Special Committee on Youth Empowerment

>> Good afternoon. Good afternoon. If everyone can take their seat, my apologies. The Times for one. It's not how I like to operate. Do believe in gavel. Units actually have 4 o'clock. So my apologies. But we will call to order the youth empowerment. That committee meeting today's date is JANUARY 15, 2025 Imus, a point of personal privilege say that I officially have an 18 year-old in my house right now, which is absolutely crazy to And she's still not paying bills yet. So we'll start with introductions and we start to the left. Stand in that Dallas Office of General counsel. Jon ever. Director of Workforce Development Kids Hope Alliance City of Jacksonville. >> Brockman Johnson, District 14 just visiting and MISTER Chair. I must say Happy Founders Day to the ladies of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority incorporated. Thank you so much. Freeman at large one. >> Randy White District All right. Well, thank you all for being here. And for your continued commitment to the young people of Jacksonville. >> Today we're going to focus on the priority years. Number 2. Empowerment committees charge. And that's on recreational access and re-imagining utilization of parks and community spaces. This includes the places where young people learn, play, explore and connect. And the people in the partners to make those spaces safe and meaningful. This work also supports other priorities like mentorship, skill-building and community safe So there'll be a conversation today that is central to our broader mission. Our goal is not to discuss the funding decisions but to hear models that expand access and then identify those policy priorities that should guide the city's upcoming youth empowerment. >> Supports or Hawaii rfp. If I'm saying that correctly, that comenzar. And so this time I'm going to pass it over to MISTER Everett. And I will give us a little bit of a brief rfp framework. Thank you. COUNCILMAN Freeman. I'm sharing this brief overview on behalf of the Kids. Hope Connect today's discussion. Otherwise framework could eventually translate into procurement, ready structures. This is informational only and mentor frame options, not decisions. The goal is to help the committee to see how your priorities could be organized. Clearly if and when next steps are considered. As the committee priorities of taken Shea. One theme has emerged and we're talking that we're talking about 2 different types of work. One relates to how community spaces are using experience by youth and young adults. And the other relates to education skills and career pathways separating those concept allows each to be discussed scope evaluated appropriately. One potential track focuses on community spaces, parks in centers and how they function is safe, accessible places for youth and young adults. This is about improving how those spaces are using experience, particularly in areas where opportunity has historically been limited. This framing is distinct from other efforts. Efforts focused on prevention or enforcement in a sit-in on access engagement and positive. Innovative use. The second potential track focuses on people based supports, especially for young people who age out of traditional use programs but still needs structure pathways into education and work. This includes life skills, career exposure and hands-on learning tied to real opportunities making making this explicit helps distinguish y c from cage hk chase, traditional youth programming and clarifies his focus on continuity. Be on the age of 18. At this stage, the most helpful input from the committee is not about mechanics, but about priorities. Things like sequencing populations of focus on what succession look like at a high level. That guidance is what allows any future structure to reflect a real nice rather rather than assumptions. This overuse meant to support today's conversation. To give context for why to track structure is being explored is one way to translate the committee's priorities into something clear and workable without pre determining outcomes. I'll turn it back to the chair to continue this discussion. Thank you as ever. And I did not take a chance to scan room see if anybody from the administration was here. My apologies and the last meeting they were here and I did acknowledge so. >> So anyone from the administration room with so I would like to acknowledge not they've definitely been supporters of this process inside. Want to make sure that and let the moment pass. So now we're going to our presentations. The first one will be our stem hub. We will now hear from 2 partners doing hands-on work to expand youth access to safe and engaging community-based basis. First presenters are running King and Doctor Betty burning with the stem hub. They will share innovation and creative learning environments can expand access for you. The neighborhoods across our city, Ronny and Dr Byrne, thank you for being here. And the floor is yours. >> Good afternoon. Good afternoon through the Appreciate the opportunity to present a mostly year with Betty Byrne. And so we have a partnership at the 100 Stars Them Center that we wanted to share with the committee and obviously just kind of go through some different options that we might have to use public spaces. You know, long this effort in that spending the same thing. >> This re-imagining has been really wonderful for the both of us. He's going to take everything away and I'll just answer any questions. >> It is very, very easy. Very easy. >> So quick, quick So we have a a program called Conan Color just gonna go over this very briefly before we get into the the actual spaces. But this program is for middle and high school students. And actually we have some students in the program updates. 