston GA Relief, Atlanta Social Development Milwaukee WI Commission St. Petersburg Police St. Petersburg FL Department The Fremont Public Seattle WA Association The University of Lowell MA Massachusetts at Lowell Count: 31 Youth Corps Broward Coalition for Fort Lauderdale FL Community Service California Conservation Stockton CA Corps/Summer of Safety City Volunteer Corps: Youth New York NY Opposing Violence Civic Works Summer of Safety Baltimore MD Durham Service Corps Durham NC Jobs Training Admin. Office, Augusta ME 14 LISTING OF 1994 SUMMER OF SAFETY PROGRAMS BY PROGRAM COMPONENT PROGRAM COMPONENT PROGRAM/PROJECT NAME CITY STATE ME Conservation Corps Massachusetts Summer of Boston MA Safety Montana Summer of Safety Bozeman MT Oneida Indian Nation Oneida NY Portland Youth Service Portland ME Conservation Corps Red Lake Band of Chippewa Red Lake MN Indians Round Rock Chapter, Navajo Round Rock AZ Reservation The Washington Service Corps Olympia WA Youth Action Prog. of the E. New York NY Harlem Block Nursery, Inc. Count: 14 Count: 91 15 SUMMER OF SAFETY LISTING BY STATE AND CITY STATE CITY PROGRAM COMPONENT PROGRAM/PROJECT NAME AL Guntersville Senior Corps Guntersville Summer of Safety Montgomery VISTA Alabama Coalition Against Domestic Violence Ozark VISTA Alabama Association of Housing and Redevelopment Authority AR El Dorado Senior Corps Union/Magnolia Senior Corps Jonesboro VISTA NE Arkansas Council on Family Violence AZ Phoenix Senior Corps City of Phoenix Senior Summer Corps Round Rock Youth Corps Round Rock Chapter, Navajo Reservation CA Los Angeles K-12 Los Angeles Unified School District N.S. Grants Los Angeles Unified School District Oakland N.S. Grants East Bay Conservation Corps San Bernardino VISTA San Bernardino Housing San Diego Senior Corps Senior Summer Corps San Francisco N.S. Grants Culture of Peace Summer of Safety Stockton Youth Corps California Conservation Corps/Summer of Safety CO Denver N.S. Grants Metropolitan Denver Summer of Safety PACT Senior Corps Colorado Summer of Safety VISTA Denver Mayor's Commission CT Bridgeport N.S. Grants Youth in Service Ambassadors New Haven VISTA Fighting Back Norwalk K-12 Norwalk Economic Opportunty Now, Inc. DC Washington K-12 Metropolitan Police Boys and Girls Clubs, Inc. VISTA Mayor's Youth Initiative Office FL Cocoa Senior Corps Brevard County Senior Summer Corps Fort Lauderdale Youth Corps Broward Coalition for Community Service Orlando Senior Corps Summer of Safety, Florida Senior Programs St. Petersburg VISTA Juvenile Services Program, Inc. St. Petersburg Police Department GA Clarkston VISTA Save the Children World Relief, Atlanta IL Chicago N.S. Grants Friends of Chicago H.S. of Agricultural Sciences DRAFT 6/21/94 16 SUMMER OF SAFETY LISTING BY STATE AND CITY STATE CITY PROGRAM COMPONENT PROGRAM/PROJECT NAME IL Chicago VISTA Chicago Alliance of Neighborhood Safety IN Gary VISTA Horace Mann-Ambridge Neighborhood Organization KS Whichita Senior Corps Wichita Summer of Safety KY Covington VISTA Children's Law Center, Inc. MA Boston NCCC Boston University Summer of Safety Senior Corps Boston Senior Summer Corps Youth Corps Massachusetts Summer of Safety Dorchester N.S. Grants Dorchester Summer of Safety Lawrence Senior Corps Greater Lawrence RSVP Lowell VISTA The University of Massachusetts at Lowell MD Baltimore N.S. Grants City of Baltimore City Public Schools University of MD Baltimore County/The Shriver Center Youth Corps Civic Works Summer of Safety Columbia VISTA Enterprize Foundation Leonardtown K-12 Saint Mary's County Government/ Board of Commisioners ME Augusta Youth Corps Jobs Training Admin. Office, ME Conservation Corps Portland Youth Corps Portland Youth Service Conservation Corps MI Detroit VISTA Detroit Public Housing Department Flint K-12 DuKette Catholic School - Flint Summer of Safety Lansing Senior Corps Safe Summer Project VISTA City of Lansing MN Minneapolis VISTA Project for Pride in Living Red Lake Youth Corps Red Lake Band of Chippewa Indians MO Kansas City N.S. Grants Blue Hills Together VISTA Community Development Corporation - Kansas City St. Louis N.S. Grants St. Louis Safety Service Corps Partnership MS Hattiesburg K-12 DREAM of Hattiesburg, Inc. MT Bozeman Youth Corps Montana Summer of Safety NC Durham Youth Corps Durham Service Corps DRAFT 6/21/94 17 SUMMER OF SAFETY LISTING BY STATE AND CITY STATE CITY PROGRAM COMPONENT PROGRAM/PROJECT NAME ND Bismark Senior Corps RSVP of Morton-Burleigh Counties/Bismark Summer of Safety NH Concord N.S. Grants NH SOS Domestic and Sexual Violence Victims Assistance NJ Newark VISTA Newark Fighting Back NM Jemez Pueblo N.S. Grants Pueblo of Jemez, Office of the Governors NV Las Vegas Senior Corps Las Vegas Senior Summer Corps NY Brooklyn K-12 Community School District #23 - Project "ACT NOW" VISTA Black Veterans for Social Justice, Inc. New York K-12 United Neighborhood Houses, Inc. N.S. Grants Harlem Peacemakers Project New York Police Department Summer of Safety Program Senior Corps CSS/RSVP In New York City-"Take Back Our Block" VISTA New York Council of Smaller Churches Youth Corps City Volunteer Corps: Youth Opposing Violence Youth Action Prog. of the E. Harlem Block Nursery, Inc. Oneida Youth Corps Oneida Indian Nation Rochester Senior Corps Monroe County Senior Summer Corps OH Cleveland N.S. Grants Cleveland State University: Community Coalition Senior Corps Cleveland Summer of Safety Coalition VISTA Cleveland Task Force on Violent Crime Columbus VISTA Ohio Crime Prevention Association OR Portland VISTA Leaders Roundtable (P.A.L.) Roseburg Senior Corps Douglas/Joseph County's RSVP PA Philadelphia VISTA Greater Philadelphia Federation of Settlements Pittsburgh VISTA National Conference of Christians and Jews/Hill House TX Austin N.S. Grants Austin Housing Authority San Antonio VISTA San Antonio, Department of Community Initiatives VA Hampton Senior Corps Newport News Senior Summer Corps WA Olympia Youth Corps The Washington Service Corps Seattle VISTA The Fremont Public Association 18 DRAFT 6/21/94 SUMMER OF SAFETY LISTING BY STATE AND CITY STATE CITY PROGRAM COMPONENT PROGRAM/PROJECT NAME WA Tacoma Senior Corps Tacoma/Pierce County RSVP WI Madison Senior Corps Madison Summer of Safety Milwaukee VISTA Social Development Commission WV Keyser VISTA Family Crisis Center, Inc. ===== Count: 91 DRAFT 6/21/94 19 Summer of kniw USDA APPLICATION FOR TWO SUMMER OF SERVICE AMERICORPS PROJECTS Overall Coordinator for Both Projects: United States Department of Agriculture 14th Street and Independence Avenues, SW, Washington, DC 20250 Joel Berg, National Service Coordinator Signature and date: fael Buy 3/M/94 Co-Coordinator for Chicago Project: United States Department of Justice Tenth Street and Constitution Avenue, N.W. Washington, DC 20530 Jack Nadol, Acting Director, Bureau of Justice Assistance Signature and date: (fax copy attached hard copy in mail) Overall request for CNCS funds: $307,228 PROJECT #1 - CHICAGO Applicant: Friends of the Chicago High School of Agricultural Sciences 3807 West 111th Street, Chicago, Illinois 60655, Barbara H. Valerious, Principal Signature and Date: (fax copy attached -- hard copy in mail) Partners: Chicago Housing Authority, USDA Soil Conservation Service, USDA Extension Service and the University of Illinois Cooperative Extension Service, USDA Forest Service, and USDA Agricultural Stabilization and Conservation Service Federal funds requested from Subtitle D $192,148 in CNCS funds requested $43,432 amount of U.S. Department of Agriculture matching funds $29,782 amount of non-federal match 50 participants will receive stipends 200 volunteers will not receive stipends The Chicago High School of Agricultural Sciences, in conjunction with the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the U.S. Department of Justice, will run an AmeriCorps program in Chicago in which a socio-economically diverse group of recent high school graduates will work on urban agriculture and community policing projects and then supervise a larger group of younger at-risk youth who will volunteer part time on similar projects in high crime areas. Both groups of youth will participate in urban farming, urban tree planting, environmental education, and conflict resolution projects that will help reduce violent crime and that will create safe places for other community activities at public housing projects and other public sites. The project will foster community policing, restore safety to public spaces, promote youth-as- resources, reduce the vulnerability of children and youth, and perform critical urban environmental restoration work. PROJECT #2 - ARIZONA Federal Coordinator: United States Department of Agriculture 14th Street and Independence Avenues, SW, Washington, DC 20250 Joel Berg, National Service Coordinator Signature and date: Jael Beery 3/14/94 Applicant: Volunteer Council for the Arizona Dept. of Youth Treatment and Rehabilitation (DYTR) 1624 West Adams, Phoenix, Arizona 85007 Joel Blumenthal, Project Director, ASU/DYTR Partnership Signature and date: (fax copy attached -- hard copy original in mail) Partners include: USDA Forest Service, Maricopa