A County-Wide Partnership to support the success of
EVERY young person on their journey from cradle to career.

Newsletter | Spring 2018
Key Insights
Our Economy is Tied to Our Vital Signs 

"In order to have a sustainable economy, we must have the human capital necessary to support it."   
- Emma Pinter


Randy Roberts, Triple Peak Ventures, Chair

Emma Pinter ,
City Council, City of Westminster, Vice Chair

Simone Jones , Courts, 17th Judicial District, Treasurer

Kami Welch ,
Arvada Chamber of Commerce, Secretary

Tiffany Anderson, Boettcher Foundation
 
Emma Pinter,
ACYI Board Vice-Chair
As a mom of two raising my family here in Adams County, I am deeply committed to ensuring that our community is a place where we can ALL thrive. In order for this to happen, we must have a strong, sustainable economy. 

There are many factors that comprise a vital economy, however e ducation is one of the most critical components. Why? Because children and youth become our workforce, leaders and community members, and it's no secret that communities who have a talented workforce attract and retain employers. With jobs, income, benefits, etc., families are able to live and contribute to a better quality of life.  In order to have a sustainable economy, we must have the human capital necessary to support it.  

This understanding drives my involvement in the ACYI Partnership. Together with other cross-sector partners, we are working to ensure s uccess for EVERY child - Cradle to Career.

The ACYI Partnership is specifically focused on moving the needle in six Cradle to Career Outcome areas. National and local research indicates that when our youth are hitting targets in these key areas, their potential for long-term success greatly increases. These Cradle to Career indicators are similar to vital signs used in healthcare, in this case, they tell us about the health of our community.   READ MORE
 
A Look at Our Vital Signs 



Our vital signs are points along the cradle to career continuum that are supported by
research as key contributors to success.

We have established a baseline for where our youth are currently performing in each of these Cradle to Career Outcome Areas.  

Within our Collaborative Action Networks (CANS) we further disaggregate this data with an equity lens.  We use this information as a flashlight to help illuminate areas to focus on.  LEARN MORE
Together We'CAN'


 
Collaborative Action Networks



Collaborative Action Networks or CANs are the "guts" of the Youth Initiative of Adams County. Using the Cradle to Career Outcomes to guide their work, CANs focus on a specific indicator as a collective force, applying their efforts in a collaborative and constructive way.
LEARN MORE  

To learn more about each of our CANs, click on the respective links below:

 
Read below for a spotlight on our Post-Secondary Success CAN...



Post-Secondary Success CAN Basics
 





By 2020, approximately 74% of Colorado jobs will require some level of post-secondary credential.

ACYI defines 'post-secondary' as any college, certificate, apprenticeship, or credential program that helps the recipient become gainfully employed. 

This CAN is spearheaded by Chuck Gross,  Adams County Education Consortium , t o accomplish the following:

Global Target: By 2025 students in Adams County (5 school districts) will enroll in and complete post-secondary at or above the state rate.

Short-Term SMART Target: By Spring Semester 2019, 48% (est. 100 seniors who have been accepted to a post-secondary institution, but who are at risk of not enrolling) of the 2018 high school graduating class, across the partnership, will enroll in post-secondary programs, bringing the rate of enrollment from 46% to 48%.

In the short-term this group is working to reduce
Summer Melt for students identified by the CAN.

This group is also working to overlay the  Colorado Department of Higher Education and Colorado Commission on Higher Education  State Master Plan onto the longer term work the CAN will take on (focused on systems change and attainment).   READ MORE

Interactive Post-Secondary Data Dashboard Live Online!
 

T o move the needle in post-secondary enrollment and completion, we start and end with data, making sure the data is commonly collected, easily understood, and actionable. T o help with this mission, we've created data dashboards for each of our CANs to provide a more interactive, collective picture of what our efforts look like in Adams County.

To check out our interactive Post-Secondary Enrollment and Completion Data Dashboard, CLICK HERE. 


Support Needed to Reduce 'Summer Melt'


 

The Post-Secondary Success CAN has identified a cohort of approximately 200 high school seniors who have applied and been accepted to Front Range Community College, Metropolitan State University of Denver or Colorado State University, but who are at risk of Summer Melt . 

Despite being college eligible and in some cases even enrolled, these students are at risk of not attending in the fall and will i nstead "melt" away during the summer.
The lower a student's income, the more likely they are to experience summer melt because they lack the necessary resources and support.

After assessing support available to these students here in our community, it was determined that there is only capacity to support 60 of these students with Intrusive Advising or Summer Bridge Programming. READ MORE


Adams County College Works Opportunity Available for Thirty Five Students


Metro State University of Denver, Front Range Community College and Adams County Workforce and Business Center have partnered to offer a unique summer employment opportunity that doubles as both a Summer Bridge Program and provides Intrusive Advising for students who are enrolling to attend either of the campuses. 

A College Works Scholar experiences a summer of exposure to MSU Denver or Front Range Community College by working in an on campus job that often pertains to their major or field of study. In addition to employment, scholars will expand their perspective by participating in workshops led by Peer Mentors that will complement their professional development and first year preparation. Students will have access to resources that will equip them to enter college feeling prepared and ready to further their education. LEARN MORE

Working to Align with State Master Plan for Advancing Education and Talent Development


The Colorado Commission on Higher Education (CCHE) presented its master plan, Colorado Rises: Advancing Education and Talent Development, as an urgent call to action. Essentially saying that if the state of Colorado is to prepare its students for changing workforce demands and maintain its high quality of life and vibrant economy, it must invest more in the educational attainment of all its citizens.

