Staff is requesting Council authorization to submit a grant application to Piper Jaffray Companies Foundation funding for the Next Step youth volunteer and employment readiness program for Summer 1999. Funding will be sought in the amount of $15,000 to provide staff to coordinate the program, and to pay program materials. It is recommended that Council approve submittal of the grant application to Piper Jaffray Companies Foundation.

The Piper Jaffray Companies Foundation provides funding for a broad cross-section of community needs. Through community involvement and philanthropic investments, Piper Jaffray hopes to enhance the health and prosperity of the communities in which they are located. Piper Jaffray’s funding interests are focused on youth employment strategies.

Over the past three years, the City has received two grants from the Packard Foundation to pilot the Next Step program, an eight week program designed to provide early adolescent youth (ages 13-16) with the skills needed to successfully enter the job market and to instill in them a sense of involvement in the community. The program has evolved and the summer session have been most effective.

Oversight for the project has been provided by the City’s Volunteer Services Division in partnership with the Northwest YMCA, the City’s Parks and Recreation Department, and NOVA Private Industry Council. The program includes three major components: a volunteer placement in City departments or non-profit agencies; training in preparation for the volunteer experience; and transition into paid employment and a community service project which emphasizes involvement in the community.

This project has, in part, addressed the recommendations of the 1993 study issue on junior high youth (RTC 93-540), focusing on the service needs of youth in the non-school hours. The Next Step program has been developed to address the community service/volunteer program envisioned in the junior high study.

The City of Sunnyvale is seeking funding for the 1999 summer session of the Next Step program. It hopes to serve 30 or more youth in the summer of 1999.

The eight-week program will offer a combination of training, volunteer experience and community service. The 32-hour training component will include an orientation as well as weekly workshops covering basic employment skills and workplace etiquette, communication skills, application preparation, interviewing and job search training. Youth will complete 100 hours of volunteer experience in City Departments and nonprofit agencies to acquire experience in an employment setting. All youth will be required to participate in 20 hours of community service in project(s) to instill in them a recognition community needs. This project will be planned and executed by the group.

The projected cost is $15,000 which will cover the cost of the coordinator, training, marketing and recognition. The cost of the program will be partially offset by participant fees of $50 per youth, however, no youth will be turned away because of financial reasons.

The General Plan contains guidelines regarding the use of intergovernmental grants. Attachment B outlines the intergovernmental grant policy. All grant proposals are first sent through City Council for the Council to make a decision as to whether or not to apply for the grant source. As noted in Attachment B, key issues to be reviewed include the ability of the City to financially support the program over the ten year resource allocation planning period and the degree to which the grant furthers either the long-range or short-range specified goals or objectives of the City.

The City is seeking funding for this project to provide an opportunity to explore its effectiveness at meeting the employment readiness and enrichment needs of early adolescents.

Publication of the Agenda.

Prepared by:

Sophie C. Horiuchi
Volunteer Services Manager

Reviewed by:

Approved by:

Robert LaSala
City Manager