Community Outreach Inclusion & Engagement Best Management Practices & Lessons Learned Elizabeth Carmody Community Outreach Coordinator East Bay Regional Park District CA Parks & Recreation Commission May 16, 2014

Over 114,000+ acresOver 114,000+ acres 65 Regional Parks65 Regional Parks 1,200 miles of trails1,200 miles of trails Two counties: 2.5 million residentsTwo counties: 2.5 million residents 22 million visits per year22 million visits per year Nation’s Largest Regional Park Agency EBRPD Today

Community Outreach Unit Innovative programs for individuals and groups from low- income communities, individuals with disabilities, and seniors Internal Partners Parks Express, Regional Parks Foundation, Interpretive Services, Recreation Services, Park Operations, Public Affairs Internal Partners Parks Express, Regional Parks Foundation, Interpretive Services, Recreation Services, Park Operations, Public Affairs External Partners Community, nonprofit, collaborative, neighborhood, faith-based and other types of organizations External Partners Community, nonprofit, collaborative, neighborhood, faith-based and other types of organizations Connecting Internal and External Partners Community Outreach Position & Function Initiates and cultivates collaborative partnerships with agencies and groups that work with or provide services/support to underserved communities in Alameda or Contra Costa County. Serves as District representative to provide Interpretive and Recreation program outreach. Conducts meetings to determine community programming needs. Works with programming and Parks Express staff to ensure successful service delivery. Coordinates with other departments to provide program services, outreach delivery and prepare staff reports. Participates in program development, planning and evaluation; responsible for annual assessment and evaluation of department outreach program.

Knowledge & Awareness Fears, Perceptions, Social & Cultural Norms Barriers to Park Experiences Physical Barriers: Access & Transportation Physical Barriers: Access & Transportation Communities and individuals with multiple barriers to overcome Community Outreach & Engagement: Who is our primary audience?

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Reach out to community to provide information Engage community to assess interests and build relationships Make connections between people, parks and programs Reinforce park connections and community interests From Outreach to Engagement

Conduct Needs Assessment & Determine next steps with group Look for opportunity to repeat experience Meet with potential partner organization and interested group Design program with district staff and partner organization staff Provide support if group needs it If no support needed, assist group to access parks independently Maintain connection with annual follow-up Community Outreach Process

Community Outreach Programs: Impact Highlights 2011: 31 programs/events 2965 people reached 2012: 46 programs/events (51% increase) 4870 people reached ( 64% increase) Youth Employment Program-Partnership with Alameda County Workforce Investment Board 2013: 45 programs/events 3245 people reached Urban Interpretation Training with California State Parks Completed Community Outreach Program Evaluation Toolkit Expanded Youth Employment Program—2 Crews, 18 weeks Youth Engagement Strategy Project

Barriers & Challenges Building Relationships is time intensive! Staffing Capacity Cultural Competency skills are critical for partnership success Equality vs. Justice- The Field of Dreams Model Pros & Cons List for Walking To The Library Created by students at New Highland Academy, Oakland, CA.

Opportunities If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together. -African Proverb “Ever tried. Ever failed. No matter. Try again. Fail Again. Fail Better.” –Samuel Beckett LATINO OUTDOORS: Connecting Leadership, Cultura, & Communities with Nature, Conservation, and the Great Outdoors

Youth Engagement Strategic Plan Dr. Nina Roberts, San Francisco State University Dr. Mary Fortune, California State University, East Bay Tanya Rao, M.S., San Francisco State University Perceived Barriers to Outdoor Participation A total of 46 recommendations grouped into eight core categories were provided for the District. 1. Administrative/Management 2. Program Enhancement 3. Youth Employment/Training 4. Youth Leadership 5. Technology 6. Career/Professional Development for District Employees 7. Partnerships 8. Outreach Marketing “I honestly don’t think a lot of students go to the park if somebody [park representative] comes…somebody has to come and take us there… if you just tell us that oh it’s a really good place, here are some pictures… (we ask) can’t you just take me there so I could have that experience and then I would go again.” ~ 17-year old, Female, Mexican/American, High school student

Youth Employment Program Alameda County Workforce Investment Board Contra Costa County Workforce Development Board Who Is Eligible? County Resident Youth: Ages 16-21, Low- Income and at least one of the following additional barriers: Homeless, a runway, or Foster Youth A Pregnant Teen or a Teen Parent On or Off Probation Requires additional assistance to complete an education degree (i.e. High School Diploma or GED) School Dropout Basic Skills Deficiency LGBTQ Youth Youth Service Providers Support Includes: Work Readiness Training Case Management Counseling and Mentoring Career Development Concepts Adult Mentors Follow-up Services EBRPD Provides: Supervisor Transportation Uniforms & Tools 2014 Programs 8 youth per crew 7 weeks, 20hrs per week 2 Sessions: Summer- Contra Costa County & Fall- Alameda County New.75FTE Youth Employment Program Supervisor Base Budget

Parks Prescriptions Programs designed in collaboration with healthcare providers and community partners that use parks, trails, and open space to: Improve individual and community health Create new stewards and advocates for parks and public lands

Community Outreach Inclusion & Engagement Best Management Practices & Lessons Learned Elizabeth Carmody, M.Ed. Community Outreach Coordinator Interpretive & Recreation Services e: p: