Woodland City Council
April 20, 2023

City of Woodland

Meeting Agenda

City Council
Community Services
Department
2001 East Street
Woodland, CA 95776
April 20, 2023
5:30 PM

JOINT SPECIAL CITY COUNCIL/WJUSD BOARD OF TRUSTEES MEETING

A. CALL TO ORDER

B. ROLL CALL

C. PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE

D. COMMUNICATIONS - PUBLIC COMMENT

E. REPORTS OF THE CITY MANAGER

1. SUBJECT: Youth Action Plan

RECOMMENDATION FOR ACTION: Staff recommends that the City Council conduct a special joint meeting with the Woodland Joint Unified School District Board of Trustees to receive a presentation and approve the Youth Action Plan.

F. ADJOURN

I declare under penalty of perjury that the foregoing Agenda for the Joint Special City Council/WJUSD Board of Trustees Meeting of the City of Woodland scheduled for Thursday, April 20, 2023 was posted on Friday, April 14, 2023 in the outside display case at City Hall, 300 First Street, Woodland, CA, and was available to the public during normal business hours.

Upon request, agendas and documents in the agenda packet will be made available in appropriate alternative formats to persons with a disability, as required by law. Any such requests must be made in writing to the Office of the City Clerk of the City of Woodland.

Requests will be valid for the calendar year in which the request is received, and must be renewed prior to January 1st.

Persons needing disability-related modifications or accommodations in order to participate in public meetings, including persons requiring auxiliary aids or services, may request such modifications or accommodations by calling the Office of the City Clerk (530-661-5806) at least 48 hours prior to the meeting.

TO: THE HONORABLE MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL
AGENDA: Joint Special City Council/WJUSD Board of Trustees Meeting
DATE: April 20, 2023
ITEM #: E.1
SUBJECT: Youth Action Plan

Recommendation for Action: Staff recommends that the City Council conduct a special joint meeting with the Woodland Joint Unified School District Board of Trustees to receive a presentation and approve the Youth Action Plan.

Fiscal Impact
The Youth Action Plan was a jointly funded effort between Woodland Joint Unified School District and the City of Woodland. The City's share of the effort was $12,450 and was funded with Measure J funds.

Background
The Woodland Community Youth Action Plan is a framework that guides community stakeholders in supporting youth. The Plan helps define a vision for the future based on input from the stakeholders and youth. This effort was led by Youth Development Network.

Key strategies employed to prepare the plan include:
• Engaging key stakeholders throughout the community
• Establishing and promoting a shared vision for youth
• Assessing needs and designing comprehensive strategies • Creating a framework for shared accountability
• Coordinating City, school, and other community efforts

Stakeholders that participated in the preparation of the plan include: City representatives (Police, Library, and Community Services Department), WJUSD staff and leadership, UC Davis Early Academic Outreach Program, Yolo County Assessor, Clerk-Recorder, and Elections, Yolo County Office of Education, All Leaders Must Serve, RISE, and Concilio of Yolo.

During the preparation of the document, students and parents were included in listening circles to solicit their input on current services available to them in Woodland and ones that would help them develop into adulthood. With this information, along with information from the key stakeholders, the Woodland Community Youth Action Plan identifies aspirations and guiding principles and key indicators and calls to action for the following ages:
o Early Childhood 0 -5
o Elementary Age 6-10
o Middle School 11-13
o High School 14-18
o Young Adult 19-25

Conclusion
Staff recommends that the City Council conduct a special joint meeting with the Woodland Joint Unified School District Board of Trustees to receive a presentation and approve the Youth Action Plan.

Attachments:

1. Woodland Community Youth Action Plan Doc

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WOODLAND COMMUNITY

YOUTH ACTION PLAN
April 20, 2023 DRAFT
To be presented for WJUSD Board of Trustees & Woodland City Council for approval.

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We should take a moment to acknowledge the land on which we are gathered.

For thousands of years, this land has been the home of the Patwin people, including the Yocha Dehe Wintun Nation today. The Patwin people have remained committed to the stewardship of this land over many centuries. It has been cherished and protected, as elders have instructed the young through generations. We are honored and grateful to be working today on their traditional lands.

Land Acknowledgement provided by Woodland Joint Unified School District (Approved by Yocha Dehe Tribal Council 5/14/19)

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TABLE OF CONTENTS
Forward: A Letter From Rogelio Villagrana…………………….. 3
Introduction and Purpose…………………….………………………… 4
Aspirations and Guiding Principles ………………………………… 5
Changing the Odds for Youth………………………………………….. 7
Key Age Indicators Overview………………………………………….. 9
Early Childhood 0 – 5 ……………………………………………………. 10
Call to action……………………………………………………………. 11
Elementary Age 6 – 10 ……………………..……………………………. 12
Call to action……………………………………………………………. 14
Middle School 11 – 13 …………………….……………………………. 15
Call to action……………………………………………………………. 17
High School 14 – 18 ………………………………………………………. 18
Call to action……………………………………………………………. 20
Young Adult 19 – 25 ………………………..……………………………. 21
Call to action……………………………………………………………. 23
Call to Action and Questions to Consider…………... 24
Community Change Horsepower……………………………………. 25
Creating Program Equity………………………………………………… 27
Acknowledgements ……………………………………………………… 28
Glossary of Terms…………………………………………………………… 29
Expanded Youth Voice Survey Results……………………………. i
Expanded Listening Circle Results…………………………………… xiv

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I am excited that we are able to share this document with the community of Woodland. It has been a long time in the making —nearly a decade.

There has been a great deal of work done by a variety of agencies and organizations to help our community be ready to bring this document to life. We have many more youth advocates and allies than we did 10 -20 years ago. Our young people have many more opportunities to use their voice in meaningful and impactful ways, but we still have much room for improvement.

The goal of this document is to serve are a guide and awareness. Each agency can then decide how best to support the development of the youth they work with and serve.

I appreciate that we took into consideration the needs of our youth and have identified specific strategies to put into action. This is the responsibilities of all adults in partnership with youth. Infusing the Youth Development Framework into all aspects of our work is just the start of the journey.

Come along and join us in this journey to a better future for our youth and therefore a better future for our community.

In community,
Rogelio Villagrana
A Letter of
Introduction

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Members of the Community of Woodland set out to create a guiding plan that would redefine programs, practices, and polices that affect young people of the community. To do this they created a Youth Plan which involves aspirations and goals, actively identifying the landscape of the community, and creating guiding principles.

While creating this plan, key community members from supporting organizations went through phases of learning and incorporating the language, seeking out and actively listening to the voices of young people, as well as phases that included heavy dialogue and the creation of aspects of the youth action plan. Because of these phases and this learning there is an understanding of the systems and services at play and a common language used throughout the plan. Refer to Image 2 in the glossary of terms to learn some useful language to supplement the report.

We have never had an opportunity for the community to come together and discuss the needs of our young people. Our resources, aims, etc. were not aligned and the community could not provide for our youth in a collaborative and comprehensive way.

Our goal, as a community, is to provide our youth with the supports and opportunities they need to grow and develop into happy, healthy, and successful adults (whatever success means to them) who, in turn, engage in supporting and developing the next generation of Woodland youth.

About the Woodland Community
Youth Plan
Our Purpose

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These aspirations inform the direction that we would like to take and the outcomes we hope for our community. These aspirations come from personal experience working with youth in the community and the responses of young people in the listening circles and youth voice survey.
• Young people are viewed as resources. Their strengths are acknowledged, appreciated, and invested in by adults and their peers. • Young people have authentic and equitable voice and choice, and their feedback is considered heavily in all decisions, not just the ones that affect them directly. • Young people are engaged equitably, specifically: Engaging youth with disabilities as equitably as those without disabilities, engaging multilingual youth as equitably as their English-only counterparts, and equitably engaging multicultural youth. • Young people have opportunities to explore their community and, where appropriate, be responsible risk takers who have the support of the community to catch them if they fall. This includes creating an environment where honest and crucial conversations with young people can take place. • Young people have access to a web of direct supports and services that are easily accessible, this must include equitable access to resources provided by the community.
• Youth experience common language no matter what system they are interacting with. This common language stems from the Five Developmental Supports and Opportunities and a strengths-based approach.
• Young people will understand sustainable practices and work alongside adults in creating plans for their future community.

• We uplift participatory youth voice that drives our actions and decisions. • We believe in working together to support each young person as they learn to address, overcome and embrace challenges and recognize their strengths. • We hold true that fun is a universal language and learning is achieved through play. • We strive to develop and empower civically engaged leaders with the skills to be successful in life.
• We seek to honor and celebrate the contributions of our youth. • We embrace the power of strengths and youth development to help each young person gain awareness of their natural talents and abilities. • We promise to disrupt adult beliefs and practices that exclude, limit, and create barriers for our youth.
• We aim to always move in the direction of what is best for each young person.