21 that are in college. My background is in technology and this whole program is about trying to prepare students with the skills and ai development, game development and also data analytics. And so the students are not just learning kind of career based type of work, but also on the entrepreneurship side, these students are absolutely having businesses growing businesses. We're very proud to say that the students in this program over the last several years collectively have earned over a million dollars on their own from their own businesses. They've actually had a few contracts with the Jacksonville Civic Council and actually the city of Jacksonville is as well. And so these students are doing amazing work. And so the way that we're using these spaces is hopefully what we want to try to go through the day today and hopes that that maybe we have some new ideas kind of moving forward for the future. So we kind of think of this as I could distributed campus in a way. And so what that means to us is that 2 things, one, you have kind of shared environments. And so if we have a space, how might that that space be used in a way so that bunch of different activities can go on and that particular space and also shared accountability. We have organizations that are using the same space. I know we have a lot of great partners in this room. I know we're talking about youth employment. We're talking about youth reading is how might we use spaces so that we can have multiple partners, multiple programs, multiple things going on in the same space. And so we think that this concept that that we're working on here together in terms of a distributed campus is a one approach that we can use to kind of make this all possible. So just our stem centers located off of Moncrief Road. I COUNCILMAN Freemen and others in this room had a large hand in making this happen. But this is city-owned property. We share this this property between 100 black men Jacksonville and I'm a Star Foundation. This has been open for about 4 years, about 4 years now. And so this is an open space. If you go inside this building is is fairly open but very flexible. We have, you know, several tables and that we can move around as a kitchen. There's a kind of a little small yard in the back. But the reason this is important is because obviously that with 100 black men Jacksonville as part of this pipeline, we're primarily dealing with 16 to 21 year-olds. I know Byrne and her group are dealing mostly with the middle school students. But we share this based on a day-to-day basis and on the weekends and so, you know, the ability to have a space that we can kind of move things around are a lot of our students have laptops. And so we want to be able to kind of walk in that space and do we need to do. But I know Ms Byrne at the same time is doing their work. And so when we think about again spaces, whether it's it's parks that we want to repurpose or buildings that we want to repurpose for some of our providers here. How might we set that up in a way so that it can be used by multiple providers at the same time that literally at the same time. But, you across the days and you know, how can we make sure that there is a a way that we can have students involved with, you know, technology or any of the other crafts and still make sure that we get things done it. So we believe at star-studded center that we've been able to accomplish that. And along with that, you know, there's other programming that happens. I know I'm a Star Foundation. Does things with families on the weekends, the 100 black men. We've had meetings in this space. So this is a a a space that we believe can be repurpose for other things as well. And so when we think about these distributed campus models, few things that we want to kind of point out here, one we can we believe have spaces that allow for kind of mobile development, mobile work. Obviously we want things like 3 d printers and we want ar and vr headsets and we want those types of things. And, you know, it's 2026. We can have those things. But let's make sure that we have environments that allow for that kind of movement and mobile participation. So that's that's one 2. We don't want to set up the space. So that is just for students. I know we were talking about kind of fitting out this just our storm center. We didn't want it to be a place that only students comfortable with. You know, we're not here trying to just engage with students. Hopefully we're trying to engage with their families as well. We're trying to prepare students. We're trying to work with the students and the families. And so we want to space you know, the families bill, like they belong in that particular environment and then 3rd you know, just a partner perspective. Obviously, you know, we feel like we have a great program with 100 black men Jacksonville. I know I'm a star. Feels like they have a great program as well. But to commit that building to just one partner probably would have limited you know, it says use ability, right? And so the ability to have a space that allows for different partners to come in and out. I think it's something that we should consider as a committee here. When we talk about next steps. Now, kind of get into this distributed model. You know, we didn't think about this as we try to build out this pipeline. We were thinking about this we just need one space that know all the magic is going to happen. And, you know, students going to come there few hours a week and I've said we're going to change our lives, right? We need almost in golf. The students into the work that they are doing. And so the students that are coming to the 100 starts center and we're trying to prepare them for, you know, careers and we're trying to prepare them for entrepreneurship. We need them that to be able to move across the city and and do different things in different spaces. And so here you see is a list of 4 other locations that we have connected with. The 100 starts center to allow those students to do just that. We have office space at the DuPont Center with them. I those project that students have access to. We had a we have a lease with the Jacksonville Downtown Public Library and the center for adult reading the Old Center for adult reading. So we've taken over that space with the robotics equipment and things like that. The 100 black men has office space on the top of Wells Fargo building off of Edgewood. And so we are utilizing that small business owner. And so we have to business to office buildings that we dedicated strictly for those students. And what this allows is those students can go to just our stem center. They can get trained