County Juvenile Court, Phoenix Union School District Federal funds requested from Subtitle D $ 115,080 in CNCS funds requested $ 24,727 amount of U.S. Department of Agriculture matching funds $ 30,076 amount of non-federal match 35 participants will receive stipends 100 volunteers will not receive stipends A partnership between Arizona State University and the Arizona Department of Youth Treatment and Rehabilitation, in conjunction with the United States Department of Agriculture, will run a AmeriCorps program that will combine a socio-economic mix of youth committed to DYTR, youth under the jurisdiction of the juvenile court, local high school students, and Arizona State University students in conservation work on the Tonto and other national forests. The AmeriCorps participants will then work a larger group of younger at-risk youth to supervise their volunteer activities in environmental restoration work and in restoring safety to public spaces. The project will have the following goals: rehabilitating delinquent youth; creating safer environments in at-risk neighborhoods, providing conflict resolution instruction for a diverse group of delinquent, at-risk, and college attending youth; providing mentoring and pro- social modeling of delinquent and at-risk youth; and engaging youth in productive conservation work on national forests and environmental work in urban areas; creating and nurturing community leadership and service skills; and building a continuing partnership where college students tutor delinquent youth. This project will incorporate youth-as resources programs, restoring safety to public spaces, and youth safety initiatives. PROJECT #1 -CHICAGO Specific Needs in Project Area Street gang activity has caused the wide-spread destruction of lives and property in many low-income Chicago neighborhoods. The statistics are staggering. According to a December report by the National Institute of Justice, between 1987 and 1990, there were 17,085 reported criminal offenses in Chicago classified by the police as street gang-related. These included 288 homicides, 8,828 nonlethal violent offenses, and 5,888 drug offenses. About 38,000 mostly young people are active in Chicago's 40 major street gangs. To make matters worse, many young Chicagoans are engaged in criminal activity independent of gangs. As a result, the state of Illinois ranks 20th among states for the death rate of children ages 1 - 14. In addition, the state ranks 19th in the number of juveniles (10-17 years of age) arrested for violent crimes. The City of Chicago is also in great need of the kind of urban gardening and forestry projects that would increase the green space in the city. Representatives of the Chicago Housing Authority, the Chicago Cooperative Extension Service, and the Chicago High School of Agricultural Sciences were involved in identifying neighborhoods that meet the criteria of need for summer youth programming and also contained locations of vacant lots and community areas that could be used or made usable for community garden projects. The locations selected have high populations of elementary school youth who will be recruited by corps members and neighborhood advisory committee members to participate in providing service to their communities. 2 One center for project activities will be the Elliott Donnelley Youth Center, which serves the African American Community on Chicago's southside. The neighborhoods served by this center include Douglas, Fuller Park, and Grand Boulevard. To further target high-need areas, corps members, as part of their initial assignments, will canvass neighborhoods to ascertain extent of need, interest, and to recruit youth and adult members of neighborhood advisory councils for this project. Program Objectives The purpose of this project is fivefold: to stem the rising tide of Chicago youth involved in violent crimes by engaging at-risk youth at an early age in productive and safe community activities; to aid community policing initiatives; to engage a socio-economic mix of participants working with younger at-risk youth on environmental projects critical to the city; to promote awareness and appreciation of the benefits of land restoration in an urban environment; and to create safe spaces for community gardening and vacant lot projects to allow community residents to engage in other activities at that site. To meet those purposes, the projects will have two specific goals: 1) to engage 50 full- time, stipended corps members and at least two hundred volunteers in creating urban farms and planting trees at four public housing projects and in reclaiming vacant lots for community gardens and quiet spaces at no less than five other sites throughout the city; and 2) to help community police efforts to maintain these eight sites as safe places. Byproducts of these efforts will be the positive development and enhancement of self-esteem of both corps members and the children involved. Students will also learn conflict resolution strategies. 3 Given that more than half the students majoring in agricultural and natural resources in post-secondary institutions today come from non-farm backgrounds, this project can play an important role in encouraging some youths to prepare for eventual careers in agriculture. Four days a week, corps members and the children with whom they work will be involved in site clean-up and preparation, planning, maintenance, and harvesting. In addition, two hours each day, corps members will actively engage the youth in the community in recreation and personal development activities. Every day corps members will bolster community policing activities. Appropriateness of Summer Program At each site, a youth advisory committee will be organized to provide input and direction to gardening and clean-up projects, select topics for personal and leadership development, and determine appropriate supplemental activities. By canvassing neighborhoods, corps members will research prospective sites within the neighborhood even before the school vacation begins. This in itself will prove to be a valuable learning experience for corps members. Thus, the neighborhoods will have significant input in determining whether the summer program is appropriate to meet the community's needs. Neighborhood support is essential to involve youth from the neighborhoods and to develop pride and respect for the efforts that are expended. Previous experience teaches us that when neighborhood members are involved, incidents of vandalism, harassment, etc. are significantly reduced and volunteer recruitment is significantly bolstered. To perpetuate some of the program's activities beyond the summer program, volunteer structures will be created to keep the gardens open and safe throughout the remainder of the year. 5 Impact on Participants For both the AmeriCorps participants and the volunteers the goals are to improve the spirit of citizenship, decrease the likelihood that participants will engage in illegal activities. improve knowledge of farming, gardening, and urban restoration issues, improve their ability to work together with peers from diverse ba kgrounds, boost their knowledge of potential careers in agriculture, and obtain an increased understanding of the need for public safety in their neighborhoods. Participant Safety The University of Illinois Police Training Institute will help design safety programs for each project. The U.S. Department of Justice will also work with the local law enforcement agencies to design safety plans. Each project will have a detail hazard analysis developed. Each crew leader will be responsible for discussing the hazard analysis with these crew before work is started. Daily safety sessions will be held. Additional safety information will be included in the overall development of each participant's working experience. Child Care The project will contract out for child care services for any participant who needs them. Liability and On-The-Job Injury Coverage The project will purchase liability and on-the-job injury insurance. 6 Service Activities Participants will engage in urban farming, urban forestry, and environmental education projects at the following four public housing projects: 1) Cabrini-Green is nationally-known as one of the country's most infamous examples of public housing. With a population of 6,935, Cabrini is located on 16 acres on Chicago's near north side. The project already has a fresh vegetable and herb garden, which could be dramatically expanded by the Summer of Safety project. 2) The Robert Taylor Homes, located on 95 acres on Chicago's south side, has 12,320 residents and is the largest public housing development in the world. This development is very much in need of greening. 3) The Henry Horner Homes house 3,057 people on Chicago's west side and were the site for the award-winning book and subsequent television movie There Are No Children Here. Because of its location adjacent to train tracks and within a desolate and poverty-stricken area, Horner would benefit tremendously from a greening program. 