1

The Teen ZoneThe Teen ZoneA partnership between the Alachua County, City of Gainesville, School

Board, and the Federal Government (through a Federal Education

Improvement grant)

2

The Teen ZoneThe 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 SitesTeen 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 SitesTeen Zone Sites

County funded sites:

Kanapaha Middle School

Ft. Clarke Middle School – Funded through a Federal Education Improvement (FEI) Grant

5

Partnership ArrangementsPartnership 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 ArrangementsPartnership 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 GlanceTeen 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 GlanceTeen 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 ZoneHistory 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 ZoneHistory 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 ZoneHistory 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 ZoneHistory 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.

13

2006/2007 School Year2006/2007 School Year

Kanapaha127 children were registered for the Teen Zone.67 average daily attendance.

Ft. Clarke75 children at Ft. Clarke were registered for

Teen Zone28 average daily attendance

14

2007/2008 School Year (YTD)2007/2008 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 StructureTeen 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 StructureTeen 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 StructureTeen 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 ComponentsProgram Components

The goal of this program is to give The goal of this program is to give children:children:

A sense of Competency

A sense of Usefulness

A sense of Belonging

A sense of Influence

19

Sample Activities in Teen ZoneSample 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 ZoneSample Activities in Teen Zone

21

Performance IndicatorsPerformance 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 IndicatorsPerformance 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 IndicatorsPerformance Indicators

24

Initiatives/Programs in Teen ZoneInitiatives/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 projectsTutoring/homework help/FCAT prep

classes Intramural sports among each Teen

Zone siteCheerleading/dance squads to support

school activitiesHealth/nutrition/fitness components to

battle obesity epidemic

Initiatives/Programs in Teen ZoneInitiatives/Programs in Teen Zone

26

AccomplishmentsAccomplishments

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!We Thank You!