Youth Recommendations

The following was compiled by Steve Wagoner, Extension Educator, for the Damiansville comprehensive plan, with the help of local youth:

Youth Recommendations



It became evident early in the survey planning process that youth and school issues are important to Damiansville residents. Preliminary discussions held with members of the Comprehensive Planning Committee and others around school facilities, curricula, programs, use of technology, class size, consolidation, and out-of-school opportunities surfaced varied opinions about the current status and future directions of Damiansville youths, their families, their schools, and the community.



When looking at results of the door-to-door and online surveys administered, there was a lack of knowledge and understanding of the current school system in particular. 60% of respondents, for example, did not know about the attitudes of Damiansville children toward the school superintendent. 55% of respondents did not know about communication with the school board, communication with the school superintendent, and the attitudes of Damiansville children toward teachers. 53.3% did not know about the attitudes of Damiansville children toward school, and 51.7% did not know about communication with teachers.



The gap in school system knowledge and understanding may have been due to the lower percentage (36%) of respondents having at least one child under 18 years of age living at home or because younger households (those headed by a person under 35 years of age) were underrepresented in the demographics of the respondents. Respondents were overwhelmingly adults (and quite a few older adults over 70 years of age), and responses would have certainly indicated more knowledge and understanding of youth and school issues if youths had actually responded to the survey questions.



Survey responses concerning youth and school issues were also undoubtedly influenced by how long survey respondents have lived in Damiansville. The average number of years of Damiansville residence among respondents was 29 years.



Although survey responses clearly indicated a gap in knowledge of youth and school issues, information did surface that helps to shape important recommendations in this area. The public meeting held in November of 2008 also provides additional support for these recommendations:





Recommendation #1:

Involve youths and adults in determining and modifying what type of internet service is needed and available to Damiansville residents.

18.6% of survey respondents were unhappy with the number of internet providers and the quality of internet service available to them. Although this percentage alone is not alarming, it probably would have been much higher if survey respondents would have been younger in general. Even among survey respondents with an average age of 55, the level of dissatisfaction in this area was fourth highest of the Village infrastructure and services assessed. If a community is to properly address this issue, youths and younger adults need to be seen as experts in this area. They are the demographics with the highest degree of use and understanding of current and emerging technologies, and their input on what services are needed and likely to be best utilized by them is vital.

Suggested practices:

1. Recruit youths and adults from community residents and the schools who have interest in and knowledge about internet providers and service functions.



2. Research internet providers available in the Damiansville geographic area.



3. Determine what modifications are needed in existing internet service to improve capabilities, functions, and level of access.



4. Work with chosen internet providers to increase usefulness of their technology in Damiansville households and schools.



5. Publicize to Damiansville households improved internet services available.



RECOMMENDATION #2:

Involve youths in developing, instituting, and sustaining an effective community policing program.

25.3% of survey respondents were dissatisfied or very dissatisfied with law enforcement as part of their Village infrastructure. It was their second greatest concern from the infrastructure components assessed. Response time and adequacy of patrols in particular were listed as areas needing improvement. Effective community policing programs involve citizens as volunteers to develop a working and mutually supportive relationship with law enforcement personnel. Damiansville Village residents can help police monitor situations and gain insight into problems and potential solutions. By citizens and law enforcement officers getting to know each other in this program, public perception, timeliness, and effectiveness of police patrols improve. By involving youths as partners in the community policing program, both young people and police officers improve their understanding of and respect for each other. Law enforcement personnel learn to see public safety as an opportunity for youth development in a community, and youths better see their responsibility in keeping their community safe for themselves, their friends, their families, and their community as a whole.

Suggested practices:

1. Work with area police officers to reach agreement on forming a police-community team.



2. Work with Damiansville schools to recruit high school students willing to volunteer their service in designing, implementing, and sustaining an effective community policing program.