4) Ida B. Wells, located on the City's south side, has a population of 5,660, living in 2,788 units. Wells is a target site for the U.S. Department of Justice's Weed & Seed Program and has received substantial assistance in both law enforcement and prevention efforts ranging for recreational to educational activities. The Wells development would benefit greatly from beautification activities through the Summer of Safety program. There are several local youth organizations that could be tapped for volunteers. The Chicago High School of Agricultural Sciences would also help obtain the rights to use up to 15 city-owned vacant lots in the Roseland area of Chicago, as well as a vacant lot in 34th Ward and one in the Ninth Ward. 7 Project participants would reclaim and/or upgrade vacant lots in order to establish them as safe places for: 1) Farms/Gardens - urban farming of foods - flower gardening - specific crop growing for local sale Proposed community garden projects will include: A. Children's garden - 25 - 30, 4' X 4' raised vegetable, flowers and herbs beds. B. Adults garden - 25 - 30, 4' X 8' raised beds. Parents of youth and other adults in neighborhood would be assigned individual plots. C. Market garden - maintained by youth and adults; vegetables and herbs to be sold through Windows for Onportunity, Inc., Farmers Market Nutrition Program at Chicago Housing Authority (CHA) Robert Taylor Homes. D. Educational - Meeting area - front of the garden will be seeded or sodded with turf; flowers, shrubs and small trees will be planted with picnic tables available for meetings, or programs. E. Windowbox gardening -- Public housing residents will learn how to grow flowers or small plants in their windows. 2) Quiet Corners - newly built and installed benches - play areas for small children - open community centers for arts and crafts and other displays - open spots for farmer's markets, healthy baby festivals, etc. 8 3) Tree Planting - Tree planting at public housing developments - Tree planting at vacant lots - Joint agreements to plant and maintain trees in front of homes These fifty full-time participants will then help recruit 200 younger, at-risk, youth volunteers to help with conservation and environmental work, further reclaim lands, and develop a calendar of activities and set up appropriate exhibits in quiet corners. The Chicago Public Housing Authority will help recruit volunteers from its housing developments. With training and technical assistance provided by the U.S. Department of Justice, and under the direct supervision of local law enforcement agencies, the full-time participants would then help organize community crime patrols around these sites in tandem with local community policing initiatives. To reduce crime in areas plagued by violence, corps members partner with police officers engaged in community policing. The corps members are trained by the police department in problem-solving and conflict resolution, trained by the staff from other city agencies in identifying and accessing city resources, and trained by community groups in neighborhood organizing and leveraging neighborhood resources. The corps members work alongside community policing officers, but may also coordinate "safe haven" activities for youth, staff community policing substations, hold crime prevention workshops for community businesses and residents, organize block parent networks, and assist with community outreach. 9 The Chicago Police Department is already actively engaged in community policing activities designed to address community crime and disorder problems. Summer of Safety participants could be integrated into this effort. Chicago has a distinct training program for law enforcement officers designated to deal with the community on specific public safety problems. Summer of Safety participants could help bring together law enforcement officials with citizens nd other representatives of local government in order to address and analyze how to address and analyze how to address a particular crime and disorder problem. The program will be designed to identify specific crime and violence related problems through canvassing neighborhoods, attending community meetings, and setting up meetings with community groups. Corrective action will follow by focusing projects. Drug and other illegal activities will be discouraged and an opportunity to utilize these spaces for constructive activities will be gained. Parks. playgrounds, and public areas will be cleaned up and properly utilized, under the supervision participants and adults who will act as positive role models for those involved. Surveys will track progress and serve to measure the diminishment of fear in the community. Perhaps most importantly, a positive relationship between law enforcement and the youth of the community will be enhanced. The participants will help conduct surveys to determine local residents' perception of the nature of local crime problems so that the community policing initiatives can help redress those problems. The participants can help assist the police in developing crime prevention strategies. including D.A.R.E., safe havens, and the Midnight Basketball League. 10 Number of Participants There will be fifty full-time participants receiving stipends for the ten weeks., Their goal will be recruiting an additional 200 volunteers, and then setting up a volunteer infrastructure to continue upkeep of the community gardens and safe spaces after the summer program ends. Assignment Criteria It is essential to obtain neighborhood input and support before any project is initiated. Local and state agencies, existing service groups, community center and housing authority committees, fire safety associations, youth agencies and organizations, and local businesses and unions will be encouraged to have input and collaborate. Project Training In addition to the general training at the beginning of the program, each participant will receive specific technical training in agriculture, forestry, and/or crime prevention before beginning each specific task. Such training will be provided by employees of USDA, the Illinois Extension Service, the U.S. Department of Justice, and/or local law enforcement agencies. The Weed and Seed site will utilize all available resources and necessary funds to provide training and technical assistance in community policing activities including partnering with local law enforcement entities and providing technical assistance from the Bureau of Justice Assistance, Department of Justice. 11 Project Supervision Each crew of ten corps members will be supervised by an older crew leader, who will either be an USDA employee or a Forest Service environmental education intern. Crew leaders will be selected based on experience in youth development, knowledge of agriculture and forestry, and nonformal education. Crew leaders must be able to demonstrate working knowledge of experiential learning, experience in interacting in multicultural settings, and in dealing with at-risk youth. Further training in specific curriculum will be provided to team leaders during the month of June. The first priority will be in working with corps members in local resource and needs identification and assessment. Displacement Considerations Since neither the AmeriCorps participants nor the volunteers will engage in any work currently conducted by government employees, there is no possibility of worker displacement. Continuation While most of the objectives of the program will be accomplished during its ten-week length, special care will be given to create volunteer infrastructures that can maintain the gardens and safe spaces year-round. At the end of the summer program, the AmeriCorps participants will sign-over ceremonial (non-legal) "leases" to the volunteers who will then maintain the sites. 