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NFC: Fw: YCC Update - Special Notice




To: Extension Directors & Administrators, State 4-H Program Leaders,
County Extension Offices, Foundation Directors, National Program Leaders,
4-H Volunteers, Associates of National 4-H Council, and other
professionals in the youth development and education fields

Youth-Corporate Connections Update
Special Notice    January 22, 2001

Building Tomorrow's Workforce: A Focus on Southern Youth

February 21-23, 2001
Grand Casino Gulfport - Oasis Resort and Spa
Gulfport, Mississippi
________________________________________________________________

Registration Deadline Extended to Friday, January 26, 2001

About the Conference

The diversity of youth in the South presents opportunities and challenges
for parents, community leaders and professionals in the youth development
field.  To equip today's youth for success in tomorrow's workplace
requires unified, innovative cooperation among businesses, educators,
community leaders, parents and youth.  Extension professionals and
volunteers have an important role in the development of youth "assets" in
the South.

The conference is designed to help communities make the leap forward in
preparing their communities and their youth for economic and workforce
development by having a team from participating communities come and
learn together.  As a team, participants will have "equal exposure" to
ideas and resources to start new strategies to identify and develop
assets in their community.

National 4-H Council and the Southern Rural Development Center (SRDC) are
working in partnership to host this conference.  The conference is
sponsored by The UPS Foundation. 

Keynote Speaker: Stephen Hamilton 
Co-Director, Cornell Youth and Work Program
Cornell University, Department of Human Development  

Stephen Hamilton is an internationally known speaker and expert in the
field of adolescent development, education, and employment.  He has
worked extensively with the Cooperative Extension System on public
service work related to youth learning through involvement in community
action.  He is the author of numerous books, articles, and reports,
including Apprenticeship for Adulthood: Preparing Youth for the Future
and Building Strong School-to-Work Systems: Illustrations of Key
Components (with Mary Agnes Hamilton).

Workshops  

The following are a sampling of the workshops that will be featured
during the conference:

The Reality Store - The Reality Store is an active, hands-on, real-life
simulation that gives young people the opportunity to explore career
opportunities and make lifestyle and budget choices similar to those
adults face on a daily basis.   Community businesses also participate in
the simulation by hosting booths in their occupational areas.   Workshop
participants will take part in a simulation and learn how to start a
Reality Store Program in their communities. 

The Difference a Mentor Makes: Lessons Learned - The Phelps County
Community Partnership, a non-profit organization located in rural south
central Missouri, has worked in cooperation with the state of Missouri to
operate a youth mentoring program for youth age 16 to 21.  Youth are
trained for mentored employment and are matched with a volunteer adult
employee who provides support and encouragement in the workplace. 
Participants will have the opportunity to learn about staff and youth
participants' successes, challenges, and working strategies.

The 4-H Mini-Society: An Experience in Youth Entrepreneurship - The 4-H
Mini-Society, developed by the Kauffman Foundation, is an innovative
program that helps youth develop entrepreneurship and life skills by
involving them in the establishment of their own society.   Through a
process of cooperative work and active problem solving, young people
print their own money, open their own businesses and create their own
government.  Participants in this workshop will experience the program
firsthand by participating in a mock version of the 4-H Mini Society.

Summer Youth Employment Opportunities - The Workforce Investment Board of
Opelousas, Lousiana, will present its Summer Youth Employment
Opportunities program.  In collaboration with the Youth Council, the
Louisiana Department of Labor, local school boards, chambers of commerce,
public and private sector employers, and the Acadiana One-Stop, the Board
has successfully linked its summer employment opportunities to academic
and occupational learning.   Participants will learn how youth
participate in job fairs, a one-week training seminar on workforce
skills, a six-week occupational work experience and job training, and
post-secondary preparation training.  

Mini-Grants  Mini-grants will be awarded to encourage participants to
share the strategies and lessons learned from the conference with others
in their states.  Applications will be available at the conference.

Registration Information

Cooperative Extension professionals, other youth/family/community
development professionals, Workforce Investment Board staff, parents, and
youth throughout the country are invited to attend. 

Registration Deadline: January 26, 2001.  A "Registration Form" for the
conference may be found on National 4-H Council's website at
www.fourhcouncil.edu/programs/index.htm.   Contact Mary Dunphy at
mdunphy at fourhcouncil_edu or (301)961-2906 for further information.