up there, doing work. They are allowed to use any of these other spaces whenever they need to to kind of come and collaborate. I mentioned earlier that the students are actually getting actual contracts. They need spaces that they can go and practice being entrepreneurs that practice there's their skill sets. And so for them even have an office and, you know, play that out is extremely important. And so having these connected kind of studio notes, it's something that we can consider as well as a city. I know again, we want this effort to not just be, you know, with all these great providers in the room, we want this effort to be something that is connected, something that can work for everybody and hopefully the city as a whole feel proud about what we're doing a year 2 years from now. So we talk about again, a few things we want to consider. Hopefully, you know, through the committee you know, trust, right? We want to space that families again feel comfortable, not just students, families feel comfortable in that space. We also have learned that there's a lot of great near pier opportunities that we can take advantage of in this workforce development space. And, you know, training you know, like I said, Ms Byrne has middle school students. We have high school and college students. It's great for for myself to get in there and teach and do things is great from his burning to do the same. But I think what we've seen the most value is when you have those older students working with those slightly younger students, they're near peers, teaching of things I know in the tech space. That's almost a requirement. You know, you can't you don't know what you can't teach. And so given a student an opportunity, you know, high school student to teach a middle school student, whether that's math instruction or how to build ai model or whatever might be near peer learning is a concept that we want to think about when we're repurposing some of the city city spaces and then last but not least know flexible layouts. You know, let's not build Let's not remodel. And and and create something where now it's tough to do one specific thing. Again, we have a lot of city-owned buildings. We have some parts things like that. How can we create something that is very, very flexible that allows partners to come in and out and we can absolutely do this. This work together. When it comes to outcomes. You know, we we created obviously we're kind of in this tax base. So we want to make sure we're measuring how were using these spaces. And so the students actually built out of portal and some data analytics where we can track, you know, who's using this space, how it's used any time that students are having kind of breakthrough moments in this space and the different families and parents that are coming in and out of this space to measure how we are using it. That's that's beneficial for us. Is organizations obviously individually as we go off and try to get funding and things like that. But in general, I think that is something that we should be thinking about measuring working with the partisan the room in terms of how we can go about this. This this work together in a way that's that's working together. So we were to repurpose apart. But we are to repurposing of the city-owned buildings. We should be keeping track of. Okay. Now only attendance, which I know we obviously do that. But literally down to the hour, the minute who's coming in those buildings with organizations are using those buildings, how they're using it. We think that there is a way because if we're not careful again, funding can go out, programs can happen. Everybody turns integrate annual report. We all feel good. But as a city we might still be in the same situation that we were in a year to prior. You know, we believe that if we can do it together with all these partners in this room, there's a way that we can collect that information and have more of a kind of a citywide impact on how we're using those facilities and how we're going about our particular work together. So, you know, again, didn't want to take too long ago. We had a few other folks to present, but I don't know this want to add anything to that. Just half 3 quick things. When COUNCILMAN Freeman, let's imagine this space. I don't think he even understood. >> How much it was going to take off and how we could literally use it as a model for other spaces. When we say stem. Runny nose. The technology we do have to play to each other strains. If you're going to put groups together. His strength is a technology. I was a science engineering, math and leadership. So we're able to blend all of those things together. But the other piece of it is. Whenever you're doing a shared space and the city is going to re. Imagine. Think about what's most important in the area where we were crime. Was there. So it's a safe space. We make sure that we created as a safe space for young people. But I think this partnership is something that is that can be replicated and if the city says we don't have enough room, there are groups that can literally get in there together and make a difference. That's powerful. Thank you. Thank you so much for sharing that. And you're right on time and will open up for any questions that. >> My committee members MAY have or the committee members MAY have. We're all equal here. The one thing that comes to my mind and not crowded time. I don't know why. But when they showed that picture and for those who don't know the history, if you just Google it. A Valentine's Day, 20 19, 3 teens lost their lives within walking distance of that facility. And I was a newly. Appointed council member and the news media always want to have interviews and they always want to ask me. So what are your thoughts? And I would always say that no parent should ever have to bury their kids right? But we were standing on that spot and he was an old health building. I said this, the place is going to be a beacon of light in the community, had 0 clue of how I was going to happen. My predecessor has started some things COUNCILMAN Pittman, those those the process, when you try to pick some things up, sometimes they stick. Sometimes they don't. We fought hard to get that building to