12 Sustaining Strategies/Priorities The single greatest priority following the summer program will be continuing community activities to protect the newly created safe places. Resources The University of Illinois Cooperative Extension Service, the Chicago Housing Authority, USDA, the U.S. Department of Justice, returned Peace Corps volunteers, and the Chicago High School of Agricultural Sciences all will take responsibility for continuing management of the volunteer programs. Workplan/Timeline (all dates 1994) By March 21: Begin organizing overall advisory committee By April 1: Obtain notification of funding from CNCS By April 10: Finalize details of recruitment plan By April 12: Hold first meetings of overall advisory committee and sign cooperative agreement among all participating partners By April 15: Begin recruitment activities at Chicago High School of Agricultural Sciences and throughout targeted neighborhoods By April 22: Finalize selection of crew leaders By April 30: Applications for participation due By May 1: Recruitment of corps members finalized and leadership team attends national training and technical assistance workshop By May 2: Begin screening of applicants 13 By May 10: Make final selections of program participants By May 15: Deposit private contributions in the banks account of "Friends of the Chicago High School of Agricultural Sciences" By May 20: Obtain written permission for use of public housing land and vacant lots and finalize plans for work projects By May 25: U.S. Department of Justice and local law enforcement agencies finalize community policing projects By May 30: All uniforms, tools, and equipment obtained By June 7: Begin week-long training program for crew leaders and other project staff June 13: Participant training and orientation begin By June 15: Original evaluation interviews begin June 21: Program is formally launched and agriculture and forestry work projects begin By June 25: Volunteer recruitment begins By July 1: Participants begin aiding community policing programs July 4: Citywide kick-off for joint AmeriCorps volunteer activities By July 5: First program evaluation provided to staff By July 1: Specific plans for year-round program continuation by volunteer infrastructure created By July 19: Second program evaluation provided to staff By July 21: USDA and U.S. Department of Justice make surprise monitoring visit to project By August 10: Third program evaluation provided to staff August 24: Program formally ends August 25: Volunteer infrastructure takes over management of sites By August 31: High-profile graduation ceremony held in which AmeriCorps participants are 14 honored and sites are ceremonially transferred to neighborhood volunteers By September 1: Evaluation interviews completed By October 1: Evaluation report completed Institutional Capacity The lead partner in running this program with be the non-profit foundation of the Chicago High School of Agricultural Sciences. A recent feature in the Washington Post describes the Chicago High School for Agricultural Sciences as "a rare and remarkable success story in one of the nation's most troubled public school systems." According to the article, last year's graduation rate of almost 90 percent was far above the city average, and graduating seniors won a total of $1.4 million in college scholarships. On January 5, 1994, the Chicago Tribune editorialized that the school "is a notable success, one of the precious few among Chicago public high schools." Claiming the school's program has captured the financial and moral support of the Chicago Board of Trade and other businesses, the editorial calls the curriculum "innovative" and the spirit of the staff and students "exhilarating." The school's foundation, which will formally receive and administer the grant, has a demonstrable track record of success in administering financial and payroll procedures. U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Mike Espy has visited the school, spoken to its commencement exercise, and has generally been extremely impressed by its remarkable achievements. He has pledged that he will provide any institutional support possible to the school. 15 Staff Experience Barbara H. Valerious, Principal of the Chicago High School of Agricultural Sciences. will be the project director. She has been honored widely for her work in building one of the most successful magnet schools in the entire Chicago school system. A 38-year employee of the Chicago Board of Education, she received the Principal of Excellence Award in 1992. Joel Berg, Director of Public Liaison and National Service for USDA, will coordinate the government resources involved in the project. He has studied national service and visited successful youth corps since 1989, and helped design the national service demonstration project title of the National and Community Service Act of 1990. He also served on President-Elect Clinton's national service transition team. Terrence S. Donahue, Deputy Director, Executive, Office of Weed and Seed, U.S. Department of Justice, will coordinate program interface with local law enforcement agencies. With 23 years in law enforcement experience, he played a key role in developing the National Drug Policy Boards's "Strategy for High Risk Youth," and the Department's criminal justice intervention and prevention strategy, "Weed and Seed" program. Working Relationships The Chicago High School of Agricultural Science, the Illinois Extension Service, the Chicago Housing Authority, the Soil Conservation Service, and the "Weed and Seed" program all have extensive interactions with community groups. 16 Law Enforcement Relationship The project will contract with the University of Illinois Police Training Institute, which has already assisted in the development of numerous public safety programs adapted to specific youth audiences. The Institute will run educational programs for the project staff and the AmeriCorps participants that focus on personal safety, the action and reaction factors of both peer-to-peer and police-to-citizen force, conflict resolution, a law enforcement career opportunities. The U.S. Department of Justice will coordinate project interactions with local law enforcement agencies. For example, the U.S. Department of Justice, through its local Weed and Seed site, at Ida B. Wells housing development, has established an ongoing relationship with the local police. The Chicago Police Dèpartment has created and staffed a sub-station within Ida B. Wells, and has cultivated a positive relationship with the residents. The community police have created an open dialogue with residents, and have obtained the trust of community. This program can serve as a model for similar projects at other AmeriCorps summer sites. Applicant Experience The Chicago High School of Agricultural Sciences already runs successful urban farms. Other partners include the USDA, with many field offices in the Chicago region. The USDA Soil Conservation Service helped run the original U.S. Civilian Conservation Corps and now runs the successful "Earth Team" volunteer program nationally. The USDA Extension Service helps run 4-H, the largest volunteer program in the world. 17 The Illinois Extension Service and the Chicago Housing Authority already run successful community volunteer programs in Chicago. Furthermore, the U.S. Department of Justice has extensive experience in promoting community policing initiatives. Certification of Participants This project is wholeheartedly committed to promoting one national identity to the President's AmeriCorps program. All uniforms and promotional materials will use the AmeriCorps logo. All press releases, promotional literature, and public events will reference the national program. As much as possible, all training activities and team-building activities will be tied into national initiatives. The program will enthusiastically participate in national opening and/or closing ceremonies. Commitment of Each Partner The Friends of the Chicago High School of Agricultural Sciences will run the overall program. The organization will take prime responsibility for recruiting and screening participants and providing the payroll mechanism for the living wage stipend. The school will also provide secretarial support, classroom space, and use of audio-visual equipment. The school will also take prime responsibility for locating and obtaining use of vacant lots. 18 An overall program advisory committee chaired by Barbara Valerious, Principal of the High School, high school faculty members, participating agency representatives, and representatives from neighborhood advisory committees will be convened to provide program oversight, determine measurable outcomes and progress in achieving the identified outcomes. The U.S. Department of Justice will take responsibility for coordination with local law enforcement agencies and community policing initiatives. The Office of Public Affairs of the U.S. Department of Agriculture will provide general federal government coordination, serve as a liaison with the Corporation for National and Community Service, production of recruitment and promotional, and public affairs and electronic communications support. The USDA Soil Conservation Service will provide one employee on detail, and staff specialist assistant as required, to provide on-site soils interpretive information, general soil information training, coordinating and cost estimates for work projects, and team building training. The Soil Conservation Service will also provide $5,000 in direct funding. The USDA Forest Service will provide college-level interns who can serve as crew leaders and environmental education instructors. The agency will also provide urban forestry and ecosystem training and curriculum materials. The Forest Service will coordinate with state and city agencies to provide technical assistance on urban forestry issues. The Forest Service will also work to identify possible donors of tree seedlings, containers, and soil. The Forest Service will also provide $2,500 in direct funding. The USDA Extension Service will provide training and educational materials, and help with program evaluation. The Extension Service will also provide $2,500 in direct funding. 