In 2010, Sonoma County received approximately $850,000 in Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) and Workforce Investment Act funds. The dollars were supplemented with flood control monies from the Sonoma County Water Agency, plus contributions from Kaiser Permanente, Exchange Bank, the North Bay Labor Council to create a Summer Jobs Program for teens and young adults ages 14-24. In many communities throughout the country, youth employment dollars are being allocated in a scattershot manner. But in Sonoma County a coalition of Summer Youth Ecology Corps. facilitating partners including the Sonoma County Human Services Department, the Workforce Investment Board, the Sonoma County Water Agency, the Sonoma County Office of Education and the nonprofit New Ways to Work created a comprehensive program that:
- Employs more than 175 young people through the summer with 160 working through the Summer Youth Ecology Corps (SYEC) at project locations throughout the county;
- Teaches youth and young adults the skills needed to find and keep permanent employment;
- Restores and enhances local habitat and streams;
- Provides valuable services to local nonprofits and government agencies.
The Sonoma County Water Agency (SCWA)
The mission of the Sonoma County Water Agency is to effectively manage the resources in their care for the benefit of people and the environment in their service area. SCWA strives to provide high-quality service to those who rely on the water supply, flood protection, and sanitation services. SCWA also recognizes that they are part of a larger community and believe that they should support the ideas of environmental stewardship and sustainability to improve the quality of life for both present and future generations.
The SCWA is providing resources and leadership to the SYEC effort, as well as creating work and learning opportunities for 6-8 this summer. Agency staff are also assisting with logistics, providing meeting space, and supporting the educational enhancements to the summer project. The SCWA is also working with the partners to identify resources for continuation of the SYEC beyond the summer months. Resources provided by the SCWA are supporting the cash matching requirements of one of the program’s funding sources, project planning and implementation, tools, documentation, and educational enhancements.
The Sonoma County Human Services Department (HSD), Workforce Investment Board and Youth Council (WIB)
The Human Services Department and programs protect and improve the well-being of the individuals and families who reside in Sonoma County – especially those who cannot protect themselves. They accomplish this by providing many different forms of assistance, including employment services, in-home support to aging and disabled individuals, Veteran’s services, foster care, food stamps, cash assistance, and eligibility for medical services.
The Sonoma County Human Services Department is managing the Sonoma County Summer Jobs Program on behalf of the Workforce Board and Youth Council. The SYEC is a key component of the Summer Jobs Program. Resources through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act and local Workforce Investment Act dollars are being provided to support the SJP activities, including the youth provider contracts and youth wages. The Workforce Board and Youth Council are providing leadership on all aspects of the SYEC and are working with the partners to identify resources for continuation of the program beyond the summer months.
The Sonoma County Office of Education (SCOE)
SCOE fosters student success through service to students, schools, and the community.
As one of 58 county offices of education in California, SCOE functions as an educational service agency and strategic partner to the 40 school districts in Sonoma County and their 179 schools. SCOE’s Career Development/Workforce Preparation department brings students, teachers, and employers together to strengthen and develop the relationship between what’s being taught in the classroom and its application in the workplace.
SCOE is providing materials and staff support to the Kuder Career Assessment System and Work-Ready Assessment component of the SYEC (part of SCOE’s Work-Ready Certification). SCOE staff are also participating in the design and delivery of the Opportunity Fair.
New Ways to Work (New Ways)
New Ways builds community connections that prepare youth for success as adults. New Ways helps create powerful partnerships among schools, community organizations, social service agencies, the private sector, government, and community partners to ensure better access to quality educational and career opportunities for youth. For the past 25 years, New Ways has worked across the nation to ensure that public resources targeted to prepare youth for their future are used effectively.
New Ways is assisting the SYEC partners in the overall project design, and helping broker relationships between the youth providers and the project hosts, as well as helping with the distribution of tools for the program. New Ways will work closely with the youth providers and project hosts to encourage and support program elements and educational enhancements that improve the quality of the summer program experience for Sonoma County’s youth and young adults. New Ways is also working with the partners to identify resources for continuation of the SYEC beyond the summer months.