Aspirations
Guiding Principles

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The Woodland Community landscape contains six major categories of organizations, individuals, and programs that directly impact our youth. When these programs work collaboratively and comprehensively, they act as systems of support that can address the needs of each young person individually, creating a launching pad for success.

Business and Industry: In Woodland, there are key connections between Career Technical Education programs in the schools and local industry partners. Students have opportunities to gain experience through mentoring and internships, related to their field of study, with the goal of being ready for a job in the industry once they graduate. This prepares youth for the workforce and allows them to explore options within their community.

Community-Based Organizations: The Woodland community has a diverse number of services that are focused on the needs of children, youth, and families. These organizations help families with funds for vital documents and emergency rental assistance, support survivors of family and community violence, and aid with applications for health services and social services. The faith-based community influences families with cultural and religious beliefs and provides direct services to families such as food distribution.

Educational Organizations: Regardless of where a young person is educated within Woodland, they are part of a network filled with diverse community members who are connected throughout the community. There are programs that exist within the educational realm that provide workforce development, services to migrant families, opportunities for service-based learning within the community, and pathways to higher education.

Families: One of the key landscape connections that support our young people are their families. In the case of any family structure, this is the launching pad into the community. When families have access to support, they are more available to provide support to our young people.

Local Leaders: Local government leaders represent the interests of their constituents through the school board, the city council, and county supervisors. It is important that these local leaders consider young people as part of their constituency and allow them to be engaged and heard.

Public Health and Safety: There are organizations that support the mental health and physical health of youth. These programs and organizations receive funding to support mental health services for youth, and others provide opportunities for physical health through recreation. In many cases these agencies are learning how to incorporate youth voice into youth advisory boards.

Community Support
Structure

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Modified by YDN October 2022 from Community Network for Youth Development Content.

Contact YDN for permission to use.

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Faith Based
Modified by YDN October 2022 from Community Network for Youth Development Content.

Contact YDN for permission to use.

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The following age indicators of the Woodland Youth Plan are based on three major components: the Supports & Opportunities, Life Stage Preparation, and Alignment with the Aspirations of the community.

The Supports & Opportunities of Youth Development focus on creating physical, cultural, and emotional safety for young people, providing them with caring and consistent relationships, and opportunities for them to engage with leadership, be involved with the community, and develop relevant skills (see Image 1 in the Glossary of Terms). These Supports & Opportunities are used to create developmental outcomes for young people that will help them become community members who are economically self-sufficient with healthy family and social relationships.

While the youth development Supports & Opportunities are key to a young person’s development into early adulthood, there are also Life Stages that young people should be prepared for. The community, and the programs that exist within it, should be preparing young people to Thrive in Formal Learning settings, allowing them to be ready for Work and Career opportunities, and be ready for the aspects of Life Outside of College and Career that include maintaining their physical health, connecting to their community, and leading through civic and community engagement.

Finally, it is important that the programs, practices, and policies of the Woodland community align with the aspirations of the Youth Plan.

The following section celebrates and acknowledges how the Woodland community succeeds in providing the Supports & Opportunities, Life Stage Preparation, and Aligns with the Aspirations of the Youth Plan, then goes on to elaborate with what kind of work will be done within the next decade to increase these things for the young people within the community. It is split up by age group to create a more accessible framework for future use. As programs work within age groups, they can refer to these specific plans to develop their programs.

While they may not be mentioned in each section, common and important themes from these conversations for each age group include the necessity of safe and accessible spaces, breaking down barriers in an equitable way (e.g. considering ability level, language, location, etc. when creating programs and policies), developing an asset/strengths-based approach, and increasing youth engagement.

Key Age Indicators
Supports & Opportunities, Life Stage Preparation, Alignment with Aspirations

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0-5 Key Age Indicators
Current Work
The Woodland community is providing
opportunities for children ages 0-5 through
working with families to create community
hubs that provide safety, especially for families
who have experienced trauma. They provide
resources for relationship building, youth
engagement, and skill building through the
Head Start program and other community
offerings, and by focusing on whole child
development within this age group when
building parent awareness and knowledge.

By providing these opportunities the
Woodland community is preparing its children
for College and Career through early literacy
programs, introducing them to structure and
routines, and building social skills. They are
also preparing children for Thriving,
Connecting, and Leading in life by bringing
families to spaces where physical education
and recreation are present, connecting
children with peers in the same age group, and
getting families involved in community events.

These opportunities align with the Woodland Youth Plan’s aspirations by focusing on involving families while creating and planning free, inclusive, and diverse early childhood programming.

There is a range of programs provided by a variety of local organizations available for families and children that can already be accessed in the web of support that exists within the community.

Future Work
To provide more of the Supports & Opportunities in the future, members of the Woodland Community will put intentional effort into increasing access to affordable housing and increasing food security as well as creating more community spaces. The network of service providers, programs, and supports that are available needs to be clearly defined and communicated to families. Additionally, the number of resources set aside for early childhood programs will be increased. Finally, there will be an increase in family/child-centered large-scale events, community spaces, sports, nutrition, fitness, arts, dance, and green spaces, making it more accessible for children of this age group to be involved in the community.

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To ensure that children have opportunities thrive, connect, and lead community members would like to see more opportunities for the parents and guardians of this age group to engage their children with exposure to positive work experiences, ease of transportation, and affordable college, healthcare, and housing which directly increase children’s ability to thrive and connect. Additionally, to help children thrive and connect there needs to be an emphasis on mental health resources and access to cultural spaces. To encourage leadership at this level it is important that there are more events centered around children and their families.

To align with the aspirations of the Woodland Youth Plan, the Woodland community will continue to seek input from participating children and families, break down any language or accessibility barriers within programming and hire staff that can provide a variety of services.

To encourage people to explore the community in a safe way it is important to make spaces accessible to families that may not fit into traditional spaces and meet families where they are already involved. Parents and guardians will be given opportunities to learn the common language that will be used in schools and community programs, and sustainable practices or programs will have no barriers to access.

Highlights of Key Indicators 0-5
Current Work Future Work
Supports &
Opportunities
• Positive focus on children and
their families with support
offered.
• Focusing on whole person
development.
• Programs that are clearly defined
and communicated to families.
• More focus on community spaces
and events for families with
children in this age group.

Life Stage
Preparation
• Programs that introduce literacy,
social skills, and community early
in their lives.
• Opportunities for parents and
guardians so they can model life
stage preparation.

Alignment with
Aspirations
• Free, inclusive, and diverse early
life programming.
• Higher levels of accessibility.
• Meet children and their families
where they are already involved
in the community.

If you work with children ages 5 and under within the community, consider connecting with other organizations on the work you are currently doing and discussing how collaboration can further support children and their families by providing more community-based events and accessible spaces. An intentional effort will be made to increase community knowledge of housing and healthcare resources that are available to families as well as increasing the number of systems and services. Fill out the equity matrix and community change documents on pages 25-27 to establish a starting point for you and your organization. 0-5 Call to Action:

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6-10 Key Age Indicators
Current Work
Woodland is already working to provide the Supports & Opportunities to children ages 6-10 by encouraging caring and consistent relationships within schools and community programs, giving children voice and choice within their programs of interest, and introducing children to Farm to Fork gardens and other local businesses. Children have access to spaces where they can receive educational support and engage creatively with their peers and mentors.

Woodland’s children are prepared for college, careers, and life through increased awareness of literacy development and exposure to career pathways. These careers exemplify diversity at all levels, ensuring that children are able to see themselves potentially serving the community in the same way in the future. To encourage these children to Thrive, Connect, and Lead, adults within schools and community programs utilize Social and Emotional learning while working with children and focus on practices that increase ownership, interpersonal relationships, and communication. Children have opportunities to practice leadership through school-based student advisory councils and within individual program offerings.

The work the Woodland community is already doing with this age group aligns with the aspirations of the Woodland Youth Plan by utilizing children as peer tutors, encouraging school- based student advisory councils that are made up of diverse children, and by providing opportunities to explore the community and learn sustainable practices with their peers.

Schools and community organizations create a network of support, use common language, and collaborate to provide services.

Future Work
The Woodland community intends to
create the Supports & Opportunities for
children ages 6-10 by making spaces for
children that look more like a village. This
includes preparing adults within the
community to be aware of children’s
safety, and increasing cultural awareness
and knowledge. They will also encourage
children to include their peers in
community activities and decision-
making bodies, and especially advocate
for more hands-on, project-based
learning or activities. Organizations are

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also encouraged to create more open-door policies for children and the programs aimed at this age group.

