March 2018 McK-UDOS Newsletter

Coalition Meeting Notes

On March 22, 2017, we had our coalition meeting.  We had 11 members attend.  Below are the Meeting Minutes:

Called to meeting at 12:05 pm

Presentation by Vernalynne De La Rosa (Program Coordinator): 

Introductions  

• Vernalynne De La Rosa – McK-UDOS Project Coordinator
• Meme Wang-Schweig – McK-UDOS Program Evaluator  
• Hong Liu – Executive Director MAHA  
• Yan Chen – Project Vision  Project Coordinator
• Nashly Pale – Gad’s Hill  
• Justin Kerr – McKinley Park Online News 
• Sgt. Eileen Lacy – Illinois National Guard
• Jimmy Wong – CASL 
• Ada Tong – State Representative, Theresa Mah 
• Sihang Sun – VOC Media  

 Updates  

• Parent workshops at Project Vision in January and February on adolescent development, communication, substance abuse, and boundary setting. Project vision received positive feedback from parents and students complained their parents made up rules and are enforcing them after presentation.
• Presented at Aquinas Literacy Center talking about McK-UDOS substance prevention program and how they can help. Smart Match Employment Program was also presented on the students
• National Drug and Alcohol Fact Week, 1/22-1/28 – distributed the campaign materials to schools in the Southwest area not just McKinley Park and to show importance of IYS data.
  • 4 diff posters – harms of underage drinking and marijuana use, social norms, and social host law in IL.
    • Distributed at  gas stations, Dunkin Donuts, and locations where youth might go to purchase alcohol and cigarettes.
    • Other agencies had taken posters and fliers.  
    • McK-UDOS was also featured in McKinley Park Online News.  Our posters were also published in La Raza, Lawndale News, The China Press Weekly, and Sing Tao Daily.
    • Social media – FB, Twitter, and Medium  

 
Illinois Youth Survey (IYS) – 2018  

• IYS assesses drug use, school perceptions, dating relationships, and other topics.
• Use for reports to funding agency, SAMHSA – 6^th, 8^th, 10^th, and 12^th graders are surveyed every other year on even numbered years
• Still recruiting other schools and we have collaborate with Pilsen Wellness Center to recruit schools
• Schools who have registered (Brighton Park Elementary School, Columbia Explorers Academy, Phillip D. Armour Elementary School, John C. Burroughs Elementary School, Josiah L. Pickard Elementary School, Sheridan Elementary Math & Science Academy, Tilden Career Community Academy)
• Schools that have said yes, but still need to register  (Benito Juarez Community Academy, Horizon Science Academy, Pilsen Community Academy, Orozco Community Academy, Thomas Kelly High School)
• Schools we are encouraging to register (Calmeca Academy of Fine Arts Dual Language, Charles N. Holden Elementary, Frank Gunsaulus Elementary, James Shields Middle School, McClellan Elementary, Nathan S. Davis Elementary)
•  SGT. Lacy stated she will take on getting private or parochial schools in the area. She knows the importance of IYS data because the National Guard also uses the data for the state to assess how much personnel is needed in the field to help the coalitions.
   
•  Justin from McKinley Park News recommends LSC elections are taking place next month – school officials, parents and community members – so that would be a good way to bring up issues at the schools.
• Coalition members provided suggestions to attend Local School Council meetings, find the gatekeeper at the school
• Chicago is one of the underrepresented school districts in IL, but is one of the biggest in the nation. There are 640 eligible schools to take the IYS, but less than 30 schools register.
• Question was asked about what strategies can be done to present schools and show them how to use the data, (i.e. how to use the data to write the grant). Many school districts, Kankakee and Iroquis County – fiscal agent for DFC grants – money can go to the district – a lot of work. A lot more grants – inquiries from organizations – request for information – for grants – opioid
  
  
• In the Preventing Alcohol Abuse among Chicago Teens coalition (PAACT) IYS work group – discussions about how to talk to the principals and be able to implement it in the schools’ scheduling. Because administrators plan their testing before the school year starts, we should start talking them to May & June 2019.
• A suggestion was made to develop a PowerPoint using IYS data to present at LSC to capture local information – 10 slides and find opportunities where to present
• Administrations are looking for what can they do with the data for their population – no time to write grant and run a program
  • Recommendation to draft a text – for their grant population and the numbers are dropped in place – spreadsheet to populate in the Microsoft  
  • Recommendations for a literature summary for substance use – email to person whoever is writing the grant – copy and paste for the proposal and don’t have to look for the data/literature – 1 sheet executive summary to schools who participate in the survey  

 
One-on-One meetings with Coalition Members

• We are scheduling one-on-one meetings with coalition members – how to improve work, keep as coalition members, how to grow and stay, and understanding what are the some positive things, and where are opportunities to grow.
• Mutually beneficial – rewarding to your work and benefit to you.
• If you would like to host a coalition meeting – get other members/resources that are available of McK-UDOS  

 
April is Alcohol Awareness Month 

• We will presenting at school assemblies so more students can understand the harms of underage drinking and how to make healthy choices
  • Lee Roupas – ILCC will present  
  • CAPS officers
• Campaign – relaunch – specifically alcohol ones
• Post campaign materials at organizations
• Nationally the theme is Rites of Passage

 
Alcohol Information  

• Vernalynne presents information about alcohol and its consequences
    
• Youth deaths caused by alcohol
• 30-day past month alcohol use about drinking
• Effects of underage drinking on the brain
• Effects of reproductive system, bone mineral density, liver damage, and reduced growth potential
• Increases the likelihood of being addicted to other substances
• Suggestion to include YouTube – 2 minute video – Alcohol and the Teen Brain  

