Community Relations Commission

Approved Community Relations Commission: Youth Forum Subcommittee May 16, 2013 Terrace Room, 7pm The meeting was called to order at 7:02 p.m. in the Terrace Room at the Northbrook Village Hall by Community Relations Commission chair Ray Wehr. CRC Members present: Bruce Doughty, Dale Duda, Dr. Rochelle Singer, Elliot Bruckman, Nafisa Choudhury, Ron Mantegna, and Alice Lonoff. Also present: Village President Sandy Frum, Mark Gelfeld, Bob Lozaro, Nancy Vaccaro, Shannon LeMaster-Smith, Joy Start, Arif Choudhury, Jillian Murray, Rosanne Dwyer, Andrea Johnson, Carla Slawson-Martens, Marcia Doniger, Amy O’Leary, Pat Krochmal, Village Manager Rich Nahrstadt, Barb Flanagin, Bryan Simmon, Sari Glazebrook, Howard Schultz, Frank Lenordi and Staff Liaison Kendal Maltas. Introductions and Welcome: Ray Wehr, Chair of the Community Relations Commission (CRC) called the meeting to order and asked everyone to go around the room and introduce themselves. Village President Frum thanked everyone for coming. She noted that about a year or so ago she had asked Chair Wehr about the CRC hosting a forum. Given recent events, she believes the choice of a youth forum is a great idea. She is wholeheartedly behind Chair Wehr and the CRC in putting together a forum for everyone. Chair Wehr provide some background information about the Community Relations Commission. The purpose of tonight’s meeting is an attempt to spearhead a community-wide initiative in which we come together as a community and share resources, wisdom and what we can do to help out. The issue is that we need something that can be a grounding point for youth in the community (i.e. somewhere to go, alternatives). Tonight is a discussion about what that should be, how we should format, what resources are available, etc. Discussion:  This is too big a group to be a committee; we cannot develop a concept fully here. Perhaps we should identify critical areas and parse out to subcommittees to organize.  We need to finalize the structure, speakers, and discussion groups. Subcommittees could work, but we need a short time frame.  Has it already been decided that the forum is the way to go and this is just for input on that session? Or, is tonight’s meeting a broader discussion about what the issues are?  Those are very legitimate questions. This is an open discussion. The CRC has been contemplating a forum for some time, but is not set on a format.  Who is this for— kids or adults?  Last summer, the YMCA talked with kid and asked “What do you want us to do?” The kids responded with, “Nothing. But we want to do something.” From this, Y Fest was developed. The Page 1 of 4  kids organized a concert event with the funds raised to be provided to Erica’s Lighthouse. About 400 kids attended the event. This was what they wanted to do and plan, not us. No kids are here at the meeting now. It’s not let us plan something for them, but what do they need?  What is the goal of this event: providing resources for kids who are depressed? To help parents identify kids in need? To help friends identify?  In first discussing this, the CRC was very cognizant that every place is doing something to address this. The key is to bring everyone together. We need a discussion with parents, schools/entities and students. The forum concept was just one idea in which we could present something new and different, not a repeat of what is already being done.  Should we ask parents who have gone through this to present?  The timeline shapes the forums/discussion. We should have a 1 to 2 year plan.  First responders are currently getting inundated with calls from Glenbrook North. These agencies are doing their job and getting the kids out of the dark. The issue is that there is no bridge between the generations who were not encouraged to talk about feelings (parents) and the kids who are encouraged to be open.  Kids are the resources. What we think they need is not what they are looking for. The current Seniors are a great resource for information. The events of this past year are going to shape them for rest of their lives. We need to listen them.  The pressures for kids in this area are so immense. There is larger suicide risk here than the south side of Chicago.  Perhaps we could look at a panel that consists of a psychotherapist, educator, and male and female students.  Kids want to be involved in the process.  The fact is that students who have friends who committed suicide are more likely to commit suicide. It is seen as a “solution”.  This is the first generation not guaranteed to be more successful than the previous.  A good new movie that addresses some of the issues being discussed tonight is “Disconnect” which stars Jason Bateman.  