19 The USDA Agricultural Stabilization and Conservation Service will provide one employee on detail to teach agriculture techniques and serve as a crew leader. The Illinois Extension Service will aid in participant training and education and help locate and obtain use of vacant lots. The Chicago Housing Authority will provide land for farms, will help recruit volunteers, and will aid community policing activities. Monitoring and Evaluation Progress National service staff from the Washington offices of the Department of Agriculture and Justice will make at least one unannounced visit to the project within its first month of operation. The local project staff will also use both an ongoing process evaluation and an impact assessment. In-depth interview and observation data with be gathered to keep track of the implementation process of the Summer of Safety Project. The project director, crew supervisors, a representative sample of the AmeriCorps participants, Justice and Agriculture Department personnel, high school staff, and families will be interview at the start-up of the project and weekly intervals throughout the project. Interviews will be semi-structured: some questions will be used throughout the project and some time will be allowed for respondents to describe their experiences in and feelings about the project. Direct observations of the service projects will also be conducted regularly. These interviews with a wide range of project players will facilitate the ongoing monitoring of the project implementation and the meeting of project goals. The evaluation will be especially sensitive to the creative modification of project goals and their effect, as well as unanticipated effects of the project. 20 The evaluator will provide reports to the staff during week 3, 5, and 7 of the project to allow for consultation with the Corporation for National and Community service about what modifications could be made if problems arise. In other words, the monitoring will work to fix identify and fix problems as they occur. Demographic and other relevant background data will be gathered from the original application materials and other means about both the AmeriCorps participants and the younger volunteers. To access the impact at the end of the program, start-up interviews and post-project interviews with samples of the project managers will be used to assess changes in the participant views of citizenship, community service, and their place in the community before and after service. Follow-up with local law enforcement officials will be used to determine the project's impact upon community policing and other public safety projects. Interviews with the appropriate forestry personnel and community leaders will asses the value of the conservation and environment work performed. Commitment to National Evaluation The project will take every step needed to provide access and data needed by national evaluators. USDA CHICAGO FY 94 SUMMER OF SERVICE BUDGET 1. Participant Stipends 50 $147 10 73,500.00 # of Participants Minimum $147 a week # of Weeks 2. Total Salaries Project Director 8,694 Project Staff 15,000 23,694.00 3. Participant Training 39,495 39,495.00 4. Other Expenses Trees, Tools, Lumber Health & Safety Soil, Debris Removal 126,573 5. National Training & Travel 2,100.00 TOTAL PROJECT COSTS 265,362.00 6. NON-CORPORATION CONTRIBUTIONS Matching Funds 29,782 In-Kind Contributions Other Federal Funds 43,432 Total: 73,214.00 7. FUNDS REQUESTED FROM THE CORPORATION 192,148.00 03/11/91 11:52 2027206085 OPA/OPVC 2002 USDA APPLICATION FOR TWO SUMMER OF SERVICE AMERICORPS PROJECTS Overall Coordinator for Both Projects: United States Department of Agriculture 14th Street and Independence Avenues, SW, Washington, DC 20250 Joel Berg, National Service Coordinator Signature and date: Co-Coordinator for Chicago Project United States Department of Justice Tenth Street and Constitution Avenue, N.W. Washington, DC 20530 Signature and date: Overall request for CNCS funds: $297,828 PROJECT #1 - CHICAGO Applicant: Friends of the Chicago High School of Agricultural Sciences 3807 West 111th Street, Chicago, Illinois 60655, Harhara H. Valerious, Principal Signature and Date: Smith 3/14/94 Partners: Chicago Housing Authority, USDA Soil Conservation Service, USDA Extension Service and the University of Illinois Cooperative Extension Service, USDA Forest Service, and USDA Agricultural Stabilization and Conservation Service Federal funds requested from Subtitle D in CNCS funds requested $43,432 amount of U.S. Department of Agriculture matching funds $29,782 amount of non-federal match 50 participants will receive stipends 200 volunteers will not receive stipends The Chicago High School of Agricultural Sciences, in conjunction with the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the U.S. Department of Justice, will nin an Americ OTS program in Chicago in which a socio-economically diverse group of recent high school graduates will work on urban agriculture and community policing projects and then supervise a larger group of younger at-risk youth who will volunteer part time on similar projects in high crime areas. Roth groups of youth will participate in urban farming, urban tree planting, environmental education, and contlict resolution projects that will help reduce violent crime and that will create safe places for other community activities al public housing projects and other public sitcs. The project will fuster community policing, restore safety to public spaces, promote youth as- resources. reduce the vuluerability of children and youth, and perform critical urban environmental restoration work. USDA APPLICATION FOR TWO SUMMER OF SERVICE AMERICORPS PROJECTS Overall Coordinator for Both Projects: United States Department of Agriculture 14th Street and Independence Avenues, SW, Washington, DC 20250 Joel Berg, National Service Coordinator Signature and date: Co-Coordinator for Chicago Project: United States Department of Justice Tenth Street and Constitution Avenue, N.W. Washington, DC 20530 Jack Nadol, Acting Director of Bureau of Justice Assistance Signature and date: Elliott A. Brown for 3/14/94 Overall request for CNCS funds: PROJECT #1 - CHICAGO Applicant: Friends of the Chicago High School of Agricultural Sciences 3807 West 111th Street, Chicago, Illinois 60655, Barbara H. Valerious, Principal Signature and Date: Partners: Chicago Housing Authority, USDA Soil Conservation Service, USDA Extension Service and the University of Illinois Cooperative Extension Service, USDA Forest Service, and USDA Agricultural Stabilization and Conservation Service Federal funds requested from Subtitle D in CNCS funds requested $43,432 amount of U.S. Department of Agriculture matching funds $29,782 amount of non-federal match 50 participants will receive stipends 200 volunteers will not receive stipends The Chicago High School of Agricultural Sciences, in conjunction with the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the U.S. Department of Justice, will run an AmeriCorps program in Chicago in which a socio-economically diverse group of recent high school graduates will work on urban agriculture and community policing projects and then supervise a larger group of younger at-risk youth who will volunteer part time on similar projects in high crime areas. Both groups of youth will participate in urban farming, urban tree planting, environmental education, and conflict resolution projects that will help reduce violent crime and that will create safe places for other community activities at public housing projects and other public sites. The project will foster community policing, restore safety to public spaces, promote youth-as- resources, reduce the vulnerability of children and youth, and perform critical urban environmental restoration work. USING The Chicago Housing Authority AUTHORITY March 14, 1994 Board of Commissioners Ms. Catherine Milton Vincent Lane Director Chairman Corporation for Community and National Service Artensa Randolph 1100 Vermont Ave. N.W. Vice-Chainnan Washington, DC 20525 Arthur M. Brazier Milton Davis Dear Ms. Milton: Isaac S. Goldman Handy L. Lindsey, Jr. Daniel Solis I am writing in support of the U.S. Departments of Agriculture and Justice's Robert Whitfield application to the Corporation for funding of a Summer of Safety program within Chief Operating Officer four Chicago Housing Authority developments. Dr. Daniel W. Blue. Jr. Deputy Chief Operating Officer Providing productive and educational activities for CHA children over the summer is a major priority, particularly in communities with few resources for recreational F. Willis Caruso General Counsel alternatives. This program will also complement the Authority's community policing and tenant patrol programs, both of which work closely with teens in an effort to dissuade them from involvement with gangs and drugs. We will support this program by assisting in identification of both team members and volunteers from CHA developments. Providing stipend as well as volunteer opportunities for CHA residents is extremely important in order for the community to be full participants. In addition, we would be glad to provide some of the leadership skills and conflict resolution training through program staff currently