Lakewood Youth Master Plan Community Meeting

[Dottie Buckon]

PLEASE JOIN MEMBERS OF YOUR COMMUNITY IN PLANNING FOR THE FUTURE OF
LAKEWOOD’S YOUTH AND FAMILIES.


It is a very exciting time in Lakewood as we experience tremendous growth and new community initiatives. Among these is a strategic planning process to enhance our ‘family friendly community’. Lakewood was one of only six cities across the country chosen to receive technical assistance from the National League of Cities to develop a Youth Master Plan. The Plan will provide a road map to guide the future of programs and services for youth ages birth to twenty years old and their families.

The future of the whole cannot only be determined by a few. If you have a desire to assist in working on the design of the plan that will move Lakewood into the future and realize a vision of “community where all youth and families belong and thrive�, come to a community meeting on Tuesday June 13, 2006 from 6:30 to 8:00 pm at the Lakewood High School East Cafeteria.

Come and learn more about this exciting opportunity to build upon the strengths of kids and families in Lakewood and share your ideas for the future.


City of Lakewood Youth Master Plan

Youth Planning, often referred to as Youth Master Planning (YMP), is a community-wide process that brings together a broad base of stakeholders including youth; parents, city, school and other civic leaders to develop a long term strategic plan for youth and families. Lakewood was one of six municipalities selected by the National League of Cities to receive technical assistance through the MetLife Foundation City-Schools Youth Planning Initiative to conduct such a planning process. Lakewood’s plan will target youth ages 0 to 20 years old and their families.

The City of Lakewood has long demonstrated a strong commitment to supporting youth and families. The Department of Human Services provides cradle to grave programs that support the health and well being of all residents. These programs involve strong community collaborations. Among these are the Lakewood Family Room, a family support program for parents raising young children and H2O (Help to Others), a civic volunteer program for middle and high school students provided in partnership with Lakewood Public Schools and the support of many local businesses and organizations.

A strong city-school partnership is essential to the YMP process. The community’s history of city-school collaborations is just one reason Lakewood was chosen to participate in this project. Mayor George and Superintendent Estrop established the Lakewood Cares Coalition in 2005 to strengthen the coordination of services that support the healthy development and future success of our children and provided a foundation for the YMP process.

Lakewood City Council and the Lakewood Board of Education adopted resolutions acknowledging the importance of strategic planning for youth and families support of Lakewood’s YMP Initiative in November 2005. A Blue Ribbon Task Force (BRTF), comprised of Lakewood Cares Coalition leadership, City Council, School Board, youth leadership and civic volunteers was convened early in 2006. This Task Force then established the YMP vision, mission and strategic focus areas. The focus areas were identified as health & safety, families, education and recreation. Subcommittees for each area will be convened to assess needs and resources, prioritize issues and participate in the YMP development.

Of utmost importance to successful master planning initiatives around the country is youth development and youth involvement in all aspects of the process. Lakewood students are active members of the BRTF and have participated in leadership seminars conducted by the Division of Youth. A comprehensive community assessment will involve Lakewood youth in mapping resources in our community and providing insight into issues that affect the quality of their lives.