Vermont Coalition of Teen Centers

2007 Winter Quarterly Meeting

Northern: Essex Teen Center, Essex Jct., 3/20/07

Southern: Hartford Unit: Boys & Girls Club of WRV, 3/21/07

Attendance

Northern

The Living Room, St. Johnsbury: Derek Murphy

Milton Family Com. Center: Jeff Hess

Winooski Teen Center: Erin O’Neil, Erin Buckwalter

ACT (Addison Central Teens: Middlebury): Jutta Miska, Tracey Morera

The Hub, Bristol: Ena Backus

Basement Teen Center: Jen Wells

Essex Teen Center: Marissa Adamo, Pat Scheld

Northfield Unit: Boys and Girls Club of WRV: Tony Moulton

VCTC: Trevor Tait

Southern

Hartford Unit; Boys & Girls Club of WRV: Steve Landon

Bradford Unit; Boys & Girls Club of WRV: Jessica Bickford

Randolph Unit; Boys & Girls Club of WRV: Jeff Bickford

Ludlow Teen Center: Jerry Tucker

Right Foot, Springfield: Vanessa White

Cabot Teen Center: Peggy Miller

VCTC: Trevor Tait

Announcements

VCTC Funding Update

o With the death of all earmarks in the US Senate this past December (including the one for the VCTC supported by then Rep. Sanders), the VCTC is faced with another funding hole this fall. I was successful in getting another appropriation of $75,000 in the House’s recommended ’08 budget (with strong support from Rep. Alice Miller of Shaftsbury). It is now in the Senate Appropriation Committee. I will be following it closely and keep you posted. I will be sending out a sample legislator letter to all teen centers to send to their legislators in support of this appropriation.

Next VCTC Meeting

The next VCTC quarterly meeting will be held in early June, and it will be a statewide meeting (not regional). Stay tuned for more information.

Teen Center Tours

Northern: Essex Teen Center

o Marissa gave a tour of the teen center including; a large central room (with stage, snack bar and lounge area), ping pong room, computer room; pool room, video room, and lounge. Center is in town building upstairs from senior center.

Southern: Hartford Unit: Boys & Girls Club of White River Valley

o Steve gave a tour of the center including an entry way with table and chairs, office, main room (with pool table, activity area and lounge) and kitchen.

Updates

Teen Center Check-in (North)

• Underground/Winooski: Challenges – funding, vandalism, some teens are self-injuring (cutting).
• ACT/Middlebury: Just starting up, good community support, sharing space with seniors.
• Essex Chips/Essex: Challenges - funding loss, neighbor relations (over senior center), core boy behavior. Good results expected from Phone-a-thon fundraiser.
• Basement/Montpelier: Core of youth graduated, struggling with low numbers. Starting outreach effort.
• Milton Teen Center: Challenges – low numbers after Feb. break, girl cliques. Success – less vandalism with change of entrance to front of building.

Teen Center Check-in (South)

o Hartford Teen Center/White River Jct: Success - Dartmouth students involved. Challenges – break through school barrier, overcoming perception of previous center

o Ludlow Teen Center: Success – high numbers, strong youth leadership.

o Randolph Teen Center: Challenges - community

o Right Foot Teen Center: Challenges – sustainability, loss of funding, went from 3 staff down to 1.

Discussions

Current Issues Discussion (North)

• “My Space” and computer use/supervision.
• Discussed how centers monitor computer use and “my space”. Computer based blocking not very successful due to youth’s ability to “hack” around it. Having a center page on “my space” works for some, simply being able to see what youth have up on their screen also works. Basic education about the dangers of revealing too much on line important.
• Funding challenges are perennial.

Current Issues Discussion (South)

• Funding

o Challenge just to stay open. Vanessa of Right Foot in Springfield experiencing loss of previously substantial funding.

Presentation

Presentation: Shaken Baby Syndrome

• Kay Shangraw of Prevent Child Abuse Vermont presented information on PCA’s Shaken Baby Syndrome Prevention campaign and Dads 101 program.
• Information folders were given out and a Video was shown at the Southern meeting.
• For more info go to http://www.pcavt.org/index.asp?pageid=10

Take care, and keep up the good work,

Trevor

Trevor Tait, Coordinator

Vermont Coalition of Teen Centers

(802) 229-9151

c/o Wash. Co. Youth Service Bureau/ Boys & Girls Club P. O. Box 627,

38 Elm Street Montpelier, VT 05601 info@vctc.net