providing such services to our youth. The Authority will also donate use of equipment and landscaping personnel to assist with the urban gardens within our communities, as well as administrative personnel to coordinate activities with other Summer of Safety partners. We are grateful for the opportunity to participate in this unique effort and hope you will look favorably upon the USDA and Department of Justice's application. Please do not hesitate to contact Kristin Anderson, Director of External Affairs at (312) 791-8513, if we can be of further assistance. Sincerely, Vincent Lane Chairman VL:KK/lw 22 West Madison Street Chicago, Illinois 60602 Telephone (312) 791-8500 PROJECT #2 . ARIZONA (duplicate of project #2 cover sheet) Applicant: Volunteer Council for the Arizona Dept. of Youth Treatment and Rehabilitation (DYTR) 1624 West Adams, Phoenix, Arizona 85007 Joel Blumenthal, Project Director, ASU/DYTR Partnership Partners include: USDA Fores: Service, Maricopa County Juvenile Court, Phoenix Union School District Federal funds requested from Subtitle D $ 112,980 in CNCS funds requested $ 24,727 amount of U.S. Department of Agriculture matching funds $ 28,076 amount of non-federal match 35 participants will receive stipends 100 volunteers will not receive stipends A parmership between Arizona State University and the Arizona Department of Youth Treatment and Rehabilitation, in conjunction with the United States Department of Agriculture, will run a AmeriCorps program that will combine a socio-economic mix of youth committed to DYTR, youth under the jurisdiction of the juvenile court, local high school students. and Arizona State University students in conservation work on national forests. The AmeriCorps participants will then work with 2 larger group of younger at-risk youth to supervise their volunteer activities in environmental restoration work and in restoring safety to public spaces. The project will have the following goals: rehabilitating delinquent youth; creating safer environments in at-risk neighborhoods, providing conflict resolution instruction for 2 diverse group of delinquent, at-risk, and coliege attending youth; providing mentoring and pro-social modeling of delinquent and at-risk youth; and engaging youth in productive conservation work on national forests and environmental work in urban areas; creating and nurturing community leadership and service skils: and building a continuing parmership where college students tuter delinquent youth. This project will incorporate youth as resources programs, restoring safety to public spaces, and youth safety initiatives. Jane Bluminthal 3/14/94 Copy 3/14/94 Original in the Mail 1 PROJECT #2 - ARIZONA Specific Needs in Project Area While much of Arizona is increasingly under siege because of violent crime, the juvenile offenders that will participate in this program are particularly devastated by the cycle of crime, poverty, and violence. Youth in poor neighborhoods of Arizona frequently commit illegal activities and end up in secure facilities, only to be eventually released back to neighborhoods afflicted with poverty, unemployment, dysfunctional families, gangs, drugs. crime, racism. violence, inadequate housing, lack of access to health care, and underperforming school systems. Consequently, it should not be surprising that the incidence of youth involvement in violent offenses in Arizona has virtually exploded during the past few years (Table 1). In 1991. the most recent year for which Uniform Crime Report data are available. Arizona's rate of arrests for juvenile violent crimes per 100,000 was exceeded by only 10 states. In Maricopa County, youthful arrests for murder have doubled in the past five years. Much of the violence is associated with gang activity. Phoenix has been identified by the federal Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention as one of the nation's ten greatest gang problem cities. Table 1. Juvenile Involvement in Arizona Violent Crime (arrests per 100,000 youth below the age of 18) Year Homicide Rape Robbery Assault 1984 12 23 207 652 1985 9 36 219 775 1986 23 56 207 824 1987 10 51 205 710 1988 17 37 233 906 1990 19 67 433 1,359 1991 31 77 490 1,495 Source: Uniform Crime Reports, 1982-1991, Federal Bureau of Investigation 2 Data from the Organized Crime Division of the Arizona Department of Public Safety estimate the number of gangs in Arizona at more than 775 with an estimated membership of 10,000 persons. According to this report. there are more than 400 gangs in the Phoenix metropolitan area. Results of recent studies show that an estimated 71 percent of African American youth in Maricopa County will have at least one arrest by the time they reach 18, and 49 percent of all youth will have been arrested by age 18 in Maricopa County. Furthermore, the Tonto and other national forest lands in Arizona are in great need of volunteer support in order to improve and maintain their resources and facilities. Urban neighborhoods in Phoenix are in great need of additional trees. gardens. and food farms. Program Objectives A partnership between Arizona State University (ASU) and the Arizona Department of Youth Treatment and Rehabilitation (DYTR), in conjunction with the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). will run a program that will combine a socio-economic mix of youth committed to DYTR. youth under the jurisdiction of the juvenile court, local high school students, and University students in conservation. The program has the following goals: rehabilitating delinquent youth; creating safer environments in at-risk neighborhoods, providing conflict resolution instruction for a diverse group of delinquent. at-risk, and college attending youth; providing mentoring and pro-social modeling of delinquent and at-risk youth: and engaging youth in productive conservation work on national forests and environmental work in urban areas; creating and nurturing community leadership and service skills; and building a continuing partnership where college students tutor delinquent youth. 18 3 This Summer of Safety AmeriCorps project would combine youth committed to Arizona's juvenile corrections system. youth under the jurisdiction of the juvenile court. at-risk high school youth, and ASU students in an environmental work project. Technical supervision for this project will be provided by USDA/Forest Service. The ten-week program has the following short-term goals: the rehabilitation of delinquent youth; conflict resolution instruction for delinquent and at-risk youth; mentoring and pro-social role-modeling of delinquent and at-risk youth; productive work experiences; clean-up and maintenance of the country's natural resources (National Forest Lands): and the creation and nurturing of leadership and community service skills. Long-term benefits of the project are: the reduction of juvenile crime: continued protection of the environment: safer environments in high-risk neighborhoods: the creation of indigenous leadership in dysfunctional neighborhoods; intervention with at-risk youth at an impressionable age: continued mentoring by university students with at-risk youth. This project will incorporate youth as resources programs. restoring safety to public spaces. and youth safety initiatives. The program will aim at the following three concrete achievements: 1) recruiting a socio-economically mixed group of 35 full-time participants -- including some juvenile offenders -- and 100 at-risk youth for volunteer activities that will engage them in productive community work; 2) performing 6.475 person-hours of conservation and environmental work in the Tonto and other national forests in Arizona; 3) and working at environmental and rehabilitation projects at three sites, at least, in Phoenix to reclaim them as safe spaces for community use. 4 Eighteen youth under the jurisdiction of the Department of Youth Treatment and Rehabilitation and the juvenile court, eight high school youth, and ten ASU students will receive training in violence reduction, conflict mediation, environmental preservation education. pro-social mentoring, community service instruction, and neighborhood improvement education. Thus, to achieve the goals of both this project and of AmeriCorps, the project will recruit half of its participants from the juvenile system and half from either Arizona State University or local high schools. The participants will be mixed by race, income, and gender. Urban environmental projects will be completed in an urban Phoenix area of approximately 40 square miles. Critical conservation work will also be completed on National Forest land. Appropriateness of Summer Program In order to elevate the problem of juvenile crime in the Phoenix area and rebuild the communities in which that crime is perpetuated. youth have to learn both pro-social, non-violent behavior. respect for their environment. the knowledge and skills to improve their neighborhood environment, and the leadership skills to rebuild their communities. University students. many of whom already possess the role-modeling and leadership skills, do not have the practical experience of working in active and productive roles within communities-in-need. The work that is done on this project during the summer will continue as the youth return to their home environment and work under the direction of the ASU/DYTR partnership project to improve their communities and make them safer and more secure places to live. 5 Recruitment of Participants DYTR youth will be chosen by the Department from the population of paroled youth who are within the ASU/DYTR catchment area (South Central Phoenix, zip codes 85006, 85008. 