There are opportunities for children to be prepared for the next phases of their lives through increased access to STEAM programming, increased partnerships with community organizations, and opportunities for career exploration. Children will be able to connect to their peers and community through impactful visual and performing arts and more culturally relevant programming. Children will have opportunities to practice leadership by increasing child engagement with decision-making bodies.

The work that the Woodland community does in the next decade will align with the aspirations of this plan by seeking children’s input for problem solving, encouraging child leaders, and helping children take an active role in governance and classroom or program decision making.

Children will have more opportunities to access music, preforming arts, field trips, and programs regardless of their academic standing, ability level, or primary language. The support network that exists within the community can collaborate and communicate better not just with children in this age group but with each other to prevent siloed and redundant programs.

Using common language within the community, when solidified, will aid in the communication of programs and outcomes. Finally, there will be more intentional effort to educate children about recycling and food waste management relevant to this age group and include family and community volunteers.

Highlights of Key Indicators 6-10
Current Work Future Work
Supports &
Opportunities
• Consistent relationships within
schools and community
programs.
• Receive educational support.
• Increasing adult knowledge of child
culture and creating the Supports
& Opportunities.
• More open-door policies within
community organizations.

Life Stage
Preparation
• Programs that introduce literacy
and career exposure.
• Utilizing Social and Emotional
Learning
• Increased opportunities for
children to access and engage
with community organizations and
their peers.

Alignment with
Aspirations
• Programs for leadership,
community access, and
sustainability.
• More collaboration of the
network within the community
that provides support and
programs to this age group.
• A stronger connection to the
agricultural services that are
essential to the community.

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According to information gathered in the listening circles, parents and guardians of children within this age group and the age group above asked for support through hands-on activities for their children. They are looking for more opportunities within the community that are open and accessible for their children and ask that relationships be built with children and their supporting families. For more information on what parents and guardians of children ages 6-10 are requesting, see Table 1 in Expanded Listening Circle Results. 6-10 Call to Action:

If you work with children ages 6-10 within the community, consider creating programs that can be open to all children, and address their needs in an equitable way regardless of physical, locational, language, or other barriers. While evidence suggests that there is some collaboration between schools and CBOs there will be a more intentional effort to work together to support this age group in the future. Provide pathways that create a stronger connection to and understanding of how agriculture impacts the region. Fill out the equity matrix and community change documents on pages 25-27 to establish a starting point for you and your organization.

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11-13 Key Age Indicators
Current Work
For young people ages 11-13 the community is providing Safety and Relationship Building opportunities through school and community programs that focus on the physical and emotional needs of young people. This age group has programs that provide experiences volunteering and mentoring peers and other community members. Skill building takes place both in and out of school, during summer programs, or community activities.

This age group experiences life preparation through higher-education outreach programs imbedded within middle school experience and gain work experience by volunteering. Young people begin to learn how to Thrive, Connect, and Lead through access and education around universal meals, experience with community-based programs and within faith-based organizations, and both school and community-based youth advisory boards.

The work being done with this age group aligns with the aspirations of the Woodland Youth Plan by providing young people with opportunities to express their voice and choice, lead community-based advisory boards and school-based site councils. There are lots of resources and partners who provide activities specifically for this age group.

Future Work
For this age group community members will create physically, emotionally, and culturally safe spaces for young people to engage in positive opportunities and engage parents and program staff in supporting young people. There will be an emphasis on increasing cultural safety, especially where physical and emotional safety already exist. It is important that there are multiple access points to systems and services in diverse neighborhoods, with inclusive volunteering opportunities. For this age group there can be more opportunities to engage with younger students in mentorship, practical hands-on learning for life and career skills, and outside activities with peers.

The community would like to prepare this age group for life by increasing student and family knowledge about college options, career exploration and readiness, as well as expanding community partnerships. Woodland’s young people will have more opportunities to be outdoors, and when we consider how to help all young people in this age group thrive it is important to equitably engage students with disabilities both in and outside of school programs. Family engagement and community hubs will be key in teaching young people how to connect, and students will have more opportunities to decide how they would like to be involved in programs within the community.

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In the future there will be more utilization
of Woodland’s young people as resources
and incorporating their voice and choice,
especially in program design. To equitably
engage all young people, it is important
that new opportunities are developed for
individuals with disabilities both in and out
of school. All young people will have
opportunities to engage in exploration
campaigns that are accessible through
specialized transportation and available
when young people are free. The web of
supports will be more connected, trained
in the language of youth development and
work together to teach young people and
their families about sustainable practices.

Highlights of Key Indicators 11-13
Current Work Future Work
Supports &
Opportunities
• School and community programs
that focus on the physical and
emotional needs of young
people.
• Creating multiple access points for
young people and their families to
utilize systems and services.
• More opportunities to lead and
mentor others.
• Intentional effort to develop
cultural safety.

Life Stage
Preparation
• Outreach for higher education
and workforce development.
• Community-based programs that
encourage well-being education.
• Increasing student and family
knowledge about college options,
career exploration, and expanding
community partnerships.
• Focus on providing services that
equitably engaging all young
people within this age group.

Alignment with
Aspirations
• Lots of programs aimed at this
age group within the community.
• Develop new opportunities for all
young people to engage with
community, career, and college
exploration.

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According to the information gathered in the listening circles, young people within this age group are looking for more opportunities to explore pathways for well-being, they see the need for a life outside of academics and feel that the community could provide more support in this arena. For more information on what young people representing this age group are requesting, see Table 2 in Expanded Listening Circle Results, particularly as it relates to cultural safety and cultures represented within classrooms and communities.

Parents and Guardians of young people within this age group and the following age group believe that there are opportunities to engage with young people to foster creativity and practical skills, and to encourage young people to utilize the resources that are available to them within the community. For more information on what parents and guardians of Middle and High School age young people are requesting, see Table 3 in Expanded Listening Circle Results.

According to a random sampling of quantitative data from this age group taken during the Youth Voice Survey, young people would like to feel that adults know them better, have increased opportunities for leadership, and have more opportunities to provide their input for decision making. For more information see Expanded Youth Voice Survey Results. 11-13 Call to Action:

If you work with young people ages 11-13 within the community, give them opportunities for genuine leadership within the program. Work towards creating authentic youth engagement where their voice and choice are considered as seriously as adults. Invite young people into conversations about equity and how they can begin to provide community support. Create pathways that involve your program or organization in increasing the mental and physical wellbeing of your young people. Fill out the equity matrix and community change documents on pages 25-27 to establish a starting point for you and your organization.

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14-18 Key Age Indicators
Current Work
For young people ages 14-18 the Woodland community is already providing Supports & Opportunities through school and community-based programs that focus on physical and emotional safety, as well as opportunities to build relationships with peers. There are programs provided to this age group that allow young people to take on advisory roles. During these programs young people can experience self-actualization through developing relevant skills that are necessary for them later in life.

To prepare this age group for college the Woodland community offers programs that support young people on the higher education track and encourage dual enrollment at Woodland Community College. When it comes to preparing Woodland’s young people for careers, there are various Career Technical Education pathways where young people can gain workforce- related experience. There are multiple health campaigns focused on this age group, as well as access to diverse mentorship programs and community service leadership opportunities to encourage these young people to Thrive, Connect, and Lead.

The work taking place within the Woodland community for this age group aligns with the aspirations of the Woodland Youth Plan by utilizing students as resources when it comes to site plans, leading events or participating on community-based advisory boards. There is already an intentional effort to include young people who are underserved, to create spaces within the community that are safe and accessible to this age group, and to train adults and young people how to navigate community spaces with young people at the center.

Future Work
To create the Supports & Opportunities in the future for this age group it is important to increase awareness of, and funding for, safety within spaces where young people exist and provide both peer and adult mentorship. Physically, emotionally, and culturally safe spaces for young people should be intentionally identified or created alongside this age group. For this age there can be a focus on training young people, not just adults, on creating opportunities for youth engagement, collaborative legislative and life skill development. It is important that there is better sharing of organizational resources and programs.

To improve on the College, Career, and Life preparedness for this age group there will be more critical skill training but also very specific training on financial aid, navigating employee benefits, internship programs for young people, and financial literacy. These programs will equitably engage young people so that no matter what track they are on, they are just as prepared as young people who attend or will attend higher education. There is also a call for higher levels of service to the community by young people that is not based on school requirements.

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Finally, to align with the aspirations of the Woodland Youth Plan it is important to make student positions more authentic, increase awareness and access to programs that encourage youth voice, and remove barriers that prohibit young people’s participation in those programs.

