Engage and Excel! Strengthening Your FRYSC Advisory Council to Enhance Center Success Here today we’re going to look at strategies for reenergizing your councils, what they’re all about, what they’re here for, and how to stay focused on that guiding principle.. (Slides 1-3, 5 minutes)

The FRYSC program is built upon the foundation of collaboration. Guiding principle in developing FRYSC was the collaborative focus. Setting a positive tone, cultivating relationships, effectively communicating with members, and delegating responsibilities. Cabinet for Health and Family Services

The Advisory Council is the catalyst for bringing all stakeholders to the table. The foundation of FRYSC is pulling all stakeholders to the table. The basis or 1st step to include community, parents, staff and students. Home/school connection Cabinet for Health and Family Services

Importance of Councils and Impact on the Centers 20 min. total

What attributes make an ideal Advisory Council? Brainstorming What attributes make an ideal Advisory Council? There may be a gap between what you know to be an effective advisory council and what your council is at the present time, so you tell us what makes an idea advisory council. (Audience participates with answers – trainer scribes on flip chart) (10 minutes for the exercise) 20 minutes total for section Cabinet for Health and Family Services

Council chair IS the chair Understanding of roles/authority An Effective Council Engaged council Diverse council Council chair IS the chair Understanding of roles/authority Well-trained council Advocacy Creative Those are all good ideas. Here are some attributes that should summarize those we’ve just mentioned. We’ll discuss these points more in-depth later in the presentation. Cabinet for Health and Family Services

Role of Advisory Council To provide a broad-based support for the center. Assist the coordinator in developing programs and activities based on needs assessment. Assist the coordinator in evaluating programs Serve as a catalyst to link home, school, and community Assist with the development of Advisory Council by-laws The Advisory Council should be involved in all aspects of center operations . . . 2nd bullet, discuss action components and development of program plans, I and R 4th bullet, we have school, parent, and community reps on the council who initiate outreach to those groups they represent. Cabinet for Health and Family Services

Hands-on involvement in center activities Supporting the FRYSC Hands-on involvement in center activities Promote center public relations Advocate for center in school and community Assist with center fundraising Assist in recruitment for center volunteers If time allows, ask coordinators to share ways their councils have been helpful Cabinet for Health and Family Services

Providing the Leadership: Envision a More Effective Council An effective advisory council begins with YOU, the coordinator. 15 min. for slides 9-17

It’s up to you… The very essence of leadership is that you have to have vision. You can't blow an uncertain trumpet. --Theodore M. Hesburgh Effective councils don’t happen by accident. Sometimes you are fortunate to have 10 committed, energized people on your council at the same time. But most time, a committed, working, engaged council happens by design. And all designs start with a vision . . . Cabinet for Health and Family Services

Set the Tone for Effectiveness Changes in attitude, changes in latitude… Creating the backdrop for a more effective advisory council may involve taking a second look at how we think of our advisory councils: Do we really want them to be true partners? How are we communicating that? Cabinet for Health and Family Services

From the beginning… Talk the talk! What do potential members hear when you talk to them about joining the Council? About the importance of the Council About their value as a team member About their role as a “partner” Sometimes, we feel it is difficult to find advisory council members. We may be desperate to fill a spot. What message do we unknowingly send when, (in our attempts to find a “warm body”) we say to a potential member, “Don’t worry – it won’t take very much of your time…you won’t have to do much… just come and be there…”. But, how much more energized and engaged would your council be if they truly believed: 1)That what they were there to do was important to children 2)That their presence at meetings made a difference, 3)That their input impacted what would happen Cabinet for Health and Family Services

Leadership is the art of getting someone else to do something you want done because he wants to do it. Dwight Eisenhower When members are included in the decision-making process, you will create buy-in . . . When you have buy-in, members will be engaged and enthusiastic about center involvement. Cabinet for Health and Family Services

Walk the walk! Look for diversity …. In thinking! Build a council of “Partners” Use your advisory council Build ownership The advisory council keeps the Center “community-centered” instead of “coordinator-centered” or “school-centered”. (diversity in thinking) Sometime we have a tendency to approach friends, our ‘warm-fuzzy’ supporters, or like-minded people for membership. This can result in a ‘rubber-stamp’ advisory council – one that lacks creativity, energy, and healthy discussion As partners, council members have a shared role in decision-making. Advisory councils need to be sharing decisions on: 1) Continuation Program Plans: a) Needs, b) Program ideas, c) Activities development 2) I & R: a) Reviewing data, b) Deciding on value of program or activity 3) Staffing needs 4) Budget **Think about it: A shared decision = shared responsibility; = shared work-load; = shared resources!! USE your council – not just as a body to ‘sign-off’ on coordinator plans. Members volunteer in order to help. They want to feel they are contributing. Which leads us to… (next slide) Cabinet for Health and Family Services