85014, 85016, 85034, and 85040). They are youth who have successfully completed their treatment in a secure facility and have been returned to their community for paroled supervision. Maricopa Juvenile Court youth will be chosen by the Court from a population of youth who live within the catchment area but are still under the jurisdiction of the court and on probation. The Phoenix Union High School District students will be recruited, in part. by the district. The ASU students will be chosen by the ASU/DYTR staff and will have completed some mentoring training. Training of Participants Conflict resolution training, community service training, urban and forestry conservation practices, and social skills training will be provided through established programs at ASU and the Department of Youth Treatment and Rehabilitation. Environmental training and forestry skills training will be provided by the USDA Forest Service. Impact on Participants The summer experience will help develop pro-social, non-delinquent behavior in the committed population of youth. It will help them acquire a sense of paying back their community instead of victimizing it. Focusing on the environmental improvement of their neighborhoods will sensitize youth to the need for improving their surroundings. 6 For those youth in the juvenile justice system, it will also focus their attention on the consequences of their prior illegal activities. For all the participants. work done on the Forest Service lands will help build skills. the work ethic, and self-esteem. Groups that combine ethnic and age groups will provide pro-social role-modeling for the delinquent youth and a sense of accomplishment for the ASU students. The project will foster a sense of community involvement and provide leadership skills to all of the participants. The neighborhood will not only receive a sense that it can help itself become a safer and better place to live. but will also realize that productive and positive relationships can be built with youth who have been perceived as dangerous and undesirable in the past. Given that more than half the students majoring in agricultural and natural resources in post-secondary institutions today come from non farm backgrounds. this project can play an important role in encouraging some youths to prepare for eventual careers in agriculture and forestry. Participant Safety The Forest Service will provide extensive safety training for each project performed in the forests. Each urban project will have a detail hazard analysis developed in conjunction with the City of Phoenix Police Department. Each crew leader will be responsible for discussing the hazard analysis with these crew before work is started. Daily tailgate safety sessions will be held. Additional safety information will be included in the overall development of each participants working experience. 7 Child Care The project will contract out for child care services for any participant who needs them. Liability Coverage Participants from ASU will be covered by existing policies of the university on work study students. DYTR youth will be covered by existing state policies. All participants will be covered for work on Forest Service lands. On The Job Injury Coverage Current state policies and procedures which apply to youth enrolled in the treatment and rehabilitation program will remain in affect for participants working under this partnership. Service Activities During the first four weeks of the program -- in order to learn work skills, job discipline. and bond together as a corps and as crews -- the corps members will engage in conservation work on the Tonto and other national forests in Arizona. They will perform some or all of the following activities: trail maintenance, recreation management, fish and wildlife management. timber management, facility construction and maintenance, water and soil work, range and forage management, watershed protection, range vegetation management, reservoir rejuvenation and enhancement, stream bank stabilization, and protection and enhancement of required habitats for endangered or threatened species. 8 In the first week of the program, the participants will spend most of their time in training and will each complete only 10 hours of conservation work in the forests. In the second week. with the training continuing, each participant will complete twenty hours of conservation work on the forests. In the third and fourth weeks, each participant will perform 30 hours of conservation work in the forests. with the remainder of the time used for educational workshops. community meetings, career counseling, and a period for journal writing and critical reflection. The remainder of the weeks the participants will work approximately half time in continuing conservation projects in the Tonto and other national forests and the other half working with younger. at-risk. volunteers in environmental and public safety work in Phoenix. The participants will reclaim at least three vacant lots and turn them into quiet corners and community farms and also engage in tree planting projects in parks. Participants will also plant trees in targeted neighborhoods at homes of residents who sign agreements to maintain the trees provided for them. The participants will provide training in tree maintenance for such residents. Participants will also teach environmental education to the younger youth. Number of Participants A socio-economic mix of 35 participants will work full-time and receive stipends. They will work to recruit an additional 100 volunteers. 9 Assignment Criteria Work assignments in the national forests will be determined by highly experienced Forest Service employees. The urban assignments will be determined by the ASU/DYTR partnership. in consultation with the City of Phoenix, the USDA Forest Service, Maricopa County Juvenile Court, the Phoenix Union School District, and neighborhood residents. Project Training In addition to the general training at the beginning of the program, each participant will receive specific technical training in agriculture, forestry, and/or crime prevention before beginning each specific task. Such training will be provided by employees of USDA, the Illinois Extension Service, the U.S. Department of Justice, or local law enforcement agencies. Project Supervision The 35 corps participants will work in five crews of seven people each. The entire project will be supervised by a full-time project director. Each crew will be supervised by an older crew leader, who will hired by the ASU/DYTR Partnership. The crew leaders will receive extensive training, both in working with youth and the specific environmental skills needed to work on national forests. The crews leaders' daily work will be supervised National Forest Service employees who are highly experienced in working with youth. 10 Displacement Considerations Since neither the AmeriCorps participants nor the volunteers will engage in any work currently conducted by government employees. there is no possibility of worker displacement. Continuation While most of the objectives of the program will be accomplished during its ten-week length, special care will be given to create volunteer infrastructures that can maintain the gardens and safe spaces year-round. At the end of the summer program, the AmeriCorps participants will sign-over ceremonial (non-legal) "leases" to the volunteers who will then maintain the sites. Sustaining Strategies/Priorities The single greatest priority following the summer program will be continuing community activities to protect the newly created safe places. Resources THE ASU/DYTR Partnership will take lead responsibility for continuing management of the volunteer programs. The partnership has already undertaken work similar to this under a grant from the U.S. Department of Education and will continue such work after the summer of service program is completed. ASU students mentoring delinquent youth will play an important role in helping maintain the safe spaces. 