ATTACHMENT A OFY LETTER OF COMMITMENT.PDF

ATTACHEMNT A
OPPORTUNITIES FOR YOUTH
Reengagement Center Letter of Commitment
Dear Community Partner,
Your organization is invited to participate in the Opportunities for Youth (OFY) Reengagement
Center Cohort.
Overview of the Challenge
In 2012, the greater Phoenix area had the highest rate of opportunity youth among the 25 largest
metropolitan cities in the United States (Measure of America, 2012). Maricopa County has come
together to address this wicked challenge, and we are seeing the results. In 2014, the greater Phoenix
area Opportunity Youth rate remained high at 18 % (93,000) in 2013, but has since gradually
decreased to 13 % (72,000) today.
Furthermore, the Morrison Institute (2015) found that each disconnected individual resulted in
$755,900 in social losses, with an aggregate lifetime social loss of $218.5 billion. The study also
learned that $258,240 tax payer dollars was lost for every disconnected individual, with an aggregate
tax payer burden of $27.3 billion. This equated to a grand total of $1,014,140 in social and fiscal
loss per youth.
Overview of OFY
In response to this challenge, Opportunities for Youth (OFY) was created. OFY operates under a
collective impact framework with the understanding that no one program or person can solve this
crisis alone. OFY has become the convener of over 120 youth serving organizations, philanthropists,
higher education and K-12 institutions, government, and business leaders who are working to solve
the systemic rates of youth disconnection. Our distinct purpose is to build a community of
collaboration that minimizes unnecessary duplication of programs and services and leverages the
unique aspects of all partners in the collaboration to better build capacity of what works in
reconnecting disconnected youth.
Our efforts are backed by our Leadership Council which is comprised of 46 community leaders
ranging from the Mayor of the City of Phoenix, State Representatives and Board of Supervisors to
Community Activists. Our work is facilitated through our four Action Teams, which are comprised
of subject matter experts in the fields of:
 Education: K-12, Charter, Alternative, Adult Education, and Community Colleges,
 Reengagement: Primarily youth serving organizations with specialties in various subgroups
such as foster care, homelessness, child welfare, juvenile justice,
 Career: Job readiness skills providers, Workforce Investment Boards,
industries/associations: hospitality, construction, manufacturing, chambers, local employers,
100K employers, and
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 Positive youth development: Organizations working with youth in areas of youth
development, trauma, court-involvement, teen parenting, foster care.
Overview of OFY Reengagement Centers
The primary goal of the Reengagement Centers Action Team is to align reengagement practices,
performances, and processes across youth serving organizations. Realizing that youth become disconnected
through a disconnected system, a coalition of 12 community based organizations came together in
2016 to form what is now known as the Reengagement Center Cohort 1 pilot.
This pilot is charged with exploring strategies that will help to reduce silos, align great work, and
build capacity in order to create a connected system that can successfully serve disconnected youth.
The 12 members of the first cohort include:
o DES Vocational Rehabilitation Department
o Phoenix Indian Center
o YMCA
o College Depot
o Tumbleweed
o Year Up
o AZ@Work City of Phoenix
o AZ@Work Maricopa County
o ACYR
o Neighborhood Ministries
o Friendly House
o Maricopa Community Colleges
o Jewish Family and Children Services
Benefits to Becoming a Reengagement Center:
In addition to reducing duplication and connecting a disconnected system, RC members:
o Have access to a network of agencies that can be leveraged for support and capacity
building
o Have access to aggregate level data to use for grant writing and data driven decisions
o Participate in a learning community of local and national partners
o Leverage support of collective network to leverage when seeking funding
o Have access to a national network of reengagement centers
o Have the opportunity to strategically impact opportunity youth at a regional level
Responsibilities of an OFY Reengagement Center Cohort Member
The scope of the collaborative activities relative to becoming a partner with the reengagement effort
has been identified by the OFY Reengagement Center Action Team. As this is a pilot, the Team
recognizes that changes and modifications will occur as this process is further defined.
1. Commit to a two year term as a reengagement center from December 1, 2017 through
November 30, 2019.
2. Attend and actively participate in the monthly Cohort meetings.
3. Annually complete the Quality Standards Baseline assessment
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4. Meet all agreed upon deadlines.
5. Partner collaboratively with OFY Cohort members as well as other identified OFY referring
organizations or institutions.
6. Provide training to Cohort members based on your organization’s area of expertise as
appropriate.
7. Identify a point of contact all questions, concerns, etc. related to data collection and at a
minimum, that individual will attend the required system training.
8. Track shared measures in your organization utilizing the E-CImpact database. There is no cost
to the organization.
9. Immediately notify the OFY Executive Director of any personnel changes impacting the
resources assigned to this initiative.
Status Change
In the event of a status change relative to the organization’s participation in this initial pilot phase of
Cohort #1, a 30 day written notice to the OFY Executive Director will be honored. Cohort #1
members not able to fulfill the requirements of this Cohort, will meet with the OFY Executive
Director and the Reengagement Center Action Team Co-chairs to determine the options and next
steps.
AFFIRMATION
By signing this document, you are committing to becoming an official Opportunities for Youth
Reengagement Center and commit to the responsibilities listed in this document.
I, Bruce Liggett, understand the expectations and responsibilities as the Opportunities for Youth
Reengagement Centers Cohort member. We agree to fulfill the commitment outlined in this
document and those that arise as the initiative and the Reengagement Center Cohort progresses.
Maricopa County Human Services Department
_____________________________ _____________________________
Signature of Executive Director Signature of Cohort Point of Contact
Director of Human Services Youth Program Manager
Organization Job Title Organization Job Title
Bruce Liggett Tina Luke
Printed Name Printed Name
LukeT@mail.maricopa.gov / 602-372-9738
Date Email Address Contact Number
Date
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ACCEPTED & Signed by the following:
Date: ___________________________________
________________________________________
James Hoyt, OFY Executive Director:
________________________________________
Tim Valencia, Reengagement Center Team Chair:
________________________________________
Sharlet Barnett, Reengagement Center Team Co-Chair
ACCEPTED & Signed by the following: Date: ___________________________
James Hoyt, OFY Executive Director: ____________________________________
Tim Valencia, Reengagement Center Team Chair: ____________________________________
Sharlet Barnett, Reengagement Center Team Co-Chair ___________________________________
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