1 The Teen Zone A partnership between the Alachua County, City of Gainesville, School Board, and the Federal Government (through a Federal Education Improvement grant)

2 The Teen Zone Alachua County: Funding & Grant Administration City of Gainesville: Operates Programs School Board: Provides school sites Federal Government: Grant funding Partnership Contributions:

3 Teen Zone Sites Westwood Middle School – Funded and operated by the City of Gainesville Eastside Community Center (Lincoln and Bishop) City of Gainesville funded sites:

4 Teen Zone Sites County funded sites: Kanapaha Middle School Ft. Clarke Middle School – Funded through a Federal Education Improvement (FEI) Grant

5 Partnership Arrangements Ft. Clarke Middle School: FEI grant is administered by Alachua County –Grant expires September 30, 2008 Contract with the City of Gainesville to run the program –Agreement expires September 30, 2008

6 Partnership Arrangements Kanapaha Middle School: Funded through the General Fund and MSTU operating budget Contract with the City of Gainesville to run the program –Agreement expires September 30, 2008

7 Teen Zone at a Glance The Teen Zone program provides after-school programs for over 200 children at Kanapaha and Ft. Clarke Middle Schools

8 Teen Zone at a Glance This innovative program is FREE to all participants The program operates Monday through Friday, each day that school is in session, from 3:30- 5:30pm

9 History of Teen Zone Teen Zone had its origins in a community-driven request for middle school activities, led by the ACTION Network (2002/2003)

10 History of Teen Zone In 2003, Westwood Middle School began as a city-funded pilot program and Mebane Middle School began as a county-funded pilot program (each site funded at $50,000 per year)

11 History of Teen Zone In 2004, the County-funded site was moved to Kanapaha Middle School, and both the City and County increased funding for their sites $75,000 per year

12 History of Teen Zone In 2005 and 2006, the Teen Zone program continued operating at Kanapaha Middle School, funded at $75,000 per year. Enrollment continued to increase annually. In early 2007, Ft. Clarke Middle School was added as a Teen Zone site, funded through a federal FEI grant at $49,600 per year.

/2007 School Year Kanapaha 127 children were registered for the Teen Zone. 67 average daily attendance. Ft. Clarke 75 children at Ft. Clarke were registered for Teen Zone 28 average daily attendance

/2008 School Year (YTD) Kanapaha 125 children at KMS are registered for the Teen Zone. 68 average daily attendance (ytd). Ft. Clarke 108 children at Ft. Clarke are registered for Teen Zone 48 average daily attendance (ytd)

15 Teen Zone Structure The Teen Zone is structured around five areas of life: 1. Character & Leadership – Enables youth to establish meaningful relationships with others and develop a positive self-image. 2. Education & Career – Enables youth to become proficient in basic educational disciplines and to embrace technology to achieve success in their careers.

16 Teen Zone Structure 3. Health & Life Skills – Provides prevention programs specifically developed for middle school youth to address drugs, alcohol, teen pregnancy and violence prevention. 4. Sports, Fitness & Recreation – Develops fitness, positive use of leisure time, prevention of obesity, skills for stress management, and appreciation of social skills.

17 Teen Zone Structure 5. The Arts – Enables youth to develop their creativity and cultural awareness through knowledge and appreciation of the visual arts, performing arts, creative writing, arts & crafts, and music.

18 Program Components The goal of this program is to give children: A sense of Competency A sense of Usefulness A sense of Belonging A sense of Influence

19 Sample Activities in Teen Zone Arts & Crafts Sports & Recreation Career Exploration Character Development Cheerleading Communication Community Service Computers/ Technology Cooking Classes Counseling Dance/Step Team Drama Classes Cultural Activities

20 Journalism/ Newspaper Yearbook Prevention Programs Social Activities Reading & Literacy Technology Applications Environmental Education Esteem Building Exercise & Fitness Gardening Classes Martial Arts Music Instruction Nutrition Classes Sample Activities in Teen Zone

21 Performance Indicators Goal: 80% of the youth participating in the program will not have initial or repeated involvement with the juvenile system Outcome: 97% of the registered students did not have initial or repeated involvement with the juvenile system

22 Goal: 80% of the youth will achieve or maintain a GPA of 2.0 or more, or increase their academic achievement Outcome: 88.3% of the youth achieved or maintained a GPA of 2.0 or more (vs. 80.5% last year) Performance Indicators

23 Goal: The overall average attendance of program participants will be better than the overall average attendance of non-participants. Outcome: With a school average daily attendance of 93%, the Teen Zone participants had a daily attendance average of 94%. Performance Indicators

24 Initiatives/Programs in Teen Zone Academics embedded into all areas Junior Achievement for all participants “Start Something”, a dream-building program that will get students thinking about who they are and what they can do with their lives – sponsored by the Tiger Woods Foundation Direct communication with teachers

25 Service learning projects Tutoring/homework help/FCAT prep classes Intramural sports among each Teen Zone site Cheerleading/dance squads to support school activities Health/nutrition/fitness components to battle obesity epidemic Initiatives/Programs in Teen Zone

26 Accomplishments The Teen Zone program at Kanapaha Middle School continues to increase enrollment each year, demonstrating the effectiveness and popularity of this innovative program Enrollment and attendance has increased despite competition from the new middle school athletics program. Enrollment has increased without increasing the program budget due to efficiencies gained each year.

27 We Thank You!