Collaboration Council Newsletter
December 2018
 
Bridges to the Future

Keep a look out! As you travel through Montgomery County, you may see a System of Care - Bridges to the Future banner on local Ride-On buses. We are excited to continue our work on bridging the gap between youth mental health to young adult independence. You can find out more information on our new website bridgestothefuture.org.  
Many Voices for Smart Choices 

The Maryland Department of Health reports that in 2017 there were 2,009 opioid-related deaths in Maryland. Fentanyl-related deaths are also on the rise, increasing from 1,119 to 1,594 between 2016 and 2017. In an effort to prevent and reduce opioid-related overdose and deaths in Montgomery County, we are hosting a community forum on January 29, 2019 at the Damascus Recreation Center. Adults and youth are both invited to participate in this event, which is designed to share information about the current opioid epidemic and how to prevent opioid misuse and abuse.
 
Please come out and join us to learn about the epidemic from the various perspectives of medical science, law enforcement and families affected by this epidemic.

Community of Practice

2018 has been an extraordinary year for the Youth Development Community of Practice (CoP)! This year CoP presented 71 workshops with interactive learning opportunities to over 1200 youth development practitioners. This month's CoP workshops included a wide variety of topic areas including  Implicit Bias Foundations and the Impact of Trauma on Teens and Young Adults, and Transitioning to Supervision. 

Plans are underway to launch Youth Development NOW the online learning platform for youth development practitioners in Montgomery County! This new professional development resource is designed to expand learning opportunities with post workshop discussions such as an AYD eLearning group, webinars, and a resource library for self- directed learning. We are excited for the launch of the new platform in 2019 and know  that it will be a great resource tool for youth development practitioners.


Excel Beyond the Bell
 
Eleven weeks ago, Excel Beyond the Bell participants embarked on a learning journey with our various Out of School Time enrichment providers and MC Recreation Department as their guides. We are excited to say that 1,955 Middle School youth participants enrolled in EBB are celebrating their final week with a host of showcases and performances across all 8 sites, highlighting session one with a great sense of accomplishment, pride and strong relationships. EBB youth are already thinking of one important question as they prepare to go on Winter Recess and surprisingly it has nothing to do with the holidays! "What activities do I want to do for Session 2?" EBB Session Two will begin January 29th and will provide 16 more weeks of fun, friendships, and new opportunities.

FY19 Under 21 Mini-Grant recipients

We are pleased to announce the recipients of the FY19 Under 21 Mini-Grants:

Albert Einstein HS PTSA
Barrie School Parent Teacher Organization
Blake HS After Prom
City of Rockville
ClancyWorks Dance Company
Community Bridges, Inc.
Damascus HS PTSA
Gaithersburg HS PTSA
Hispanic Business Foundation of Maryland
Magruder HS PTSA After Prom
Our Lady of Good Counsel HS
Paint Branch HS
Quince Orchard HS
Raba Leadership Initiative
Richard Montgomery HS PTSA Post Prom
Rockville HS, After Prom Party
Sandy Spring Friends School
Seneca Valley HS PTSA After Prom Committee
Upcounty Prevention Network
Wheaton HS PTSA
Winston Churchill HS PTSA
YMCA Youth and Family Services

These funds  are  used to  support prevention activities directly  serving youth in an effort to reduce youth  substance  use or  abuse.We congratulate the recipients and wish them success with their events.

2018 Annual Report 

Stay tuned for our 2018 annual report as it will be released in January 2019. This was an exciting year for the Collaboration Council and its partners. We are pleased to share some of the impactful work that took place. 

Save The Date May 2019

Our annual Youth Development Symposium will take place on May 14-16 2019 at the Universities at Shady Grove. We hope to see you there! 

Check out our redesigned website

We are excited to share our redesigned website with you. Click here to check it out today & be sure to check back often as we are constantly updating it with information and news!


Happy Holidays from the Collaboration Council

The staff at the Collaboration Council wish you and your families a safe and happy holiday season. We look forward to our continued work on behalf of the children, youth and families of Montgomery County in 2019!

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