come to life. And we had a lot of help. And I remember just asking them, can you bring this to life? And so to see this? And this is really one of my first snapshot. I stayed away from it because sometimes politics misses a lot of good things up. So to get to see this cool those I hope this inspires others of what a collective partnership can do because each of organizations can stand on their own. Their powerful strong, but even stronger. We see them doing this collaboration in that area. So to my to the committee members, I'm so sorry when I say my eyes now you're not mine. I don't anybody up here. But to the members of this body, anybody have any comment. >> Over the years and Cajun met, you last year with the vision that you have. And think we need something like this in every area. >> I think the the thing that took from your presentation was that Russ? You know, because we trying to do. The same thing, right? And so when we look at the areas in the community, how you know what we need to do together because there's only a certain amount in a way. You know, we just don't keep that thing. That there. So we all So, you know, and often worry about transportation. With kids getting 2 or young adults getting to places like this in areas that need the support. So I want to thank you know, you've been you've been granted for a little bit trying to make sure you find the right spot. And sometimes you MAY not be able to start out as big as you want, but to start out where you going and have contracts with people where either they come to. You, you go to them. So I think it's a nice building. That's a nice pace. Thank you for the presentation. Thank you. Remember COUNCILMAN Justin? >> I just want to add something quickly. Thank you. And I'm okay. Being one of yours, MR. I think this committee is certainly necessary and I wish I could have come to the initial meetings. One thing I want to add for, I appreciate presentation. I was taking those looking to everything as you were talking as we know. I know both. You know, Bernie and of course must pay. I'm an artist. And the one thing that I have to advocate for funding these spaces as somebody who obviously with the credentials as a scientist as well. But I'm an artist and the arts component. I hope that we can go into steam and at that arts component because I see so many of the creative aspects of science, technology, engineering and math. But when you're adding in those creative components, I see we have people here from the educational community who are creatives like I am. And so when you can glean those worlds together, it makes stronger artists. But it also makes stronger creators and all the world. So I like seeing that not just him but steam to move these things sport. And I hope that those that eventually part of the work that this committee does will increase and include that arts component to expand the offerings. But really good work. And congratulations. >> Thank you so much. COUNCILMAN Johnson. That's one of the things that we add it probably 3 months after we started. So during the summer we have a major component with the arts and then regard to entrepreneurs, our students then design things. And at the end of the year, they sell them back to their parents are to whoever comes back. But they understand in a middle school that they can become entrepreneurs and for them, that's why started their own businesses. Thank you so much for that one. And now or go to our next presentation. >> Junior achievement and running about 10 minutes. I do have a birthday dinner that on the racing, too. So I MAY have to sneak out of here a little early. Hopefully we'll get it all in. But we have MISS Tiffany Guthrie from junior achievement should provide an overview of experiential learning centers and discuss how hands-on environments can support career exploration and skill development for youth and young adults. Let's go through floor. Is yours. >> Thank you, chair. Thank you, John. And members of the committee for giving me the opportunity to share. How are community is coming together to create a meaningful learning experience for young people. So before talk about the j Experimental Learning Center I'd love to just briefly ground who junior achievement is and why this works. This work matters at a system level. Jake Leber U.S. With schools, other nonprofits and the business community to help people. Young people understand the world of work money and how opportunity functions together. We do that through curriculum taught in classrooms. And applied learning experiences that allow our students to participate in real world skills. What we've learned over time is where learning happens is just as important as what is taught. That insight has led us to reimagined how a community space itself can support youth readiness here in Jacksonville. In an experience learning center. We have our slides are now. Okay. Roll with it. And then like, you know, there we go. Thank you. Lakers right here. That for my time. So do has a long history of using its financial learning to help young people build real world skills, confidence and a sense of purpose. And that's what we call future. Ready. That work begins in the classroom alongside corporate volunteers who connect learning to life. The j, a spiritual learning center represents the next evolution to that approach linking classroom learning mentor, ship and community-based space to create deeper applied learning experiences that not only strengthen our youth outcomes that contribute to a future ready ecosystem that supports economic mobility over time. So we talk about youth empowerment and workforce readiness. One of the biggest gaps we see is not just access to information, access to practice. So why this model exist. It's a career connected learning program so students will engage in real world. Situations in a simulation. It's a proven model. There's every 20 plus years of national success. Another 50 markets. The impact is elementary, middle and high school and with intentional collaboration, post-secondary use and we are having discussions on how we can branch outside of that and work within the community, whether it's parents and students are really honestly, whatever that's