Building Ownership Orient Communicate Empower Delegate Provide comprehensive training to new members Communicate Keep council informed of center activities Keep administrators and community informed of council activities Empower Turn over some control Give opportunities for council to express ideas Delegate Chairperson – Is KEY *Confident? *Informed? *Empowered? Other officers; other roles; assigned tasks Orient: 1) Make sure members are familiar with the history and mission, components, action plans, FRYSC procedures Communicate: 1) Information is power! Share what is going on in-between meetings 2) Council’s sense of importance is reinforced when they know you are sharing their actions with the community. Empower: 1) Let council choose meeting structure (day, time, place, etc.) 2) Take one issue to every meeting on which the council makes a decision or provides a solution Delegate: 1) Chairperson: The strongest advisory councils have an active, involved Chairperson who actually LEADS the meeting (Confident): Chair doesn’t have to have leadership or Robert’s Rules of Order experience. Most important: Needs to be comfortable talking in front of a group and have a good understanding of how the meetings work (Inform): Chair should be well-informed of program, activities, issues that arise (Empowered):Coordinator gives responsibility for the meetings to the Chairperson. Agenda is developed by Coordinator and Chair (Delegate #2): A) Other officers - Vice-Chair, Secretary B) Other roles – i.e. mail/email reminders, lunch arranger, etc. Or Committees C) Ask individual members to complete a task for you: Make a phone call, obtain a donation, research a program, a speaker, a resource Conclusion: *When individual members have the information they need and when they are given responsibility - they are engaged! Cabinet for Health and Family Services

What’s in it for ME? The Downside… With an empowered, engaged advisory council: It takes a little more effort It’s hard to give up some of that control  They may discover the limits to their authority What’s In It For Me? WIIFM It takes a little more time and energy on the front end (Need we say more?) We give them opportunities for decision-making on certain things, yet the council’s role is mainly “Advisory”. The AC does not have supervisory authority for center staff, and the district’s Superintendent and school’s SBDM have ultimate say-so over programmatic issues. Cabinet for Health and Family Services

What’s in it for ME? Cont’ The Upside… An empowered, engaged, and energized advisory council: Attends and participates in council meetings Lightens your load Supports the center Many of us struggle with good attendance at council meetings. Wouldn’t it be wonderful to have a full table of active, contributing members? Engaged members are more likely to volunteer to help with things you need: Helping to find resources, assisting with programs, etc. Engaged & empowered members are more vocal in their support for you in the community, and will back you in times of conflict Cabinet for Health and Family Services

Recruitment, Training and Orientation of Members 15 min. for section

Recruitment Have a diverse council. Consider the school population Socio-economic (people who use your services) Gender Cultural Ethnicity A. If everyone looks just like you, then you need to reevaluate your council. Cabinet for Health and Family Services

Recruitment Finding your members Parents Community School Staff Students Parents –Head start – grow them up through your program Guidance counselors could refer parents who may be good members Community – Whose mission is similar? Who would like to partner? Who would have vested interest in children? Councils you serve on? School Staff – New teachers/staff Students – Go out of “box”, Recipient of services, students of promise, students interested in the center, students w/ problems, but who still exhibit leadership skills ASK AUDIENCE – Where do you find your members? Cabinet for Health and Family Services

Training YEARLY (First meeting after new contract year starts) ONGOING Overview of council’s role PowerPoint Notebook Officers’ roles By-laws ONGOING Formal or informal New members Cabinet for Health and Family Services

Maintaining an Effective Council 15 min. for section

Maintaining an Effective Council Introductions Agendas/Minutes Name tags Providing food Making members feel welcome and needed Networking time (meet and greet) Ask opinions Value all opinions Cabinet for Health and Family Services

Maintaining an Effective Council cont’ Make sure pencils and paper are available Notebooks or folders for each member Council input on meeting dates/times Publicize meeting dates several months in advance End of year celebration Certificates Cabinet for Health and Family Services

Use member strengths and give them a role: Recruitment Organization Solicitation Creativity Fundraising Public Relations Think abt. Strengths of all members, parents and students, in addition to community and school members. All can help in each of these areas. Cabinet for Health and Family Services

Advisory Councils are truly... Partners in Progress Handout – Contractual Obligations (Nuts and Bolts) Questions Advisory Councils are truly partners in progress and enhance the success of your center.