Instead of engaging all young people in ways that are convenient to adults, meet them where they are, make programs accessible to all demographics, and use different methods of outreach to increase equitable engagement. Young people will have a broader view of community outside of their neighborhood, including more community events and spaces designed for and by young people. The web of support will have easy access points and increased awareness.

Young people will be trained on the language that we are going to use within programs and policies. There will be more follow through on addressing the wants and needs young people express. Young people of this age group specifically asked for opportunities to participate more in community centered care through their listening circles and youth voice survey responses, this desire directly relates to many of the plan’s aspirations.

Highlights of Key Indicators 14-18
Current Work Future Work
Supports &
Opportunities
• Opportunities for advisory roles
within the community.
• School and community-based
programs that focus on physical
and emotional safety.
• Focus on training young people,
not just adults, on creating
opportunities for young people to
engage.
• Increase cultural safety and
cultural visibility in programs and
classrooms.

Life Stage
Preparation
• Dual enrollment in community
college and various Career
Technical Education pathways.
• More intentional critical skill
training but also very specific
training on financial aid,
navigating employee benefits,
internship programs, and financial
literacy.

Alignment with
Aspirations
• Intentional effort to include
young people who are
underserved.
• Creation and navigation of
specific community spaces
designed for young people.
• Make student positions more
authentic.
• Make programs accessible to all
demographics of young people.
• Increase awareness of support
within the community.

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According to information gathered in the listening circles, young people within this age group are interested in developing genuine relationships with other community members; they feel they can rely on these relationships. These young people would like to see more opportunities to explore their interests and feel they could do so with the support of the community. Young people in the listening circle called for greater visibility of diverse cultures within community- based programs and within classrooms. For more information on what young people representing this age group are requesting, see Table 4 in Expanded Listening Circle Results.

According to a random sampling of quantitative data from this age group, young people would like to feel that adults know them better, have increased opportunities for leadership, and skill building opportunities that are more interesting. For more information, see Expanded Youth Voice Survey Results.
14-18 Call to Action:

If you work with young people ages 14-18 within the community, intentionally ask them what skills they value then partner with other organizations to provide them opportunities to develop these skills. Ask young people to help design activities and programs that they feel reflect their diverse identities and allow them to be in community together. Help these young people equitably address the potential gaps in their relevant skills through peer-to-peer mentoring and utilizing the network of organizations, individuals, and programs. Fill out the equity matrix and community change documents on pages 25-27 to establish a starting point for you and your organization.

- 21 -
19-25 Key Age Indicators*
Current Work
For young people ages 19-25 the
Supports & Opportunities are already
available through community and
county programs that focus on
leadership, communication, and job
readiness. Because these young people
are of voting age, they can engage at
higher levels. There are social activities
within the community that are aimed
at this age group that increase access
to social relationships.

Woodland’s young people have hands-
on experience with College, Work, and
Life, and the community supports them
while they access local higher
education, utilize apprenticeships and
work-based learning experiences, and
rely on local business partners. The
resources that Woodland’s young people have access to aid them in taking care of their physical health through foodbanks and various physical wellness education programs. There are programs that support Woodland’s young people as they learn to Thrive, Connect, and Lead by connecting young people with other community members and encouraging them to step into higher leadership roles in their community.

This age group is utilized as a resource by joining labor force, offering voice and choice within groups for young people, and providing feedback during the planning of programs. This age group has opportunities to explore the community that younger people do not, since so many community events are limited to people who are above the voting age. While there are opportunities for Woodland’s young people to be engaged with a variety of resources, these opportunities are highly selective.
*At the time of brainstorming, this age group appeared to have the least amount of community supports and services. The myth that young people are prepared for college, work, and life once they turn 18 needs to be addressed on a local and global level

- 22 -
Future Work
To create the Supports & Opportunities in the future there will be programs that meet young people where they are, collect data and information on how they have experienced the community during their lives, and paid work-based learning experiences to engage young people and give them opportunities to increase their skills. Young people in this age group will have opportunities to create physical, emotional, and cultural safety for others through mentorship and community involvement, practicing relationship building and engagement at the same time. Their skill-building will be hands on and technical, focusing in on their individual pathways.

For College, Career, and Life support there will be more focus and training on navigation of community care, career and college options, and civic engagement. Opportunities to enter or re-enter the work force and higher education are key to equitably supporting all young people.

As it affects all age groups, health care and housing will be made more affordable. Woodland’s young people will have access to classes and mentorships and programs that prepare them for being active community members as well as give them opportunities to act as mentors for others.

Woodland’s young people are resources when it comes to leadership, community outreach and creating youth engagement, but they need opportunities to have a seat at the table to advocate for themselves and other young people, especially on organizational boards and committees.

Woodland’s young people will still be provided events and activities focused on them, accessed through social hubs and community groups. The support network within the community will intentionally collaborate and focus on creating wrap-around services for Woodland’s young people. These young people will understand why we utilize common language and sustainable practices so they can continue the work of the Youth Action Plan in the decades to come.

- 23 -
Highlights of Key Indicators 19-25
Current Work Future Work
Supports &
Opportunities
• Community and county programs
that focus on leadership,
communication, and job
readiness.
• Young people already engage
with the community.
• Meet Woodland’s young people
where they are already engaged.
• Ask for their input, considering
their whole experience within the
Woodland Community.
• Opportunities to experience and
create the Supports &
Opportunities in peer to peer
environments
Life Stage
Preparation
• Programs that support young
people as they connect with
members of their community and
step into higher leadership roles.
• More focus and training on
navigation of community care,
career and college options, and
civic engagement.

Alignment with
Aspirations
• Woodland’s young people are
already considered community
members by many.
• Lots of unofficial programs and
events aimed for Woodland’s age
groups.
• More opportunities for
Woodland’s young people to be
involved on boards and
committees.
• Support network that
collaborates effectively to
provide wrap-around services.
19-25 Call to Action:

If you work with young people ages 19-25 within the community, encourage them to become engaged in the network of supports available to them and others. Provide accessible programs with opportunities for them to practice the life skills they have acquired. Ask young people to help design activities and programs that they feel reflect their diverse identities and allow them to be in community together. Help these young people equitably address the potential gaps in their relevant skills through peer-to-peer mentoring and utilizing the network of organizations, individuals, and programs. Connect young people with programs that continue to prepare them for college and career, especially programs that are peer-to-peer based and utilize hands on experiences. Organizations participating in the Youth Action Plan can greatly assist young people in this age group by providing paid internships and early career-pathways. Fill out the equity matrix and community change documents on pages 25-27 to establish a starting point for you and your organization.

- 24 -
Community Call to Action:

Advocate for affordable housing and health care, this will benefit children, young people, and their families at all age levels.

Provide pathways that create a stronger connection to, and understanding of, how agriculture impacts the region. These pathways should place a strong emphasis on sustainable practices and how vital ecological sustainability is now and will be in the future.

Utilize physical, mental, and emotional wellbeing as indicators of successful programs, policies, and practices. Intentionally educate children, young people, and families on ways to support all aspects of individual and community wellbeing.

When establishing safety consider how you can create spaces that allow all community members, not just young people, to exist as their true and authentic selves, free from judgement or harm. This cultural safety will create opportunities for diverse populations to be visible and included in spaces where representation is lacking.

Give children, young people, and their families opportunities to act as resources to the community, rather than just recipients of services. In the listening circles and youth voice survey, young people expressed a desire to serve the community, not just in the future, now.

As a member of the Community of Woodland, you have a part to play too. While considering the program you are a part of, or the policies that you create, please consider the following questions:
• Do you have a policy around youth development?
• If you do, is it asset based?
• Does it include authentic youth voice and choice?
• Does it align with the Supports & Opportunities?
• Does it align with the aspirations of the Community Youth Plan? • Does it align with the key area indicators of success for the appropriate age group? Questions to Consider

- 25 -
Does the Community Have the Change
Horsepower it Needs?
It may take five to ten years to see significant changes in child and youth outcomes at the population level. Changes in the coordination, continuity and consistency of community supports can be visible in three to five years. But changes in public and private planning and decision-making about priorities and resource use can happen even more quickly if there is sufficient demand and consensus for changing the way business is done. Assess your community's horsepower for change.

Questions: Why are the lows low? What impact does this have on change efforts? What could be done to address these weak areas?