This event should be separated for parents and students; students will not attend an event with parents. We should organize two separate events.  Maybe we should have a room filled with kids and once facilitator. Page 2 of 4  There are a lot of stressors for both adults and parents. It is hard for both groups to identify what needs they have. Parents often wonder how to talk to their children or what curfew should be. Should they be looking in the kids rooms, reading journals/email/facebook/text messages? Many parents are embarrassed to ask questions.  Sometimes what other communities have done is they have run a film and then had a discussion. Open a meeting, small groups. A lot of parents are coming do these events in other communities (Naperville example). Panel, coffee groups, small talks, professionals, parents wanting to talk with parents.  Whatever is done should be interactive. Kids or parents should not just be handed information.  We could have multiple events at multiple times. Once organized, all of the information would be put together—resource guide/website.  What we do now can be ongoing, continuous programs.  We should try to have something on the books now for these kids who are about to go on summer and off to college.  The NCDAA was just merged with the YMCA. A New department was created, Youth and Family Education.  We could have a “Town Meeting” in which we ask teens what they want to see in a years’ worth of programs. If we want something fast, we need to start marketing now.  So many great ideas. This is not a “this” or an “or”, but an “and”.  Marketing campaign—“Northbrook Cares”. Work on what we do individually, but make ourselves louder as a group. We could add new programs to the schedule.  Summer’s here, now what? Parents and kids are fearful.  Perhaps we could develop a method to go out to the kids that really need it, where they are hanging out (i.e. parks).  We could go to the kid that organized the “Walk in the Dark” last year. We could help support a walk this year. We could go to events like Y Fest to participate and talk to the kids.  We need to take the lead from kids; they want life to be normal.  We cannot just slap together an event and make it work. It needs to well planned. Not adequate to just throw something together and not plan for outcome. What if it fails? What steps did it take then? Maybe we hit the low hanging fruit first, and grow from there.  Kids are already getting overbooked and overscheduled with the end of the school year and summer. Sometimes it is hard for kids to participate over the summer as schedules are full. A Page 3 of 4  campaign would be effective. Go to programs/go to them. Northbrook Cares: we care where you are. Support youth led events.  It was never intended that the workshop/forum in June would be “the event’; however, it would be a start to gather information. Do we have enough credentialed individuals to go to all these events? Do kids want to stop at event and talk to someone?  We need to find a happy medium between going places and having something for kids to go to.  With the “Northbrook Cares” concept, perhaps we have t-shirts made with that slogan and show up where kids are, talk with kids about what they are doing, what they need. We should get the kid who planned the walk last year at the table.  Yes! We need to get the kids here at the table to tell us directly what they need.  Come May 1, parents and kids tune out what is going on in the community as they are working towards the end of the school year and summer. We should develop a plan now, market it at summer events, but hit the ground running at the beginning of the school year. “Northbrook Cares” about all kids, not just GBN. We need to get to the younger grades now too. We should not be in such a rush, but plan effectively.  In June we can launch the “Northbrook Cares” initiative and provide a listing of the resources available now with a calendar of events to come.  We should look at having a presence on Facebook Page/Website/Twitter /Instagram/Tumbler/Pinterest.  We are talking about three areas: prevention, intervention, and crisis response.  Future planning: there can be chapters to “Northbrook Cares”. Each organization has a “chapter” in which they can work with a small group of kids perhaps with some youth leadership.  We are starting a movement that we need to brand, similar to “Just Say No.” Next Steps: The next step is to have a meeting in which we are very pointed about who is in room. We need to have first responders in the room to start getting flesh to the items discussed. How are the people dealing with this on a daily basis viewing this concept? A smaller group meeting will be held in the next couple of weeks. The meeting adjourned at 9:05pm. Respectfully submitted, Kendal Maltas, Staff Liaison Page 4 of 4