December 12, 2007   In This Issue State Children's Cabinets and Councils Karen's Youth Today Column Quality Counts Kick-Off Meeting Awards Where We've Been Quick Links Karen's Columns Youth Policy Resource Center Youth Policy Action Center Connect for Kids Ready by 21 Web pages Not a subscriber?

Dear Forum Flash Reader, Happy holidays! We wish you peace and joy wherever and however you may be celebrating this season.  Here at the Forum, we have many things to celebrate. Scroll down to learn about our upcoming event on state Children's Cabinets and Councils, Karen Pittman's latest Youth Today column, our recent Ready by 21 Quality Counts Initiative kick-off meeting, recent awards and much more. State Children's Cabinets and Councils: Getting Results for Children and Youth December 14, 11:45 am to 1:30 p.m.   This lunchtime event, co-hosted by the Forum for Youth Investment and the American Youth Policy Forum, will provide an opportunity to learn from the directors of state Children's Cabinets and Councils how they have successfully aligned state efforts across departments and agencies, creating a more efficient and effective set of supports for children and youth.   The briefing will take place on Capitol Hill in the Caucus Room on the Third Floor of the Cannon House Office Building located at Independence Avenue and New Jersey Avenue, SE.    There's still room, if you'd like to attend! Just RSVP to aypf@aypf.org. For more information, visit: http://www.aypf.org/forumbriefs/2007/fb121407.htm Creativity, Sprituality and Youth Work: Claiming the Territory In Karen Pittman's December Youth Today column,she explores a connection between two pieces that appeared in the October issue: Peter Benson's "Youth Development and the Creative Life" and a summary of a new report from the Search Institute and the National Collaboration for Youth, "Is There Common Ground?". In turn, Karen offers a reccomendation: "Seize the day. Let's claim powerful words like 'creativity' and 'spirituality' and make them our own. Let's acknowledge the central role that youth workers can play and are playing to help young people find themselves." Read the full column

Ready by 21 Quality Counts Kick-Off Meeting a Success!

Teams from a dozen states and communities participating in the Ready by 21 Quality Counts Initiative came together for a two day kick-off meeting in Washington, D.C. November 29 and 30.  Participants represented the leadership that will drive the initiative at the local level and included representatives from state and local government, education, United Ways, capacity-building intermediaries and youth-serving organizations. Ron Jackson from St. Louis said the meeting "brought us face to face to meet and learn from people across the country with similar interests. Ready by 21 gives us a framework and language for doing this work and engaging others and it gives us a basis for accountability." Heather Elmore from Washington reported, "I learned so many new things, and we are walking away with a working plan."

Awards

Georgetown Divide/Black Oak Mine Receives CCP Award

Sarkeys Foundation's Southwest Regional Leadership Forum
Merita Irby presented at the Sarkeys Foundation's Southwest Regional Leadership Forum where nonprofit leaders convened to discuss issues around nonprofit management and specific content focus areas. Merita facilitated a breakout session entitled "Helping Young People Become Ready by 21." 

Southeastern Network of Youth and Family Services  
The Southeastern Network of Youth and Family Services, with the OASIS Center, held their 2007 annual conference in Nashville, Tennessee.  This year, Karen Pittman gave a keynote highlighting how the Forum's Ready by 21 framework can help allied youth fields ensure that all youth, especially those from disconnected families, have the opportunities, supports, and services they need to succeed. 

Oregon Commission's Strategic Planning Retreat

Karen Pittman and Elizabeth Gaines travelled to Salem, Oregon for a strategic planning retreat with the Oregon Commission on Children and Families, the largest umbrella advocacy group for children and families in Oregon. Elizabeth and Karen walked the Commission members through a range of exercises and activities to assist them in improving their outcomes to impact the lives of Oregon's youth.

Sincerely,

Thaddeus Ferber and Livia Kent
The Forum for Youth Investment