Core Components Needed to Sustain Long Term Change Score Common Framework: Is there a strong, positive vision for youth that is widely held? Are the components of your vision youth-centered, specific, and built into an action-oriented organizing framework? Is there common language used to communicate across systems and community groups? Goal: Is there a clearly communicated, big picture goal? Does it communicate the complexity of youth outcomes in a way that is accessible and relevant? Does it connect to clear definitions and simple metrics?
Supporters: Is there a broad base of supporters - public, private, local, national - who have the capacity, the motivation and the resources to affect change? Partnerships: Have these supporters come together in any way to call for shared accountability for specific areas of work and/or coordinated change efforts? Change Structures: Are there any organizations/entities that have taken on or been charged with the task of "adding it up?"- figuring out how to bring the pieces together? Create a master plan for children and youth?
Service Improvement: Are there significant efforts underway to improve alignment and coordination of services within the various systems and settings that support youth? Policy/Resource Alignment: Are there any efforts to improve policies? Align policies so that they are more consistent? Reassign resources to maximize the return on investments? Demand: Is there strong demand for change from young people, families, business, funders, external authorities?
Engagement: Are young people and families at the table in meaningful ways? Improvement Goals: Have there been clear improvement goals set in any outcome or support areas or for any specific youth populations? (e.g. all youth will graduate from high school; all schools will provide college prep classes for all students).

Data: Is data collected and analyzed in consistent ways that allow for comparison across systems, issues and data types (e.g., polling data, outcome data)? Communication: Is there a communication strategy? Is the public informed and engaged regularly with data on improvements in youth outcomes? Community supports? Public and private initiatives? Policy and system changes?
When scoring 1 indicates a low score, 5 indicates a high score. Change Horsepower Estimate:
___/ 60 = ____%
Modified by YDN October 2022 from Forum for Youth Investment Content Contact YDN for permission to use.

- 26 -
Modified by YDN October 2022 from Community Network for Youth Development Content.

Contact YDN for permission to use.

Permission to use granted by Jeanne Gibbs, author of Tribes: A New Way of Learning and Being Together, CentersourceSystems, Sausalito, CA.

- 27 -
Created by YDN October 2022
Contact YDN for permission to use.

- 28 -
All phases and aspects of this plan's development
could not have been possible without the support of
Woodland Joint Unified School District and the City of
Woodland. Other organizations involved in the
creation of this plan include the UCDavis Early
Academic Outreach Program, Woodland Public
Library, the Yolo County Assessor, Clerk-Recorder, and
Elections Office, Yolo County Office of Education, All
Leaders Must Serve, RISE Inc., the Woodland Police
Department, and the Concilio of Yolo County.

For their immense help in organizing the Listening
Circles thank Elodia Lampkin and Danielle Sharp, of
WJUSD, as well as Cindy Noriega for assisting in the
recruitment process, acting as a translator, and
supporting the process at all stages.

We would not have been able to authentically have
community voice without the following individuals:

Our Early Childhood Parents and Guardians, Reshanya
Keough, Lori Moncur, Teresa Ponce, and Emily
Tidwell; our Middle and High School Student Parents
and Guardians, Mary Crenshaw, Kayla Magowan,
Megan Selvian, Carmen Otero, and Erik Wilson.

Of course the biggest thank you goes to our Middle
School Students, Josselyn Bibriesca, Alexa Esparza,
Cecilia Hicks, Camila Zoe Jiminez, and Izzabella Tafoya; and our High School Students, Vincent Conchas,
Alaina Cortijo, Lily Crenshaw, Theresa Gasperson,
Fatima Martinez, Mahad Naeem, Mohini Sharma, and
Pablo Vasquez. Finally, thank you to the 3,259 young
people who participated anonymously in the Youth
Voice Survey.

Designed, Moderated, Facilitated, and Written By: Team YDN Adrian Ruiz, Meg Birmingham, Trao Thao, and Vicki Stockbridge For more information please contact:

Meg Birmingham, YDN, Program Development Specialist & Trainer – [email protected] OR
Andy Paul, WJUSD, Director of Youth Engagement-- [email protected] Acknowledgements

- 29 -

- Relevant, challenging, and interesting skill building where youth can experience growth and progress.
- Opportunities for youth to get to know and impact their community (and vice versa). A chance to give back.
- Youth are involved in a meaningful way , in roles of responsibility.

Opportunities for leadership and decision-making that impact the program.
- Youth develop positive relationships with their peers and youth develop relationships with caring, consistent adults.
- Youth feel physically and emotionally safe, free from harm and judgment and they feel confident that they will be
accepted for who they are: Emotionally, Physically, &
Culturally.

The Supports & Opportunities -Image 2-
Glossary of Terms
Framework for Practice -Image 1-

- 30 -
“ Coaching”
Coaching is the role adults play to guide youth and help them learn the skills they need to take on increased leadership roles.

Common Language is used to identify the words, themes, and approach used across programs and practices within the Woodland Community. This language is asset-based and puts youth at the center of conversations. When common language is used it can enhance the outcomes of programs and allow for better cooperation across sectors. “ Life Stages”
The Life Stages used to establish the key age indicators of success include “Ready for College” (ie. Formal Learning), “Ready for Work” (ie. Vocational or Career Experience), “Thriving” physical health, “Connecting” through social and emotional wellbeing, and “Leading” through civic and community engagement.

“Open Door Policies”
Programs and organizations practicing with Open Door Policies are open to young people in two major ways. First, young people have the freedom to access programs and organizations on their own terms and in their own time, there are few if any restrictions on when or how a young person can utilize a service. Second, young people have access to the individuals running programs or organizations and creating policies, especially policies concerning young people.

The ”open door” here refers to the willingness of an individual or individuals to meet with and consider the feedback of young people.

Young people are encouraged to become involved in arenas where they are directly or indirectly impacted to provide their voice and opinion. It is important to note that the voice and choice of young people must be authentically considered and valued at the same level as adult opinion. In an ideal setting young people initiate activities, programs, or policies, and share decision making with adults involved.
“Common Language”
“Participatory Youth Voice / Youth Voice”

- 31 -
“Safe Spaces”
Youth need safe public spaces where they can come together, engage in activities related to their diverse needs and interests, participate in decision making processes and freely express themselves. Safe public spaces such as civic spaces enable youth to engage in governance issues; public spaces afford youth the opportunity to participate in sports and other leisure activities in the community; digital spaces help youth interact virtually across borders with everyone; and well-planned physical spaces can help accommodate the needs of diverse youth especially those vulnerable to marginalization or violence.

Strengths refers to the CliftonStrengths and Strengths Explorer assessments and allows us to take an asset-based approach to how individuals naturally think, feel, and behave. When individuals focus on strengths, they are three times more likely to be engaged in work or school, and six times more likely to report having an excellent quality of life. “Sustainability / Sustainable Practices”
Sustainable practices are the processes services employ to maintain the qualities that are valued in the physical environment. Living sustainably is about living within the means of natural systems (environment) and ensuring that our lifestyle doesn't harm other people. “ Youth Development”
Youth Development is an approach that stresses certain critical experiences for youth. More than 40 years of youth development research has identified the conditions that contribute to youth being able to develop into self-sufficient caring and contributing adults. “ Youth Leadership”
Youth Leadership is one aspect of youth participation that refers to the ability of young people to impact and make a difference in their home, school, or community by taking on roles of responsibility or meaningful decision-making.

“Strengths”

About the
Participant Voice
Survey……………………………………………………………………………………..
ii
How the Scores
Were Calculated……………………………………………………………………. Iv
Population Data…………………………………………………………………….. v
The Supports &
Opportunities………………………………………………………………………… vi
Safety……………………………………………………………………………………… vii
Relationship-Building…………………………………………………………………………………… viii Youth Participation/
Engagement…………………………………………………………………………… x
Community Involvement……………………………………………………………………………. xii Skill Building…………………………………………………………………………… xiii
5 Things You
Can Do Now…………………………………………………………………………… xiv
Summary of Results
The Youth Voice Survey indicates that the Community of Woodland succeeds in providing the Supports & Opportunities to their participants.

Youth tend to agree that they are physically and emotionally safe, that they receive guidance and both practical and emotional support, experience positive peer relationships, have opportunities to give input, belong in the community, gain knowledge of their community and have chances to give back, and experience growth and progress in interesting and challenging skills.

There is an area of growth in youth leadership within the community, as well as opportunities for young people to engage with adults outside the family who know them well.

Fall 2021Expanded Youth Voice Survey Results
– Supplementary Document 1 -

- ii -
Woodland Community
Youth Voice Survey Results- 2021
About the Participant Voice Survey
This document contains a summary of your agency’s Participant Voice Survey results.

The survey results provide you with information about the quality of developmental experiences that people are having at your agency, related to YDN’s Youth Development Framework for Practice.