going to look like this location will ever be evolving and be innovative to what the community needs. It's aligned to state standards. So it's really easy for schools to integrate and implement. This is not a stand-alone program. Is community asset designed to grow with students over time? Placements placing the Eels c downtown on a college campus is for a reason. We were very intentional in our conversations with Fscj to not only create a space for a center but a pipeline. It is located in the college environment. I worked first corridor and a civic in transportation hub. So students are just learning about careers. They're physically stepping into an environment that represents what comes next. This space, the design in the space is also intentional. When you come to what's happening on the inside. So students aren't just learning systems. They're actively operating within them. So that principle shows up on the design, appear on the slide where its curriculum connected. So there's going to be classroom prep before the students show up. So there's a long line of lessons that the students participate in before they come to the facility. Students actively operate within the systems as adults taking on jobs and roles and making life decisions. The storefronts, the industries and the scenarios will reflect our regional employers are work for sectors and the needs of our community is community center to partner driver driven. It's safe, inclusive structure, access with a stacked learning model. You can see here what we mean by stack learning is that students don't just have a single experience. They move forward through a progression that's designed to grow with them. So students start with a simulated town. They operate businesses, they connect jobs to income. They have a civic and economic system that they're interacting with throughout the entire experience. Students return later in middle and high school for personal finance life decision making they're going to be applying mass career interests, budgeting and long-term planning within this experience. So the stack learning is strengthen through collaboration, for example, with Duval County Public Schools, Fscj corporate partners, all who bring relevance and real world perspective to the stages of learning for the students. The you'll see is what allows these experiences to live in one intentional space. So the experiences and the learning feels connected and not fragment and and why this works. So the data up here on this slide shows essential learning consistently shifts, not just knowledge, but Bill's confidence. Career readiness, career, where Ernest Community Engagement, 7 students can practice in these real life decisions, especially in these to in the simulations in a safe environment. We know learning sticks. And when those repeating over time, we know the impact is going to grow. So as we continue to think about youth empowerment and workforce readiness, a few lessons stand out from the work. So first design of space matters as we heard from. Ronnie and like you have an amazing facility. So it does matter. So that design matters. So when learning environments are intentional outcomes, improve? Second applied and repeated learning is more effective than a one time exposure. When schools community partners and work for systems are aligned youth outcomes extend the on readiness toward long-term economic. Mobility. So we're really excited about this. This is coming I'm trying to fast because at 10 minutes and John knows me we talk for 30. So that was really quick. We know that this is a collaborative for not only with Fscj Duval County Public Schools, it is now going to open opportunities for all schools, not just Duval County public schools, even though your main partner, but it gives us the opportunity to really expand beyond that and really talk about community needs. And how can we bring the Senate to be innovative when you're looking at the border work for sector, it's also bringing in community partners who are going to be part of the store fronts. These are going to be jobs that we're seeing that need to be filled in the future. And so the faster in the earlier we can get him 5th grade or 6th grade were now they've participated. That also helps then really branch out into their next step. What school can I go to do? I want to go to a c t a t e program. Do I want to certification program when the coming back in high school? You're now still becoming an adult making life decisions and and there's more to that. There's a dream accelerator on there, but I didn't want to go into all of that. But there's another high school piece of that. What we're really trying to do is be a catalyst for the community, prepare them in the foundational concepts and then partner with all these lovely people as much as we can where it makes sense to get the students employed and really thinking about their future. This is an amazing program. Y'all Google it just Jay, town, Jay Finance Park. Those are the 2 programs that are inside the Learning Center. And you'll be absolutely amazed with what's about happen. So stopped there. Thank you so much. Thank you. This country in and we'll bring it back to. >> The committee when I will say if you haven't had the opportunity to visit us, I I took a trip. I think it was Savannah, maybe a Brunswick, one of those areas of North and Georgia in and watch the students interact and it was it it was a phenomenal experience. It really becomes a little town as a mayor elected. There's a police chief of police. They're giving out tickets. And then in the each little stored. They were businesses. So like I electric would have us on one in there and you got to come in and it would have to apply for a job and be interviewed. I really got excited when I left from there about that experience, that So thank you so much for sharing that with with my colleagues and with those in the room, any any comments or questions that >> Great question. We actually have a board member representative he was on the careersource board as well. So we are in conversations were trying to figure out what that looks like for us. We do work with them collectively in Duval some efforts with career fairs and some