MiConnections of Kent County—Resources for Local Sites

MiConnections Chart: The framework for MiConnections is the Guideposts for Success: Evidence-Based Activities that improve outcomes for youth. (Formats available: Word, PDF, or FlashPaper)

Guideposts for Success: Quality Youth Transition Services. NCWD/Youth has identified Guideposts for Success based on what research tells us that all youth need to transition to adulthood successfully. (Formats available: Word & PDF)

Using the “Guideposts For Success” in the “Career Development Process”: a chart that integrates the Guideposts chart with a chart on the career development process giving a foundation for research-based career development curriculum and programing. (Formats available: Word & PDF)

Guideposts for Success: research summary and citations

HSHT Manual: This is the program manual for the High School/High Tech program that MiConnections is based on and funded by. The manual is designed around the research and practice of the Four Design Features (now called Guideposts for Success).

Supplement to HSHT Manual: This is additional web-based resources to use with the Four Design Features

High School High Tech Across the Web: This is a survey of websites of High School High Tech sites in the United States. To learn more about this national program, go to http://www.highschoolhightech.net/

MiConnections Research-Based Framework: This is a document compiling the key research that drives MiConnections; the activities and effective practices that have proven to work in improving outcomes for youth.

MiConnections Website

MiConnections—the Need

MiConnections—Background: This document describes some of the data that demonstrates the need in Kent County

More Data

Environmental Scan—Trends and Issues Affecting Career Development

Environmental Scan—Focus on Work and Disability

Environmental Scan—Focus on Work and Youth At-Risk

MiConnections—A Catalyst for Restructuring Schools: In this climate of realization that schools need a major overhaul, this document describes a vision for how MiConnections can become a way of engaging youth in their future

High School Dropouts—What are they saying? This is a summary of research based on actual interviews with students that dropped out of school. Listen to what they said

One-Third of a nation--rising dropout rates declining opportunities

State of Our City’s Children: A report by the City of Grand Rapids Office of Children, Youth, and Families

Research on youth with disabilities and dropout

Student with Disabilities Who Drop Out of School

Dropout—Essential Tools

GAO—Federal Report on Special Education

PowerPoint: The Changing Needs of the American Workforce

MiConnections—Startup

MiConnections Startup Guide: This is a digital version of the binder given to each local site in Kent County.

MiConnections—The Basics: This is a summary of the process of starting up and maintaining MiConnections in Kent County

MiConnections—Overview of Kent County: This is a description of the basic elements of the MiConnections initiative.

MiConnections of Kent County—Startup Plan: This is the 11 x 17 chart of our objectives

MiConnections of Kent County—Startup Plan—Printable Format: This is the previous chart put on three pages (8.5 x 11).

MiConnections Statewide Starter Kit: Resources developed by the state and Kent County to assist others in the state in starting a MiConnections site.

MiConnections—Enrollment, Reporting, Funding Request Forms

MiConnections Enrollment Form (in Word format)

MiConnections Enrollment Form (in PDF format)

These two forms are required to report progress every three months

MiConnections Activity Report Form: This form is turned in every three months for each youth, with the four design feature activities that they have done. These acitivities will be compiled from sites across the county and will be available to any site.

Businesses & Community Organizations Report Form: This is reported from each local site every three months. It is simply a list of organizations and businesses that have provided activities for MiConnections Local Sites. This list will also be compiled from all of the sites across the county and will be available to local sites.

Funding Request Form for Local Sites

MiConnections—Logo

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Local Resources for Local Sites

Essential Tools: Community Resource Mapping

This is the digital version of the Community Resource Cards. These cards are listings of organizations in our community that are willing to be involved in education. They detail the activities and resources they are willing to offer to MiConnections clubs.

These are the Community Resource Cards from Disability Advocates of Kent County. These are set up in a printable format, four sets at a time.

Community Exploration and Leadership Activities in Kent County. These are activities that are available in our community and part of our summer exploration opportunities for youth.

Start Something Overview

Youth can learn to define their dreams, set goals, and take steps toward their goals

THEN they can apply for a scholarship for up to $5000.00 to pursue their dream.

Youth Involvement

How Do You View Youth Involvement? This is a document that was instrumental in really shifting my thinking about how critical it is for MiConnections to be Youth Initiated and Youth Directed.

The Ladder of Youth Involvement: this concept is part of the previous document and describes the stages and growth of youth involvement.

Quotes—Youth Involvement in Education: Here’s what youth are saying.

Positive Youth Development: This document summarized research-based concepts on what youth need for health growth and development.

40 Assets: A description of the areas where youth need to develop assets. When youth lack these assets, unhealthy development follows.

The following documents contain much of the research on youth involvement

Meaningful Youth Involvement—Inclusive School Change

Students as allies in Improving their Schools

Students Turn for a Change

Youth Involvement Research

Youth Involvement Resource Guide

Youth Leadership Development

Youth Leadership Resource Guide 2004-2005—Kent County and Beyond: This is a directory of community resources deveoped by the Grand Rapids Mayor’s Office of Children, Youth, and Families and Kent Intermediate School District

Youth Leadership / Youth Development—A Background Paper: This is a summary of the research by the national organization that gives technical support to MiConnections.