YDN’s Long Form Survey, as modified from CYND’s Youth Survey, is used in the context of an Organizational Improvement Process (OIP). The survey is used by organizations to identify strengths and to discover areas for improvement based on direct input from the people you work with. An action plan for improvement should be developed by each agency, based on the results of the Long Form survey and can include further organizational assessment with input from YDN. The action plan should be implemented over the course of several months. At the end of the implementation cycle, participants should be re- surveyed to understand if the organization improvements made a difference in the quality of people’s developmental experiences to plan for further organizational improvement.

How the Participant Voice Survey Answers are
Reported
In this report, you will see three kinds of summaries of participant’s scores:
(1) A single bar chart comparing the overall averages of the Supports & Opportunities* for all of the people who completed your organization’s survey.
(2) Five smaller bar charts, each comparing the overall averages of the subcomponent scores for one of the Supports & Opportunities, for all the people who completed your organization’s survey.
(3) Pie charts showing how many participants scored high (>1.5), medium (1-1.5), or low (<1) on the subcomponents of each Support & Opportunity.
*Definitions of the Five Supports & Opportunities can be found on Page v. 2

- iii -
Woodland Community
Youth Voice Survey Results- 2021

Survey Response Options (with Numerical Translation) *
Strongly agree (2); Agree (1); Not sure (0); Disagree (-1); Strongly disagree (-2) Yes, a lot (2); Yes, sometimes (1); Not sure (0); No (-1) All of the time (2); Most of the time (1); Sometimes (0); Never (-1) Very untrue (-2); Untrue (-2); A little untrue (-1); A little true (1); True (2); Very true (2)

How the Scores Are Calculated
Each Support & Opportunity (Safety, Relationship-
Building, Youth Participation/Engagement, Community
Involvement, and Skill-Building) is made up of two or
three subcomponents. For example, Safety has two sub-
components: physical safety and emotional safety. *
There were several questions on the survey that talked
about each subcomponent. For example, there are
four questions that address emotional safety. See table 1 After translating the survey answer into numerical values (see explanation below), each respondent’s answers to the survey questions that measured a particular subcomponent were
averaged. For emotional safety, for example, each youth’s answers to the four questions about that subcomponent were added together and divided by 4. (If a youth skipped one of the questions, then that youth’s answers to the three questions they answered about emotional safety were added, then divided by 3.) Thus, each youth has their own score for emotional safety.

The same averaging process was used to calculate a score for each Support & Opportunity subcomponent, for every respondent. The last step was to calculate overall scores for each Support & Opportunity for each respondent, by averaging the scores for the subcomponents.
*Cultural safety is another key component of our current understanding of what youth need to feel safe.

Table 1
(Do staff) enforce rules for how
young people treat each other?
The staff respect me.

The program has rules for how
young people treat each other.

Young people at the program
follow the rules for how to treat
each other.
*Some questions are “negatively coded” meaning their Strongly Agree would receive a score of (-2) and so on.

- iv -
Woodland Community
Youth Voice Survey Results- 2021
Total Number of
Respondents
3,259**
Population Data
1403
1345
Male
Female
Non-Binary
33 473
621
489
503
365
340 41
10 or younger
11 12
13 14
15 16
17 18 or older
94 181
228
140
160865
825
423
American or
Alaskan Native
Asian
Black or African
American
White/
Caucasian
Other
Latino/a/x
Pacific
Islander
79 ** The total number of respondents is
3,259 however if each participant did
not answer fully they are not counted
in the number of respondents for each
subcomponent. For this reason, the
numbers of some subcomponents may
be smaller than the total number.

- v -
Woodland Community
Youth Voice Survey Results- 2021

The Supports &
Opportunities
The Supports & Opportunities are defined as follows.

Safety, youth feel physically, culturally, and emotionally safe and free from harm and judgement, and that they
will be accepted for who they are. Relationship-
Building, youth develop positive relationships with their peers and with caring, consistent results. Youth
Participation/ Engagement, Youth are involved in a
meaningful way, have roles and responsibilities for leadership, and voice and choice in decision-making that impacts the program. Community involvement, youth have opportunities to get to know and impact their community and vice-versa. Skill-Building, relevant, challenging and interesting skill building where youth feel engaged and experience growth and progress.

Overall Score
.57
-2 -1 0 1 2
-1
-0.5
0 0.5
1 1.5
2 Safety Relationship-Building Engagement Community
Involvement
Skill-Building
Overall Scores for the Supports & Opportunities
5 5

- vi -
Woodland Community
Youth Voice Survey Results- 2021

-1
-0.5
0 0.5
1 1.5
2 Physical Emotional Overall
Safety Subcomponents – Overall Averages
Physical Safety Measures:

I worry about getting beaten up at the program.

Kids bring weapons here.

I feel safe here.

If someone wanted to hurt me here the staff would
stop them.

Emotional Safety Measures:
(Do staff) enforce rules for how young people treat
each other?
The staff respect me.

The program has rules for how young people treat
each other.

Young people at the program follow the rules for
how to treat each other.
604, 19%
81, 3%Physical Safety
Low
Medium
High
2503, 79%
1334, 42%
425, 13%
Emotional Safety
Low
Medium
High
2429, 45%

- vii -
Woodland Community
Youth Voice Survey Results- 2021

-1
-0.5
0 0.5
1 1.5
2 Guidance Emotional Support Practical Support Adult Knowledge of Youth
Positive Peer
Relationships
Overall
Relationship-Building Subcomponents – Overall
Averages
Guidance Measures:
(Do staff) say something to you if something in your
life isn’t going right?
(Do staff) pay attention to what’s going on in your
life?
Emotional Support Measures:

I could talk to a staff person if I was upset or mad.
(Do staff) say something nice to you when you do
something good?
Practical Support Measures:

I could go to someone who works at the program
for help in a crisis.

I could go to a staff person for help with a personal
problem.

Adult Knowledge of Youth Measures:

The staff know me well.

The staff know what is important to me.

- viii -
Woodland Community
Youth Voice Survey Results- 2021

Positive Peer Relationships Measures:

When you go to the program how often do you get
to learn about young people who are different from
you?
I get to learn about young people who are different
from me.

The other kids here know me well.

The other kids here respect me.

Have the programs activities taught you about how
to get along with young people who are different
from you?
1737,
54%
1135,
36%
314,
10%
Guidance
Low
Medium
High
1347,
42%
1456,
46%
384, 12%
Emotional Support
Low
Medium
High
1630,
51%
1127,
36%
422, 13% Practical Support
Low
Medium
High
2270,
71%
715,
23%
197, 6% Adult Knowledge
of Youth
Low
Medium
High
2359,
75%
705,
23%
64, 2%
Positive Peer Relationships
Low
Medium
High

- ix -
Woodland Community
Youth Voice Survey Results- 2021

Youth Participation/Engagement Subcomponents –
Overall Averages
-1
-0.5
0 0.5
1 1.5
2 Input & Decision-Making Leadership Belonging Overall
2126,
71%
673,
23%
189, 6%
Input & Decision Making
Low
Medium
High

- x -
Woodland Community
Youth Voice Survey Results- 2021
Input & Decision-Making Measures:

The program has rules for how we treat each other.

When you go to the program how often do you get
to decide what to do?
Leadership Measures:

When you go to the program how often do you get
to oversee be in charge of a group need?
When you go to the program how often do you get
to lead an activity?
Belonging Measures:

It seems like my ideas are important here.

I feel like I belong in the program.
1090,
37%
192, 6%
Belonging
Low
Medium
High
1697,
57%
2379,
80%
461, 15%
Leadership
Low
Medium
High
148,
5%

- xi -
Woodland Community
Youth Voice Survey Results- 2021

-1
-0.5
0 0.5
1 1.5
2 Chance to Give Back Knowledge Overall
Community Involvement Subcomponents – Overall
Averages
Chance to Give Back Measures:

When you go to the program how often do you get
to help people in your community?
Have the programs activities taught you about ways
you can make your community better?
Knowledge Measures:

Have the programs activities taught you about
what’s going on in your community?
Have the programs activities taught you about how
to find what you need in your community?
Have the programs activities taught you about
youth activities in your community?
1720, 57%
1011,
34%
258, 9%
Chance to Give Back
Low
Medium
High
1328, 45%
1098,
38%
496, 17%
Knowledge
Low
Medium
High

- xii -
Woodland Community
Youth Voice Survey Results- 2021

Skill-Building Subcomponents – Overall Averages
-1
-0.5
0 0.5
1 1.5
2 Growth & Progress Interesting Challenging Overall
1574,
53%
316, 10%
Growth & Progress
Low
Medium
High
1099,
37%
928, 31%
115, 4%Interesting
Low
Medium
High
1947,
65%
1560,
49%
318, 10%
Challenging
Low
Medium
High
1305,
41%

- xiii -
Woodland Community
Youth Voice Survey Results- 2021

ç√
Growth & Progress Measures:

Have the programs' activities taught you to do
something new?
At the program I get better at something I care
about.

