| What
We Do
HCC effects change by engaging service providers and
leaders from the
community in its council and committees, strategic planning
activities,
collaborative projects and educational forums. HCC participants
are the
people who directly work with children, youth and families
through
service delivery, policy development and personal relationships.
HCC's specific work includes:
Engaging
Youth in Leadership
HCC's Youth Engagement Team trains youth to serve as members
of nonprofit boards of directors and trains adult board members
to work with youth as equal partners in decisionmaking processes.
Fort
Collins Communities Empowering Youth Collaborative
HCC is partnering with the CORE Center, Colorado State University
(CSU) Extension 4-H, CSU Office of Student Leadership and
Civic Engagement, Vineyard Church and the Asset Based Community
Development Institute to reduce juvenile violence, gang activity,
and child abuse and neglect. The initiative focuses on four
target neighborhoods that are located along the north College
Avenue Corridor in Fort Collins.
Children
and Youth Snapshot
HCC's Research and Evaluation Committee is working to produce
a snapshot of the State of Children and Youth in Larimer
County Communities. It will provide the community
with statistics about how Larimer County's kids are doing
in a variety of areas. The indicators will include the categories
of: safe places and constructive use of time; a healthy start
and development; caring adults; effective education and marketable
skills; and opportunities for community service. The first
snapshot is expected to be released in fall 2008.
Family
Summit—Day for Kids
In
collaboration with the Larimer County Department of Human
Services, the Boys & Girls Clubs of Larimer County, Safe
Kids Larimer County, United Way 2-1-1, Foster & Adoptive
Families of Larimer County and BASE Camp, Healthier Communities
Coalition of Larimer County is hosting and Realities for Children
is proudly sponsoring the 3rd Annual Family Summit
– Day for Kids on Saturday, September 13, 2008,
at The Ranch (Larimer County Fairgrounds). The Summit will
give families fun, quality time together, while they learn
about the resources available to them in our community. We
also hope they take away new knowledge about how to make choices
that promote health and well-being. Additionally, the Summit
will serve as the venue for the Mayor’s of Fort Collins
and Loveland to present their Top Teen Awards to 10 teenagers
who have overcome significant challenges to achieve success
and serve as positive role models for others.
Caring
& Sharing
Caring & Sharing was established in 1991 as a way for
family and youth service providers to network and share information
about their programs, brainstorm solutions for challenging
situations and discuss emerging issues. HCC convenes and facilitates
the meetings which include an informational presentation or
panel or round-table discussion and a time for discussion.
One of the goals of C&S is to increase collaboration among
participants and reduce the duplication of services. Another
goal is to provide participants with more tools and resources
to serve their clients.
Parent
Education Network
The Parent Education Network (PEN) is a collaboration of community
members and organizations that develop and offer parent education
to all families in Larimer County. PEN's vision is that all
children in Larimer County grow up in homes that value the
importance of positive parenting. HCC serves as the coordinator
for PEN, and convenes and facilitates PEN meetings.
Character
in Youth Sports
An innovative initiative that promotes, recognizes and rewards
character excellence among sports participants, teams and
organizations that consistently encourage and display sportsmanship,
teamwork and community is underway in Fort Collins. Character
in Athletics - Make it a Priority or "CHAMP" was
developed by a task force commissioned by Colorado State University,
the City of Fort Collins and Poudre School District after
an opinion poll revealed that local parents and coaches think
more can be done to ensure sports programs continue to provide
positive role models. HCC conducted the poll in 2005 with
assistance from the Colorado State University Research and
Development Center. (Read the report online
or download it from here.)
HCC and Character Fort Collins partnered in bringing the task
force together and facilitating their work. HCC remains active
on the CHAMP commission.
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