New Haven Independent

City Hall’s Community Services Administration is designing a simple online search program to provide New Haveners with info upcoming, kid-friendly programs and events, all color-coded by age group and type of activity.

The “Youth Map,” as introduced by Youth Department Director Che Dawson (pictured) at Wednesday night’s aldermanic Youth Services Committee meeting, links program organizers with interested members in the community.

“The city facilitates bringing people together,” said Dawson. “The Youth Map will help parents take advantage of these activities.”

Organizers will be able to remotely manage online program information —- such as fees and limitations on event —- as well as advertise for volunteers and staff positions.

“The Youth Map will help avoid overlapping services,” said Alderwoman Dolores Colon, pictured. “And provide activities where they are needed.”

Along with events, the map will also provide information on public transportation to the event, local hospitals and health clinics, census data of the neighborhoods, bulletin boards, and information about the various organizations.

The committee discussed at great length about ways to curb youth violence in the community. Alderwomen Gina Calder (pictured) spoke out in favor of two pieces of legislation currently before the U.S. Congress: the Youth PROMISE Act and the CAN DO Act. The quorum accepted the resolution to support the two initiatives.

The Youth PROMISE Act would provide an unspecified dollar amount to communities to develop a Promise Coordinating Council (PCC) to unite community organizations in prevention/intervention efforts to control at-risk youth.

The CAN DO Act would provide $2 million per year to six eligible cities —- four urban and two suburban —- with “above-average rates of gun homicide.” The money would be spent on safer streets programs, mental health services, job training/placement, and educational and recreational alternatives to violence programs.

Calder and others are working to bring funds provided by the CAN DO bill to New Haven.

“They don’t want to pick super big cities where the $2 million wouldn’t make an impact and wouldn’t be a learning situation,” Calder said.

On Tuesday, several aldermen, including Colon, attended a “CeaseFire: A New Intervention for Reducing Violence” presentation. This program represents one of the many initiatives that could take place in this city if New Haven is a beneficiary of the CAN DO bill.

Among many community efforts, the CeaseFire program specifically provides outreach volunteers with more effective ways to help neighborhood kids.

Dawson offered a different perspective on CeaseFire.

“We can’t raise kids by telling them what not to do, you need to tell them how to find success,” Dawson said. “So what contributes to young peoples’ needs not being met?”

Newhallville Alderwoman Alfreda Edwards suggested coordinating a youth summit with a parent summit, to bring everyone together to “find out what we can really do.” Dawson asked what that would do for kids who are hungry now.

“The summits continue to happen and there is a place for them,” Dawson said. “But we shouldn’t over-think the importance of supplying basic needs. Helping out with the smaller issues will impact and alleviate the bigger issues.”

“We need to be more purposeful with these ideas,” Calder said, agreeing with Austin. “We have enough meetings.”

In the meantime, Colon credited Dawson and others at the Youth Department for developing the Youth Map and other supportive programs. Still, everyone at Wednesday’s meeting agreed that there are many uncharted ways the Youth Committee can reach neighborhood kids.