Interesting Measures:

The activities at the program are boring.

When you go to the program how often do you get
to do new things?
Challenging Measures:
(Do staff) challenge you to be your best?
I do things here that I didn’t think I could do.
5 Things You Can Do Now:

1. Make sure that each young person has one adult who knows them well. Young people need to have a positive relationship with an adult if they are to get the most out of the program.

2. Provide opportunities for young people to help others . Providing service to the larger community is an excellent way for young people to apply their planning and leadership skills.

3. Tra
in participants in group decision-making skills: A good place to start is to train your young people in the process of group decision making. Group decision -making skills can be put to use immediately… Make sure adult staff have skills for leading brainstorming sessions and facilitating gr oup decision-making before you start.

4. Within your program, provide access to learning materials that young people can independently access. This allows young people to pursue their own interests or engage in their own inquiry without the need for adult -led structure.

5. Plan a project that will benefit the community.

Try to match projects to the interests of young
peopl
e, and look for existing programs that
can help you prepare young people for a
meaningful experience.
5 Things You Can Do Now
For more ideas for program
improvement ask a YDN team member
for the full “5 Things You Can Do Now”
Info-sheet!

- xiv -
Woodland Community
Youth Voice Survey Results- 2021
Woodland Community
Youth Plan
Listening Circle Results
Introduction
The purpose of a listening circle is to create dialogue based forums for youth and their families to share their experiences, thoughts and ideas related to community. These forums
optimize the listening of key community members as they pay close attention to the responses of targeted and diverse groups.

The goal of the sessions is to capture community voice through effective questions that capture the reality of the current community climate as well the ideas these youth and families have to strengthen that climate.

What Questions Were Asked
The questions that each listening circle centered around the experiences young people have while interating with the community and the adults that work with them. It was important to determine if young people feel respected, cared for, and believed in by the adults in their lives.

Other questions were used to determine how young people like to be engaged in the community, how they handle problems, and what they would like to see in the future.

Expanded Listening Circle Results
– Supplementary Document 2 -
Our Sessions
Parents and Guardians of
Early Childhood Youth
Middle School Students
Parents and Guardians of
Middle and High School
Students
High School Students

- xv -
Woodland Community
Youth Voice Survey Results- 2021
Youth Voice Survey Results- 2021
Results – How can we
support our youth as
they develop?
When we consider how we approach our young
people the kind of support we can offer them
changes as they grow and develop. If we look at the
responses from each group of listening circle
participants we can start to put together
community-based solutions that will respond to the
needs of our youth.

Early Childhood
The parents and guardians of early childhood youth
in Woodland state that they know that individuals
care about and believe in their children when adults
engage with their child, show interest in their well-
being, and work with the child’s support network to
help solve problem behaviors.

School that is interesting and engaging for early
childhood youth is having hands-on activities,
opportunities to be active with others, and being
able to engage with outside interests during school
time. These young people tend to rely on teachers
or family members to resolve problems. These
young people have time to spend on the things they
enjoy, however, their parents and guardians are
looking for more opportunities outside of the school
district to enroll their young people in activities.

The long term goals and dreams that these parents and guardians have for their young people are to be sufficient, well rounded, and involved in the community. See Table 1 for emerging themes and community based solutions for early childhood youth from their parents and guardians.

The Supports &
Opportunities
Young people need the following to
move from being taken care of to
taking care of others. They are key to
helping our young people develop:

Safety, youth feel physically, culturally,
and emotionally safe and free from
harm and judgement, and that they will
be accepted for who they are.

Relationship-Building, youth develop
positive relationships with their peers
and with caring, consistent results.

Youth Participation/ Engagement,
Youth are involved in a meaningful way,
have roles and responsibilities for
leadership, and voice and choice in
decision-making that impacts the
program.

Community involvement, youth have
opportunities to get to know and
impact their community and vice-versa.

Skill-Building, relevant, challenging and
interesting skill building where youth
feel engaged and experience growth
and progress.

For more information on the Supports
& Opportunities visit
ydnetwork.org/approach
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Youth Voice Survey Results- 2021
Middle School
Middle school students know that they are cared for by an adult when they are checked on, and have adults around them who act positively. They know that they are believed in if they are pushed, encouraged, and given opportunities to pursue the things that interest them.

They see their culture respected when teachers portray different cultures through content or represented in their spaces; these young people believe that their culture is overall understood by their community. School is engaging for these students when they have opportunities to join or start clubs, pursue individual interests through electives, and can socially interact with their peers. To solve problems these students rely on their parents and teachers, but also start to incorporate their peers into their support networks.

These students feel that they have the time to work on things that they enjoy doing but they have questions on if these activities will help them prepare for life outside of academics. These students want to continue their education and then serve others, but they need support and resources from their community to pursue these goals. See Table 2 for emerging themes and community-based solutions for middle school youth.

Middle and High School
Middle and high school parents and guardians say that they believe adults care about their young people when they take extra steps for their child, communicate and work with the support network, and get invested in the child’s interests outside of the direct relationship. For these parents and guardians belief includes pushing a child to be their best, holding them to a reasonable standard, and supporting the student to achieve their goals.

While most of these parents and guardians feel their cultural background is respected and understood in the community, there was some concern that individuals of differing religious backgrounds experience some anti-religious sentiments from community members.

School is interesting or engaging for the young people of these parents and guardians when they have opportunities to engage in elective classes, be creative through art programs, and can have a sense of control over their own education. These parents and guardians report that their students are likely to utilize resources on campus to solve problems or resolve conflict.

Things like teachers, counselors, or other staff were mentioned often. These individuals also expressed some interest in more programs that teach skills that will be needed after academic careers, especially community-based programs.

These parents and guardians want their young people to be successful, happy, and able to find their own path to navigate through the community. See Table 3 for emerging themes and community-based solutions for middle and high school youth from their parents and guardians.

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Listening Circle Results- 2021

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Woodland Community
Youth Voice Survey Results- 2021
High School
The high school students believe they are cared about when adults in the community take time to check in with them, notice when something is wrong and try to help fix it, and do small things to show that they care. For these students belief is about motivation, creating drive, and seeing potential. While these young people believe their cultural backgrounds are respected, they feel some adults in the community will never be able to understand their backgrounds because they do not have the same lived experience.

School is interesting and engaging when students can have conversations with their teachers and peers, can participate in hands-on activities, and can work with their peers in project-based learning. Lots of these students say that they are able to solve problems or conflict on their own, but are likely to ask their friends for help or support if they feel they cannot; some students also rely on school counselors or other staff members.

These students feel that they have time to do the things that they enjoy but doing these things adds to their stress levels, and that they would like more support in being able to pursue their interests. All of these young people would like to be engaged in the community in the future, they are interested in ways to give back and would like opportunities to get started on paths that interest them. See table 4 for emerging themes and community based solutions for middle school youth.

Summary and Next Steps
When we examine these responses through the lens of the Supports & Opportunities we see high potential and payoff for relationship building, especially adult to youth and peer to peer.

Young people have opportunities to be engaged on campus, but may need more variety in activities, or a more streamlined selection process. There is less conversation around community involvement than the other supports and opportunities but there is clearly a deep desire to serve others in the community. Young people can participate in skill building, but there is a disconnect between what they are learning in school and what they will need to thrive and succeed later in life.

Overall, these listening circles indicate generally positive things for the youth of Woodland. As we consider what this feedback means for the future of the community, there is a clear direction and action items based in the expressed wants and needs of the young people.

If you have any questions or would like to see the recordings of the lisening circles, please reach out to [email protected]
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Listening Circle Results- 2021

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Youth Voice Survey Results- 2021
TABLE 1
Theme Solution/Idea/Feedback
Early Childhood Guardian
How can we engage
children on a better
path for their future?
Provide them
opportunities to be
successful?
• Teach things that matter – things that will prepare youth for real life instead of wasting time on things that don't matter in the long run.
• Make meaningful and intentional relationships.
• Include parents (guardians) in the support with us and with resources.

How can we empower
young people to take
control of their own
life?
• Give students opportunities to practice being a resource in their own lives in a safe and productive way.
• Point out strengths that we see in them that they may not see in themselves.
• Ability to choose and foster autonomy. Voices and opinions matter – to feel empowered not just be empowered
What are the critical
life skills that our youth
need to succeed?
• Connection / relationships with the school
• Financial Literacy
• Online literacy
• Prepare meals for ourselves. Cooking.
• How to repair relationships.
• Focus on relationship and community building within in the classroom and school.