other things. But I know Chris Sources probably connected with a lot of folks in here, but from junior team is perspective. Trying figure out what that's going to look like in the center and how can we in our own career center? Bridge, the gap there and and and send them students and have their expertise. >> All >> right. Thank you to the presenters. Their work helps illustrate the range of spaces from stem hubs. To all that can be to support a safe, accessible youth engagement in Jacksonville to help guide the city's youth empowerment support rfp. We like to hear from the committee members on the top priorities. You believe the city should focus on? And I'm gonna give you 4 options here. Based on what i've heard today and based on our y c charge. I asked to you all that are here today. Is that you we have some dialogue discussion you sharing. This is gonna be limited to meat and potatoes. For those of you in the room. >> That you share your thoughts here openly. Everything that I like to be a part of and all of us like to be a part of those is being very open and transparent in our conversations. I want to make sure that our thoughts to captured here. So here to 4 options that I would love for you to kind of, you know, at the rank one to 4 with just the top when kind of comes out of year, it's in your packet as well. It should be is extending center hours. Evenings and weekends. Be increasing programs in neighborhoods with limited access. See partnering with nonprofits to expand its tam and trades program programming or d improving safety lighting. Transportation of supervisors, supervision. And so committee members out ask you which one standout most. And let that simmer a little bit. Give you some time if you haven't seen it out past kind of pass it around and you can kind of see what it looks like a minute. Convinced Johnson, did you get those those 4 topics? So yeah, and I read them again. So I'll pass MR. Everitt we need to kill a little bit of time here. But really would like to hear your thoughts to be the first thing comes mind. Which one do you think should be prioritized at the top of these 4 options. Based on what we've heard presentations, what we're hearing going through this process, extending sent hours. So that means evenings and weekends. The increasing programs in neighborhoods with limited Access c partnering with nonprofits to expand stem and trades programming or d improving safety lighting, transportation and supervision. And so at this moment now pause again and then all kind of looked left and right and see if somebody wants that any comments and it's not. I'm not one that at a loss for words ever. I'm a Baptist preacher, son, so I can definitely give everybody 3 points in a poem and I will pass off a plane will get out of here. A lot of the neighborhoods are different. >> It's really hard to compare and say. And stuff. It's all. I say that because I represent 4 districts, right, Megan? So yeah, that Mega 10. And and so there's some organizations where it's access 2. Then, of course. There some. Programs that need to be and communities. But it's hard to find people because the defendant line where >> program is right. So you know, when I look at all of these, I like them all, you know, be honest with you. But I know that it had them all. I feel like increasing programs in neighborhoods with limited access. And that also means share with the parents because we don't want the programs to be babysitting tight programs either. You know, we want to make sure that it's a win-win for the organization or the Church of the partnerships that develop. Would be a total impact asset. To the programs. And so you know what we heard today is not like. These programs can be everywhere, right? So. Identified was the best in me and then also think about high school students. Are leaving to go to college and we need those. Those students rather than coming back to Jacksonville. What? Thank you, Roland, right. So we got to think about all of the new businesses that way we're having. Come to Jacksonville and how do we developer program even for those students that are leaving and we want them to come back. You know, some type of incentive. To bring them to Jacksonville. You know, I think about mechanics or I think about, you know, the big deal in as that sounds like tradesmen. We want to change your vote. Okay. >> All right. Want to make sure everyone is a challenege. Everybody chance You know that. I think it will happen. Have it is because you have all the experts. I here tell you exactly what. Yes, And that's the kind of how we landed on this is based off of the feedback that we've been hearing these 4 kind of capture it all. Unfortunately, an enemy I advocated for every one of these in. I don't they tell me tears. You got to do. But I don't like the to share with all of accomplish as a council member. But I've had success in all these areas. So we'll just say like that. But with 5 million dollars and we understand as we go further, process, how those dollars going to be appropriated. You're not going to be able to throw it all in one and all of these different areas. So we're trying to as a body here, give them a better idea of what we're going to be looking for. Councilmember white know you. Well, remember, we needed to deal the devices our part. So I knew improving safety with lighting. You don't know. Chief firefighter he's so we all call something happens in our house. And my car was burning in the driveway. First call was 9-1-1. And you know that you call 9-1-1, it's is a true So I got chief down for d I'm gonna I'm gonna go last. Which is what I have my house. I get the vote last anyways then really count. But here hopefully ago left. I know you are quite shy. You're officially been ordained a committee member today of the city. Love to hear your that adjustment. Thank you. Councilmember out. Keep it very brief. Kind of rain and at least from the work I've done in the community and what I know. >> My first would be the increasing programming kind of goes back to what I said about stem increasing, putting the arts there to include the arts is a part of it. My number 2. We'd be the partnerships, a lot of the work that I do. I want to make sure that