3. Work with the Damiansville Village Board to identify and recruit adult volunteers for the community policing program.



4. Train the newly formed police-community team on developing an effective youth-adult partnership.



5. Develop criteria for success of the community policing program.



6. Outline police and community member roles in carrying out and sustaining the community policing program.



7. Identify monitoring responsibilities and timelines for the community policing program.



8. Carry out the community policing program.

9. Periodically evaluate the community policing program based on criteria for success.



RECOMMENDATION #3:

Develop a strategy for youths, parents, and school personnel to work together to determine a future plan for Damiansville schools and the formal education of its students.

Although survey respondents clearly did not see a problem with the current class size in Damiansville schools, and most respondents did not see a problem with school curricula quality and education, 36.5-43.3% of respondents did not know how to respond to those specific assessment categories. One survey respondent even wrote, “Without a doubt, the most urgent issue is our local school system.” When community residents attending the November 2008 public meeting were given an opportunity to attend one of three break-out discussions, about 50 of 70 attendees chose to participate in the discussion on schools. Specific concerns were voiced around handicapped accessibility of school facilities, the location of restroom facilities in the existing school buildings, and the availability of practical and cost-efficient options for improving current school facilities. Class size was discussed as positive for some, not constructive for others, and even limiting sometimes in terms of gender ratios and chances for student-to-student group work and learning how to deal with differences in others. Financial impacts of changes in school facilities, resources such as updated technology and computers, and curricular approaches were cited as having sensitive implications for the entire Damiansville community given the older population living there. Involving youths, parents, and school personnel together to bring in all relevant perspectives on these issues is the best chance to identify solutions and develop a timely yet futuristic plan for the formal education of Damiansville’s students.

Suggested practices:

1. Recruit school personnel, parents, and youths from grades 5-12 to evaluate current effectiveness of formal educational practices used in Damiansville schools.



2. Perform a W-O-T-S analysis to identify weaknesses, opportunities for improvement, existing threats to making improvements, and strengths of current formal educational practices used in Damiansville schools.



3. Develop and carry out grade-appropriate strategies to manage or eliminate existing threats to making improvements in current formal educational practices.



4. Identify and implement strategies to improve weaknesses of current formal educational practices.



5. Develop criteria for success of improved formal educational practices.



6. Select existing strengths to be replicated in other educational settings, classrooms, and grades; provide to appropriate school personnel, parents, and students training on chosen strengths.



7. Based on identified criteria for success, pursue opportunities for improving formal educational practices used in Damiansville schools.



8. Periodically evaluate formal educational practices used in Damiansville schools based on new criteria for success established and make any necessary changes.



RECOMMENDATION #4:

Involve youths, parents, and community representatives in school discussions and decisions relative to school consolidation.

Anecdotal comments made by members of the Damiansville Comprehensive Planning Committee, school personnel, and public meeting participants clearly demonstrated the opposing viewpoints of community members around the issue of school consolidation. Survey respondents seemed happy with the current quality of Damiansville schools. It has been important historically too as 73.6% of survey respondents indicated the quality of schools was an important or very important reason for them to originally locate in Damiansville. Some respondents even cited it as the thing they liked MOST about Damiansville. Public meeting participants agreed Damiansville teachers are very caring, high quality teachers have recently been attracted to the Village, and townspeople are willing to help and pull together very well for the schools. Some support surfaced via the survey for school consolidation or sharing of programs with other school districts, but the public meeting discussion clearly demonstrated more exploration is needed in this area. Other similar sized communities that have recently consolidated in the State of Illinois should be studied in terms of positives and negatives of the change. Youths should be included in this process because the change in their educational structures directly impacts their learning; they unfortunately are traditionally left out of consolidation and sharing conversations and decisions. Population shifts in the geographic area should be studied over the next two to five years and specific trends observed in the Village of Damiansville as they relate to the number of school-age youths. Any studies the school system does in the area of school consolidation and sharing with other school districts should be communicated publicly to keep community residents informed and to build a sense of ownership for future decisions. Youths, parents, and community representatives also need to help interpret results of studies conducted as the findings relate and compare to the culture of Damiansville as a community.