What can be done to
make sure we are
educating the whole
child?
• Expose children to a wide variety of activities.
• Partnerships with community; for example, Library.
• Cultural opportunities
• Include both the arts and STEM.
• Activities that help enrich self confidence.

How can we as a
community include
more enrichment in
and outside of the
school?
• How do we accommodate the socio-economic needs of the students in the community? This is a struggle for a lot of people – parents can't get their kids to activities.
• Variety of times and locations
• Partnering with other community-based organizations, and encouraging them to tap into on campus programming, to
provide opportunities and can branch out to other sites (such as YoloF2F).
• Providing choices or surveys of clubs for students to choose from. Staffing availability can present challenges (school staff, City of Woodland, etc.).

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Listening Circle Results- 2021

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Youth Voice Survey Results- 2021
What can be done to
make sure that we
bring in the voices of
the struggling families?
• Establish trusting relationships with students and families. • Training to better understand family dynamics and cultures. • Parenting Training/Support
• Additional after school programs that are flexible (targeted to family needs).
• List of community resources for families (Example: Health referrals).

TABLE 2
Theme Solution/Idea/Feedback
Middle School Student
How do we encourage
our youth more?
• Encouraging actions not just words; actions can speak louder than words. Youth should have opportunities for
success.
• Adults unintentionally give up on kids too easily: we see the issues they create in the classroom and don't see
beyond that. Commit to all-student success.
• Encouragement from our peers.

How can youth in
between (not
participating in)
specialized programs
(e.g.. AVID) feel
supported?
• Encourage students to find out what they like and want to do through campus activities.
• Counselors need to earn students' trust so they will go to them when they need help with personal problems. Right
now, kids don't feel comfortable going to them for help. • All the adults at school should set up a time to just listen to students, like today. Everyone should make time to
hear what students have to say and get to know them and earn their trust.
• Maybe different electives that are focused on college and career options.

How can we provide
youth more
opportunities to make a
mark on their
community within a
school setting?
• Have classes vote on certain organizations they want to support and set aside CLASS TIME to work on
opportunities to write encouragement and send it to
them.
• Have opportunities and time to create trust. Teachers can encourage students to see their commonalities.
• Help use the students to spread the news to the
community, leveraging social media and connections they already have.

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Listening Circle Results- 2021

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Woodland Community
Youth Voice Survey Results- 2021
• Teachers can ask students how they want to help their community, and students that have common interest can
be in groups to help support neighborhoods or
communities.

How can we help youth
find a balance in adult
support (in and outside
of their family) and peer
support?
• Adults can make students more comfortable by sharing:
compare a student's experience with what you personally have gone through. Understanding. Checking back in with the student.
• Counselors are a resource that is potentially available and viewed as a good idea, but students are not sure how or why to connect with one when there with no serious
need. Would like the counselors to initiate contact from time to time to check in.
• GROUP PROJECTS bring students together! Build
connections between students and help them work
toward a shared goal. Opportunities to relate on
backgrounds or future goals.

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Listening Circle Results- 2021

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Woodland Community
Youth Voice Survey Results- 2021
TABLE 3
Theme Solution/Idea/Feedback
Middle and High School Guardian
How do we come
together as a community
to support families of
our youth? Specifically,
dealing with mental
health during the
pandemic.
• Find out what the needs are.
• Find out what services are available to avoid duplication of services.
• Begin to engage with each other to hear the needs of the community.
• Use students as a resource for other students.
• Learn to let go of the old in order to embrace the new.

What skill set do youth
need to be a productive
adult no matter what life
path they choose? How
do we support this in the
school district?
• Resilience – Able to deal with adversity.
• Independence – What to do when you have issue? Who
do you go to for help?
• Communication skills – Public speaking, speaking up for themselves (advocating on their own behalf).
• Exposure to opportunities so kids don't have to select a "permanent track" right away
How do we deliberately
give students
opportunities to practice
these skills?
• Not once-a-year career day but more frequently.

Backgrounds, careers, open gym concept where direct
contact is possible
• Class or learning opportunities for parents to show them the many routes students can take besides college.

How do we find our way
into the community that
parents/guardians WANT
for their youth? How can
we promote trusting
relationships?
• Just ask our families what they need – not a survey, not an email – needs to be a personal connection (phone call or in-person conversation)
• We lose the connection between elementary and high
school – need to work on keeping the close connection – we lose the family feel
• A consistent adult that is "assigned" to the student – more than a counselor.

What kind of non-
academic outlets can we
create and provide for
our youth?
• Basic self-care, independent living skills lessons for all students.
• Clubs based on student interests – survey kids to find out what kinds of clubs/activities they want and build from there.
• Opportunities for students to learn how to work together, recognize similarities in each other and accomplish shared goals.

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Listening Circle Results- 2021

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Youth Voice Survey Results- 2021
TABLE 4
Theme Solution/Idea/Feedback
High School Student
How do we set high
expectations, that are
fair, with student input?
• Work load: We need to utilize our class time more
effectively in order. Better balance. Divided better.
• Student Input: Teachers ask about the material but not about their teaching style. Teacher surveys standard
maybe?
• Hands-on/project-based learning: "Bring back paper and pencil." Too reliant on technology?
• Teachers worry about "being fair" when it really doesn't apply in every circumstance. They need flexibility and
compassion.

How do we explicitly
express to students that
we believe in them?
• Celebrate/congratulate the small achievements as well as bigger ones.
• I believe that if an adult pushes someone to do something out of their comfort zone, then it shows that they believe in them.
• Build rapport. Engage in conversations about other
interests
• Just say it.

How do we ensure each
young person has at
least one person in the
community who is
genuinely there for
them?
• Prioritize social-emotional/mental health instead of just academics.
• It's in the little moments... the person-to-person
conferring... the greetings... humor... being vulnerable at times. Connection is key!
• Help teachers develop an understanding of differences with each student and how they can support each
individual.

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Youth Voice Survey Results- 2021
How can adults (and
other youth) help build
the capacity of the young
people they have
relationships with?
• Put age aside and focus on relationship building and being people/human.
• SEL- Paraphrasing - Non-violent communication - PBIS - Trauma informed application/training.

How does being
connected to community
influence youth culture,
their relationships, and
their development?
• The school needs to introduce more language classes
rather than having one class which you're not interested in. It can also help to understand more cultures.
• As youth, we need new ways to introduce what we feel is right rather than getting rejected because of those ideas. • Provide students with assignments to talk about
culture and students' relationships with other students.

What does a supportive
teacher/ adult
community member look
like? What do they do
for young people?
• Very invested in students; not only in schoolwork but in personal life as well
• Reflective activities help teachers to see where students are struggling so they can help academically as well
• Set aside class time, lunch, after school to talk with students; email; reach out to students
• When community members try to get to know you and
understand what's going on in your life. Nice people in general; not just putting on an act. Giving off that vibe.

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Listening Circle Results- 2021

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Listening Circle Review
Common Themes
While reviewing the Youth Action Plan with participants in September of 2022, the following themes, questions, and ideas were shared by young people and their families and guardians.

Young people who participated in the Middle and High School sessions noted that they would like there to be flexibility within the plan, that it should consider how young people think and feel constantly, not just during the time of its creation. They were intentional about discussing how the COVID-19 pandemic influenced their social skills and ability to learn with the tools of technology, and expressed hope that teachers, administration, and program staffing would utilize these resources in the future.

These young people discussed how group learning can be valuable and how group work should be utilized more often. They acknowledged the power of relationship building, the use of 1 on 1 check-ins and how understanding which resources are available within the community can greatly impact their mental, emotional, and social wellbeing.

Parents and guardians expressed hope for more communication between the adults who run programs and work in classrooms and the direct support system of each young person. They made specific asks about including youth with disabilities in all community and school based programs.

Finally young people expressed concern about lack of buy-in from the adults in the community, asking “what happens if they [the adults] don’t follow through on any of this?” Final Thoughts on Listening Circles
Overall, the response of the listening circle participants was incredibly positive. Young people and adults felt that the document captured and utilized their thoughts throughout. It is important to note that the document should be a guide to structure policy, practices, and procedures, all of these should be centered around Youth Voice and how it influences our approach to our work.

Woodland Community
Listening Circle Results- 2021

Woodland Community
Youth Voice Survey Results- 2021

Woodland Community
Youth Voice Survey Results- 2021
Woodland Youth Action Plan
Winter 2022