In this plan, the CCHE reaffirms a statewide credential attainment goal of 66 percent by 2025 for our adult population, stressing that our economy demands it. They outline that some progress has been made since 2012 when the commission issued its previous master plan, but today attainment is still only 55 percent.

We are answering the call and joining the concerted effort to prepare students for changing workforce demands and, essentially, helping Colorado maintain its high quality of life and vibrant economy. READ MORE


Youth Voice and Perspective



Technology Enabled Girl Ambassadors (TEGA)



ACYI is launching a pilot project in partnership with our national affiliate, StriveTogether , and international partner, Girl Effect , to help inform the work of the ACYI Partnership with authentic youth voice and perspective, ensuring that young people are at the heart of what we do.

Through the implementation of this pilot project, we will gain youth voice and perspective via research conducted through Girl Effect's TEGA Program . TEGA stands for Technology Enabled Girl Ambassadors. TEGAs are girls aged 18-24 who are trained to conduct research via a mobile application. Girl Effect designed the app so girls can become digital interviewers, collecting real-time data about their communities in the form of audio, videos and photos, as well as traditional survey data.

We just completed training with our twelve TEGAs and look forward to introducing them to you soon. Watch for more information in the near future.

Adams County Student Survey (ACSS)


ACYI is firmly committed to administering and reporting our annual Student Survey as a means of elevating the voices of our most important stakeholders -
 youth.  This survey asks students in Adams 12 Five Star Schools, Adams County School District 14, Mapleton Public Schools, School District 27J, and Westminster Public Schools their opinions about a number of things including: life at home, at school, and in the community. 

Our 2017-2018 Survey County Report is now available in an interactive digital format for the first time ever.  LEARN MORE  

We would also like to give a shout out to South Elementary (School District 27J) for the highest student response rate. ACYI will be providing their entire staff with either lunch or dinner during one of their parent/teacher conferences or an in-service day of their choice as a thank you for doing such a great job administering the survey. Congratulations South Elementary!

Call for Youth Engagement Advisor (YEAs)


ACYI is looking for community members to serve as Youth Engagement Advisors (YEAs) to serve on each of our Collaborative Action Networks (CANs) to help  ensure youth voice and perspective are at the forefront of our work.

YEAs are specifically charged with ensuring that youth voice and perspective are lifted throughout the work of the CAN. YEAs support action aligned to this end, including helping to facilitate youth focus groups, authentic youth input, etc. LEARN MORE

Opportunities
ACYI Institute Workshop Opportunities
 

We are dialing in our support to Partners through our Institute focused on training, coaching and support for outcomes based work happening on behalf of children and youth, specifically related to moving the needle in identified Cradle to Career priorities.  READ MORE

Current and Upcoming Opportunities: 

LEANing Into Results Oriented Work  | April 26, 2018  LEARN MORE
  
Intro to ACYI and Continuous Improvement | May 9, 2018 LEARN MORE

LEANing Into Results Oriented Work  | June 6, 2018  LEARN MORE
 
Intro to ACYI and Continuous Improvement | June 20, 2018 LEARN MORE

Actualizing Your UIP (for Educators) | May 29, 2018 AND June 21, 2018 LEARN MORE



Sign up As a Table Captain  

Consider supporting our effort by stepping up to serve as a Table Captain at our Catalyst for Change Breakfast. As a Table Captain, not only will you be highlighted as a champion for children and youth, you will invite colleagues, friends and family to support our effort, and collectively you will help drive measurable, intentional work with the greatest return on investment... our future workforce and community!  LEARN MORE  

Students in Adams County Eligible for National Art Inspires Scholarship   

StriveTogether, a national nonprofit working to improve education for every child, is offering a scholarship opportunity for current high school seniors and students enrolled in a post-secondary institution in communities served by a partnership in its Cradle to Career Network. 

Because of the work of the Youth Initiative of Adams County (ACYI), students in Adams County are eligible for the Art Inspires Scholarship.    LEARN MORE  

About ACYI

When Children and Youth Succeed, 

Our Community Succeeds.
The collective ACYI Partnership helps drive academic achievement, safety and well-being of children and youth from Cradle to Career  by leveraging data, community expertise and collaboration using the 'Continuous Improvement' practice to...
MEASURE WHAT MATTERS
 
Our key indicators measure academic achievement, safety and well-being across our community. 
IDENTIFY BEST PRACTICES

Identify practices that create an environmen t of success.
SPREAD WHAT
WORKS

We work to help align community resource s to spread what works.

A National Movement to Improve Outcomes for Every Child, From Cradle to Career...  ACYI is a proud affiliate of the StriveTogether Cradle to Career Network, a national network of 69 community partnerships in 32 states and Washington D.C. working to improve Cradle to Career success for every child by bringing together cross-sector partners around a common vision. Together, the Network impacts over 8.2 million children and youth nationwide. 

1500 E. 128th Avenue, Thornton, CO 80241 ・ 720-972-3876 ・ www.acyi.org