organizations in the 5 that were spend, they are not doing it in silos and that we're partnering with other organizations. So that partnership like I see Dr Chin back there. They're gonna station that so much of the community and so proud of you. And we colleagues that every as well, but involving the music and the other parts of of what we're doing. I see those partnerships as being key. Number 3 would be the extension of hours and touring like you COUNCILMAN I go to a lot of community centers and schools and other places. And while I do see them being opened a good amount of time, kk j does a really good job in, you know, finding out what works for that area. What work specifically for those institutions? I don't see the hours as being as much of a problem. So I think 3 in 4 extending the center hours and of course, in the safety and lighting and supervision, a lot of the agreements that are in place with current organizations and current grantees and others. That's a big part of it. Security ensuring that not only the kids that are that are safe but that the facilities are safe as well. And so those while they are important, I think they're already paramount into what's going on. But I think the work that needs to be that we need focus on is to ensure the programming is there. That unique opportunities for those spaces? Are there. And of course, that the partnerships are happening. And I hope that the organizations here would go above and beyond outside of your cells without mandates. Whatever most of you do, anyways, I'm not. I'm preaching to the choir, but we're stronger when we can partner together and see how we can work. Is while 5 million dollars, as you said, MR. Chair does sound like a lot of money. When you divvy it up. It really that much. So think you for the work you do. I hope that helps. Helps a lot about the Johnson. You do is you always do the work So we got point. >> I just be simple to say. I like partnering with nonprofits to expand stem and trades programming. And so that will be my choice. Hopefully this kind of help staff get an understanding of where we are as a committee and we all true, what question that did arise and I do see someone from the mayor's office. I think I see 2 people here from the mayor's office. I think it's a must Michael over here seems noise there. So thank you all. As I said, they've been in every meeting. So I want to make sure one of the room knew with this. We definitely have the support of the administration in this journey. But when questions ask about churches, our church, is it going to be eligible for this? Even if they're not nonprofit? And so I don't know the answer to that question. I don't know if this is the term the answer it. But if not, that might be a question that we need to have prepared. Respond later, Mr. But I do see people in my clothes. >> know it's gonna say this is we do have discussion of the times within the terms of the rfp. Okay. >> That sounds good. So with no other questions or comments from the body, this point, we're going to open up the public comment. >> If you if you hear you would like to speak, I would ask if you just kind of come up here and by podium and line up give me an idea of how many we have here to speak. It's 4.45 now we have a schedule to 5. I need to be somewhere about 5.15 So we're going to I mean, how how long would you like? I see MISS To noon here. MR. Know he's going to need all 3 minutes, right? Yeah. So Blake, would you say a man and a half 2 minutes? Is that good? I will. We'll go with 15 minutes. And 1, 2, 3, for speaker so that they get we'll start with 2 minutes and hopefully somebody else has a dismal year into. So we got 5, 6, let's go man and a half. If you don't mind saying your name and address on file or if you want to stay one share. Committee. My name is Blake Bassam. I addresses on file. >> One of the reasons I wanted to speak was COUNCILWOMAN Pittman mention keeping the youth in Jacksonville after college. And that is something that we were just talking about a day. I have the opportunity to lead an organization called Youth Organization called Life Launchers. So we have after-school life skill course is working and getting in private and public schools. We're also trying to work with the Parks Department. 2 offered will be called Discovery centers on Saturday's too. And for our workshops of her life skills, taxes, business, entrepreneurship, cpr, training, all the things. But one of the big things that we were talking about today with keeping young people in Jacksonville as you have to have a reason to stay can a reason stay in Jacksonville and what we need to push for is that the young people in Jacksonville see the potential of Jacksonville, something they can buy into as a young started my business at 10 years old, cutting grass. And then I was able to start a few other businesses over that time. But when I graduate high school, the reason I was able to stay here was because of my business. I had relationships and I didn't want to move somewhere naturally. As a young man getting in high school, I wanted to go somewhere But I stayed here because I don't relationships here at a business here. It was a lot more beneficial for me to stay here. So I had a meeting today at Chipotle in Riverside, go with one of the j said members and we were able to talk about creating workshops and expanding that to get more young people in Jacksonville to start a small business. So that Bill staying in Jacksonville because when a critical chur born in Jax stage, acts. All Thank you so much. Next, speaker. And everyone. >> Thank you so much for having me. I'm sure some of you familiar with me. My my name is Tina Family I am a small business owner. The PRESIDENT Of the Asian Chamber of I think you recognize me from there. But tonight I'm here on a different mission and new mission that I would like to bring awareness to the leaderships and the communities. It's amazing of everything that I have her so far for this group. About youth development by when as I would like to bring to everyone attention is the online crimes against children. And the reason that I have taken initiatives to make this my mission. For now and probably for the rest of my life has been