 
Coalition Brainstorming & Collaboration  
SAMHSA National Prevention Week – May 13-19, 2018  

• Communications Campaign – we will relaunch campaign about dangers of alcohol and youth social perception of alcohol consumption with peers
• Alcohol Awareness Month – theme is “Rite of passage” – when looking at youth – risky behaviors and prom
• Storytelling – show and don’t tell as a way to talk to teenagers – teens will experiment – mitigating harm and choose – forbidden fruit – you’re not going to reach your full potential – you want to be a school athlete – difference with IQ points – getting extra edge in college, being able to focus and pay more attention – and translate to what teens looks up to.
• Scare tactics have been found to be ineffective – mock car crash – shown not to work with teens – how would you have received a black lung?
• Schools host post prom activities - kids have something to do after the prom – after party. (i.e. Lake Zurich brings prom goers to Great America)  
  • Coalition in Ela Township – they have a very successful communication campaign using postcards to target youth, parents, grandparents, on different issues
  • Billboards – Break up a single message onto various billboards which continue on same street, sidewalk, or highway showing part of the message continuing until the last billboard.  
  • Variable data marketing – get the data and adjust the message accordingly. Do they reply or not. Conversion of the data – speak to those people. When they receive the mail – prom is coming up, this is what happening, it can be taken into consideration.  

Youth Summer Program

• STOP Act Grant – free for youth
• Youth program – 14-18 years old/ 25 spots available. Give a stipend. How much is the stipend?
• Recommendations from Coalition for activities
  • McKinley Park Advisory Council – farmer’s market this summer – volunteers- program ideas –
  • Youth painting classes
    • Starting in June and running until the end of October, Live music, and every year gets bigger. Good way to connect with neighborhood leaders. Meet parents.  
  • Possible to turn ice rink into roller rink in McKinley Park for the summer
  • Consider plays skits – for youth – role playing/ different scenarios. Project Vision – Home Ec class – Consumer Ed – how to budget. Culinary arts – restaurants in Chinatown and Bridgeport.  
  • Two organizations – National Latino Training Institute, business incubator – small business development into internships
  • Blue 1647 – business incubator  
  • Home EC- practical things – crazy maker space south Bridgeport –
  • Southside Hacker Space – how to build things and fix things – how to make a drone. How to make an app. Given collectively – here is the output – need to produce something at the end – Home Skills training program – something to work toward. Teen projects – whoever wins/ competition.  
  • Community gardens – McKinley Park Community Garden – move to a new space on park district – McKinley Park Children Park, garden walk, stewardship days, McKinley Park Advisory Council – looking for kids to take ownership  
  • Temporary art exhibit – sculptures – dovetail well with farmer’s market  
  • Meditation – teaching kids to relax – coping mechanism – stress relief. Yoga instructors – Lacy’s.  
  • Precious Blood Ministries – meditation and yoga – restorative justice.  
  • Obama Foundation –  Is active and look into what activities they are doing
  • SGT Lacy states she  has 15 years teaching at high schools – have done after school matters. She can provide art programs and be a filler for a day.  

 
Teen Summit

• End of the youth summer program
  • Connect with Coalition for a Better Chinese American Community CBCAC

 
Website

• Coalition recommendation to see how it will look on the cellphone
• Coalition recommendation to have tabs – easily identifiable for Parents, Youth, Etc.
• Translate certain sections of the website
  • Multi-lingual versions of the same site – Chinese/ Spanish – parallel identical versions   
• https encryption connections 
• Cammille Go (intern) – documenting everything – ability to maintain. Look to Justin for a resource.  

Meeting Adjourned

Sign In Sheet

Illinois Youth Survey 2018

We have been continuing our efforts in recruiting schools for the 2018 IYS.  The good news is we have more schools registered in comparison to 2016.  We are still looking for more schools. We are still looking for help in registering these schools in McKinley Park and the surrounding area. 

McK-UDOS in the Community

Project Vision (01/19/2018)



Aquinas Literacy Center (03/06/2018)



Farragut High School Student Workshop (03/23/2018)



State Rep. Theresa Mah Health Fair (03/24/2018)



Gads Hill Center Leadership Summit (03/28/2018)

McK-UDOS in the News

Youth Substance Abuse Program Building Coalition for McKinley Park

McKinley Park Coalition Seeks to “Shatter the Myths” About Teen Drug and Alcohol Use

Youth Substance Abuse Awareness Program Rolls Out in McKinley Park

Dangers of Marijuana (Spanish)

Youth Anti-Substance Abuse Coalition Presses Forward with Outreach, Data Survey

Upcoming Events

Pickard Elementary Student Assembly (6th - 8th graders)
Friday, April 6, 2018 
Pickard Elementary School
2400 W. Cermak Road
Chicago, IL 60608

Gads Hill Peace Summit
Saturday, April 7, 2018   
3:00 PM - 6:00 PM
Gads Hill Center
1919 W. Cullerton Ave
Chicago, IL 60608
 
BPNC/Kelly HS Health Fair
Saturday, April 14, 2018
10:00 AM – 1:00 PM
Kelly High School
4136 S California Ave
Chicago, IL 

 MAHA Health Fair
Saturday, May 19, 2018
10:00 AM - 2:00 PM
Chinatown Square
2133 S China Place
 Chicago, IL

Brighton Park Elementary School Student Assembly (6th - 8th graders)
Tuesday, May 22, 2018
2:00 PM - 3:00 PM
Brighton Park Elementary 
3825 S. Washtenaw Ave
Chicago, IL 

Burroughs Elementary School Student Assembly (6th - 8th graders)
Wednesday, May 30, 2018
Burroughs Elementary School
3542 S Washtenaw Ave
Chicago, IL

Please let us know if you have any events you would like us to add in our next newsletter