NCJ Number
170003
Date Published
1996
Length
36 pages
Annotation
In focusing on links between strong families and safer communities, the 1995 Your City's Families Conference had three main themes: youth, collaboration, and capacity-building.
Abstract
Regarding youth, the conference emphasized the principle that youth are not just recipients of education and other services, but can be full and able partners in their communities' development. The collaboration featured in the conference involves the creation and empowerment of broad-based teams of constituent groups; and capacity-building that strengthens families and communities results from assessments of resources, rather than focusing on what is lacking. The conference themes were discussed in terms of what communities can do to meet the needs of "Michael," a fictional urban youth who illustrates the isolation that neglectful or ill-prepared parents, indifferent school bureaucracies, and shuttered communities impose on some urban youth. During the conference, local officials and community leaders engaged in and learned from discussions about hometown successes and concerns. They concentrated on one goal: to develop action plans to create attractive neighborhoods where children and families can safely work and play. Many communities sent small groups of key leaders. These teams planned collaborative actions to implement on their return home. Individuals received help in how to start action teams in their communities. Teams from Albuquerque, N. Mex., Hampton, Va., and Wichita, Kan., were among the featured panelists and discussion leaders. Their contributions are prominent in this report, which highlights conference themes that include insightful paradigms and promising directions that emerged. Conference momentum will continue through follow-up resources such as telephone consultations, written materials, and site visits tailored to participants' needs. Appended list of key contact people and 13 publications