because in reason, months, a very close family member of mine became a victim. The online child abuse crimes against children. And last night I attended the fbi needing that hosted by to continue school. And I have learned so much information about the crime against children. And it's just unbelievable. Did you know that there were 35.9 millions report call to the national side by tips lined reporting the crime committed on to me. Online said Jos Exploitation, Ys. And so Don. And so I wanted to bring awareness and I have initiatives that I would like to start talking and I would love to be able to partner with some of the organizations here to discuss. >> Thank you. Thank you so much. And if anybody is interested joining are partnering with Spam, she's going to be in the room. To take some names. Next. Speaker, please dot sunshine. Next address on file. Thank you for this opportunity. I founded the organization called Team Night Role in The MAY Team seal team is after the Navy SEALs. >> Which stands for sea air and land. But our acronym stands for Social emotional academic leadership, social emotional academic leadership bills, executive function, skills which translates into workforce development. We're very working at-risk a lot of times certain programs. Look for the best and the brightest you've to work with in their program. I'm like the Bible. If it works for the least of these, it works for all of these. So we believe in values around Fay family, community country. We also believe in helping everyone build dignity, decency, determination, discipline. Our affirmations around everything begins and ends with respect affirmations around without discipline, dreams are destroyed. And with discipline, dreams are developed. We believe that every child has the capability and the capacity to be at the center of influence as some point in time, which is why we always challenged him to lead. I example, given them values, dignity, affirmations. This is not just the body of work in one particular side of town, we'll work with children from every single zip code. We have data to back it up. I'm excited about this opportunity. I'm excited about our city. And on a Reverend Doctor, Martin Luther King junior, he did have a dream dreams come from sleep, but they only come alive for work. We're excited about working with the city. Thank you. Got the Knicks. Our next speaker. >> I can't recall your name, sir. If you don't mind saying your name and that >> Hello. I am John Jane uni, Jacksonville City Council resolution 2023, 0, 8, 1, 9, Min City Council district 4 cpac, 3 school board district 3. All right. On the current put representing 20 for 25, 0, 8, 6, 7, that's Duval County Public Schools Cip Kha cpac in the mayor's disability counsel Jay said Council Elder affairs, Northeast Florida Regional Council fined Youth Empowerment Public Park and Pottsburg Creek, 2025, 0, 0, 1, 9, Comments from the public. What I wrote on here, fwc. That's the Fish and Wildlife Commission. The state of Florida. Fwc. Phishing with children. You the youth Empowerment Committee support 2025, 0, 8, 6, 7, We are marketing to the world last night at the north cpac, 6 meeting chaired by Charles Barr, who is also on the Truth Commission and cpac, 3 each cpac, urban core cpac, Ernest Smith can get $100,000 for a cip Capital improvement project by FEBRUARY. 25th to present the present it to the Cip scoring committee. Visit Jacksonville. So you now have 5 million, $100,000 lets you goes for that. Thank you for Thank you, MR. Tony, are there any other speakers? >> If your name and address, please. >> Della Sellers address is on file. I am the founder of Girls of Virtue in a vision in town where youth development program and our mission has been since the beginning that we help young adults in our city are in vocational traits. And when we first launched got Tommy Flat out that if all I did was give them a vocational trade, one of my 5 would succeed. And he told me that if we put into 4 different pillars, 3 of 5 would succeed. That's okay. With those 4 pillars. And it was spiritual mental physical financial that we needed a teacher next generation how to manage their head, their home, their health and who they were. So the last 6 years we've piloted what we called empowerment centers. We built the first one right here off Noonan. And what the idea was is that you open it We have every afternoon we open from one to 7, 1, to 8 weekends, 9.10, o'clock Saturdays and Sundays. And the idea behind it is that we streamline the process for the kids in our city. We use junior achievement. The de la tea and they would just come in and if the kid needed more than what we could give, we prefer him out. >> But we found was the hardest problem was applications. Every application was different. Everybody wanted something different. If I got a young adult, that's 20 years old and she's a single mom. I can get 10 applications. So what we found is a system called unite U.S. And we launched a software called it a city initiative called 12 blocks unites us. We are partnering with the cps will be putting every kid in Duval County into one system. One software and it's for e to every nonprofit in every church. Then you begin to streamline the process for kids you can solve for all for your problems. You just need to stop letting us be siloed. Thank you so much. >> That and want to thank everyone who shared their perspective today. Voices are essential to the process. And before we adjourn, I want to summarize what we heard today. What we heard today were models that expand youth access to safe, engaging community spaces. Very clear priority selected by the committee. Somewhat clear. And we heard public feedback that helps us refine our direction moving forward. This info input would directly informed the drafting of the youth empowerment supports yes, rfp. Our next meeting will focus on job training, career pathways and apprenticeships. Another critical area of our charge. Thank you all for your time and commitment. And this meeting is adjourned, published, MR. Chair can I say something? And I was a giant. A good a thank you to the staff in this go. Our staff mysterious the last Andrew and everybody. Thank you all. Thank you.