11 Workplan/Timeline (all dates 1994) By April 1: Obtain notification of funding from CNCS By April 10: Finalize details of recruitment plan By April 12: Sign cooperative agreements between all participating partners By April 15: Distribute recruitment materials throughout targeted populations and neighborhoods By April 15: Finalize selection of crew leaders By April 30: Applications for participation due By May 1: Leadership team attends national training and technical assistance workshop By May 2: Begin screening of applicants By May 10: Make final selections of program participants By May 15: Deposit private contributions in the appropriate bank accounts By May 20: Obtain written permission for use of vacant lots By May 25: Finalize plans for work projects on national forests By May 30: All uniforms. tools, and equipment obtained By June 1: Begin two week-long training for crew leaders and other project staff June 13: Participant training and orientation begin By June 15: Original evaluation interviews begin June 21: Program is formally launched and forestry work projects begin By June 25: Volunteer recruitment begins By June 30: City-wide kick-off for joint AmeriCorps volunteer activities By July 1: Specific plans for year-round program continuation by volunteer infrastructure created By July 5: First program evaluation provided to staff By July 19: Second program evaluation provided to staff 12 By July 21: USDA national staff make surprise monitoring visit to project By August 10: Third program evaluation provided to staff August 24: Program formally ends August 25: Volunteer infrastructure takes-over management of sites By August 31: High-profile graduation ceremony held in which AmeriCorps participants are honored and sites are ceremonially transferred to neighborhood volunteers By September 1: Evaluation interviews completed By October 1: Evaluation report completed Leadership Training The project director and team leaders will receive two weeks of safety and group dynamics training, as well as environmental training. prior to the start of the project from DYTR staff. Forest Service staff. and ASU community service faculty and staff. Institutional Capacity The ASU/DYTR is a successful and innovative partnership that already has received $956,000 in funding from the U.S. Department of Education. The partnership is already running volunteer programs in urban gardening. DYTR. a department with a $34 million budget and over 800 employees, will handle payroll and accounting. The project will also have access to the extensive resources of ASU, a major research university. The USDA Forest Service. including the districts in Arizona, has a long and successful record of engaging youth in conservation activities in its forests. The Forest Service in Arizona has in the past successfully supervised delinquent youths. 13 Staff Experience Project consultant Joel Marie Blumenthal is a management consultant, business executive, communications and public affairs specialist, and educator with over twenty-five years, of corporate and government experience in planning, management, teaching, training, agency and legislative liaison, research and writing under high pressure circumstances. She is currently Project Director of the ASU/DYTR Partnership and Chief of Volunteer Intern Services for DYTR. She has a Master's Degree in education and is currently a candidate for a Doctorate of Public Administration at ASU. Joel Berg, Director of Public Liaison and National Service for USDA, will coordinate the Departmental resources involved in the project. He has studied national service and visited successful youth corps since 1989, and helped design the national service demonstration provisions of the National and Community Service Act of 1990. He also served on President- Elect Clinton's national service transition team. Working Relationships The ASU/DYTR Partnership and the USDA Forrest Service already have successful working relationships with local community organizations and public agencies. Law Enforcement Relationship The Arizona Department of Youth Treatment and Rehabilitation, the Maricopa County Juvenile Court, and the Forest Service will coordinate closely with the Phoenix Police Department. These entities already work together. 14 Applicant Experience Both the Arizona Department of Youth Treatment and Rehabilitation and the USDA Forest Service already run successful volunteer programs. Certification of Participants This project is wholeheartedly committed to promoting one national identity to the President's AmeriCorps program. All uniforms and promotional materials will use the AmeriCorps logo. All press releases, promotional literature, and public events will reference the national program. As much as possible, all training activities and team-building activities will be tied into national initiatives. The program will enthusiastically participate in national opening and/or closing ceremonies. Partnership Description The ASU/DYTR will run the program. The partnership will take prime responsibility for recruiting and screening participants and providing the payroll mechanism for the living wage stipend. The partnership will provide an in-kind match of half time of one parole officer, who earns $25,000 a year, for 10 weeks, and five percent of the ASU Student Services staff time for ten weeks, and ten percent of the time of the ASU/DYTR Project staff. whose pay averages $30,000 per year, for 3 months. The Office of the U.S. Secretary of Agriculture. Mike Espy. will provide general federal government coordination, liaison with the Corporation for National and Community Service. production of recruitment and promotional. and public affairs and electronic communications support. 15 The USDA Forest Service will provide supervision and training for all work done on national forests. The Forest Service will also provide meeting space. office space. and use of tools. The agency will also provide urban forestry and ecosystem training and curriculum materials. The agency will coordinate with state and city agencies to provide technical assistance on urban forestry issues. The Forest Service will also work to identify possible donors of tree seedlings, whips, containers, and soil. The USDA Extension Service will provide training and educational materials. and help with program evaluation. The Maricopa County Juvenile Coun and the Phoenix Union School District will help in recruiting and screening participants. as well as obtaining use of vacant lots in Phoenix. The Phoenix Police Department will help with crime prevention near sites. Evaluating and Monitoring Progress National service staff from the Washington office of the U.S. Department of Agriculture will make at least one unannounced visit to the project within its first month of operation. The local project staff will also use both on an ongoing process evaluation and an impact assessment. In-depth interview and observation data with be gathered to keep track of the implementation process of the Summer of Safety Project. The Project Director, crew supervisors. a representative sample of the AmeriCorps participants. Forest Service personnel. parole officers. high school staff, and families will be interview at the start-up of the project and weekly intervals throughout the project. 16 Interviews will be semi-structured: some questions will be used throughout the project and some time will be allowed for respondents to describe their experiences in and feelings about the project. Direct observations of the service projects will also be conducted regularly. These interviews with a wide range of project players will facilitate the ongoing monitoring of the project implementation and the meeting of project goals. The evaluation will be especially sensitive to the creative modification of project goals and their effect. as well as unanticipated effects of the project. The evaluator will provide reports to the staff during weeks 3. 5. and 7 Oi the project to allow for consultation with the Corporation for National and Community Service about what modifications could me made if problems arise. In other words. the monitoring will fix identify and fix problems as they occur. Demographic and other relevant background data will be gathered from the original application materials and other means about both the AmeriCorps participants and the younger volunteers. To access the impact at the end of the program. start-up interviews and post-project interviews with samples of the project managers will be used to assess changes in the participant views of citizenship, community service. and their place in the community before and after service. Follow-up information from DYTR parole officers and youth families will help assess the potential impact of the service upon the youth on parole. Interviews with appropriate forestry personnel and community leaders will asses the value of the conservation and environment work performed. Commitment to National Evaluation The project will take every step necessary to provide access and data needed by national evaluators. FY 94 SUMMER OF SERVICE BUDGET 1. Participant Stipends 35 $147 10 51,450.00 # of Participants Minimum $147 a week # of Weeks 2. Total Salaries Project Director 8,694 Project Staff 17,250 25,944.00 3. Participant Training 15,143 15,143.00 4. Other Expenses Tools, Transportation Health & Safety 75,246 5. National Training & Travel 2,100.00 TOTAL PROJECT COSTS 169,883.00 6. NON-CORPORATION CONTRIBUTIONS Matching Funds 30,076 In-Kind Contributions Other Federal Funds 24,727 Total: 54,803.00 7. FUNDS REQUESTED FROM THE CORPORATION 115,080.00