Youth Leadership Manual: This is a manual developed for training on youth leadership. It was obtained through a national webcast on youth leadership.

Youth Leadership / Youth Development Assessment: This is a format to self-assess an organization to determine the extent that youth leadership embedded in its system.

Youth Leadership / Youth Development Bingo: Get creative and let me know how you use this.

101 Tools for Tolerance: Simple Ideas for Promoting Equity and Celebrating Diversity

The Importance of Student Voice

Kent County Youth—On Leadership: One of the best definitions of leadership I’ve seen

Web Resources on Youth Leadership / Youth Development

The following are documents from an excellent resource: The Innovation Center On Community and Youth Development

Youth Leadership for Development Initiative: broadening the parameters of youth development and strengthening civic activism.

Youth in Decision-Making: research highlights from a study on the impacts of youth on adults and organizations

Broadening the Bounds of Youth Development: Youth as Engaged Citizens

Creating Change: How organizations connect with youth, build communities, and strengthen themselves

Lessons in Leadership: How youth people change their communities and themselves

Mentoring

MiConnections Mentoring Resource Guide: this is the digital version of the Kent County Mentoring Resource Guide that local sites received as a part of the Mentoring Brown Bag Lunch.

Kent County Mentoring Collaborative: is made up of over 15 representatives from various Mentoring Programs and Youth Serving Organizations in Kent County. The KCMC meets every Second Thursday from 8:30am-9:30am at the Heart of West Michigan United Way, 118 Commerce SW.

Creating Mentoring Opportunities for Youth With Disabilities: This contains a summary of the research on the effectiveness of mentoring on improving outcomes for youth with disabilities.

Mentor Michigan—Letter from Governor Granholm: The First Gentleman has taken on increasing mentoring opportunities in Michigan.

Ementoring is a great way to involve students and businesses in mentoring. MiConnections has partnered with Connect to Success Ementoring to provide an ementoring model to MiConnections Local Sites that are interested. The following documents describe this program.

Overview of MiConnections Ementoring

Connecting to Success Ementoring description

Connecting to Success Ementoring Training Manual

Mentor Michigan: This initiative, started by Governor Granholm while she was attorney general, is now headed by the First Gentlemen, Dan Mulhern. It is housed within the Michigan Community Service Commission. Its goal is to increase mentoring in Michigan through increasing the number of willing mentors.

Mentor Michigan Directory for Kent County: Find Mentoring Programs near you.

National Mentoring Partnership: Mentor Michigan has formed a partnership with this organization, which gives us access to research, effective practices, and other resources.

Local mentoring programs registered with the National Mentoring Partnership

Go to: www.mentoring.org

Enter your zip code in the space under “Make a difference in a life. Find a mentoring opportunity in your area!”

Click “Go”.

Elements of Effective Practice in Mentoring: This is based on research done over more than a decade. It sets a standard for mentoring programs that seek to run a quality mentoring program

Youth Entrepreneurship

MORE THAN TWO-THIRDS OF TEENS HOPE TO BECOME ENTREPRENEURS, ACCORDING TO NEW JUNIOR ACHIEVEMENT POLL (read more . . .)

Council for Entrepreneurial Development:

A Curriculum for Future Entrepreneurs

· Basics on business startup for youth

· Basics in business plan development

Business Plan Template (part of the above curriculum)

Video (just over 3 minutes long) on entreprneurship and the philosophy of the Council for Entrepreneurial Development

Youth Entrepreneurship Websites

The Small Business and Self Employment Service: The SBSES is a service of the Office of Disability Employment Policy of the U.S. Department of Labor which provides information, counseling, and referrals about self-employment and small business ownership opportunities for people with disabilities. SBSES, located at the Job Accommodation Network, is available through JAN's toll-free number 1-800-526-7234 V/TTY.

The Abilities Fund: The Abilities Fund is committed to the economic advancement of people with disabilities, and devoted to the fullest expression of their entrepreneurial spirit in all its diversity, strength and boundless originality. Services are designed specifically for individuals with disabilities interested in business ownership and the organizations that serve them. We focus services on three primary markets:
-Entrepreneurs with disabilities
-Microenterprise development organizations
-Vocational rehabilitation agencies and other disability-related organizations

Basic Business Plan Template: I developed this for local sites to use for school-based micro-enterprise

Entrepreneurship: A Flexible Route to Economic Independence for People with Disabilities: a fact sheet from the Department of Labor Office of Disability Employment Policy

105 Business Ideas: The result of brainstorming by middle and high school students. This document continues on the show that ideas are a dime a dozen, making the point that, "It's not the idea, it's the execution." It also gives some good advice on determining feasibility of a business idea.

Local Entrepreneurship Resources Grand Rapids, Michigan Area

Be Your Own Boss: Tools for starting and expanding your Michigan business

Starting a Business in Michigan: Statewide resources and links

2005 Guide to Starting a Small Business in Michigan