Suggested practices:

1. Identify and recruit student and parent representatives to work with existing school consolidation work groups, committees, etc.



2. Existing school consolidation work groups, committees, etc. update new student and parent representatives on research conducted and status of current efforts relative to school consolidation.



3. The school-student-parent team identifies and conducts additional research and studies to determine future consolidation steps beneficial for Damiansville schools.



4. Based on research and study findings, the school-student-parent team develops a three- to five-year consolidation plan of action.



5. Carry out the consolidation plan of action.



6. Periodically compare the plan of action to population shifts in the Damiansville geographic area.



7. Modify the plan based on Damiansville Village sentiment and demographic shifts and trends.



RECOMMENDATION #5:

Involve youths to explore types and appeal of potential new out-of-school activities.

Quantitative data from compiled surveys indicated 53.9% of respondents were satisfied or very satisfied with recreation programs for youths administered through Damiansville parks. Virtually no respondents indicated dissatisfaction in this area, but 36.5% of respondents were indifferent about the same programs. 43% of respondents were infrequent users of the parks, and 38.2% were infrequent users of out-of-school sponsored activities. 35.5% of respondents NEVER used out-of-school sponsored activities. A correlation can be made between these levels of indifference and infrequency with the number of older respondents to the survey. Some written anecdotal comments did surface from survey respondents in support of improving summer programs for kids, and 36% or respondents even said they were willing to pay for a summer youth recreation program. Three respondents even specifically mentioned in their written survey responses the need for more playground equipment. Various types of recreational programs were mentioned in survey responses, but if resources are to be devoted to new out-of-school and summer activities for youths, they need to be considered the “experts” on what interests them and on what they are willing to support if offered. Communities often think new out-of-school activities and programs for youths are needed and will “keep them out of trouble,” they plan and implement some new youth activities and programs, and then they become frustrated when young people don’t support them. It often is because young people as the recipients of those new activities and programs have been left out of the planning, decision, and implementation processes that resulted in them.



Suggested practices:

1. Recruit youths, parents, and community representatives to serve on an out-of-school activities taskforce.



2. Consult survey suggestions of potential and desired out-of-school activities.



3. Survey Damiansville youths and parents on types of out-of-school activities desired and workable logistics for potential new out-of-school activities.



4. Select one new out-of-school activity to plan and carry out in Damiansville.



5. The taskforce involves key stakeholders to plan and carry out the selected out-of-school activity.



6. Based on the success of the new out-of-school activity held, the taskforce decides whether to plan and carry out additional out-of-school activities.



RECOMMENDATION #6:

Involve youths in developing, writing, producing, distributing, and evaluating a community-wide quarterly newsletter.

A lack of communication at multiple levels was quantitatively and qualitatively reflected in the survey findings. Respondents indicated a need for improved communication with schools when they responded that they did not know about various aspects of the school system. Those findings are mentioned in the introduction to this segment of the plan. Respondents expressed frustration in their written survey comments when they indicated they were “never advised of what is available — have to be related to know any news!” and the Village “needs a newsletter/newspaper of current events.” Public meeting participants expressed similar feelings in the school break-out discussion. By involving youths in the creation, management, and sustainment of this quarterly community-wide (not just dealing with school issues) newsletter, they will increase their understanding and appreciation of Damiansville as a community, develop important skills in news writing and business implementation, and make sure the newsletter is appealing to and understandable by their segment of the population.



Suggested practices:

1. Village Board members recruit high school students interested in working on a community-wide quarterly newsletter.



2. Village Board members decide which adults are to work with recruited high school students on a committee to jointly develop, distribute, manage, and sustain the newsletter.



3. Provide training to the newsletter committee on news writing, newsletter production, and fostering community relations through media.



4. Identify criteria for success of a community-wide quarterly newsletter.



5. Create, produce, manage, and sustain a community-wide quarterly newsletter for one year.



6. Evaluate and redirect the community-wide quarterly newsletter for year two based on criteria evaluation.