Hyannis
Supporting Our Youth Strategic Plan
March
2016
Mission Statement
Hyannis Supporting Our Youth, Inc. builds positive community with
the youth of Hyannis.
Vision Statement
The children of Hyannis will feel cared for, and grow up
to feel a sense of pride in and desire to give back to, their community.
|
Enrollment by Race/Ethnicity (2015-16)
|
|
Race
|
%
of School
|
%
of District
|
%
of State
|
|
African
American
|
15.4
|
7.1
|
8.8
|
|
Asian
|
2.4
|
2.4
|
6.5
|
|
Hispanic
|
25.1
|
10.3
|
18.6
|
|
Native
American
|
0.0
|
0.7
|
0.2
|
|
White
|
47.4
|
74.9
|
62.7
|
|
Native
Hawaiian, Pacific Islander
|
0.6
|
0.2
|
0.1
|
|
Multi-Race,
Non-Hispanic
|
9.1
|
4.3
|
3.2
|
Environmental
Scan
Hyannis West
Elementary School
2015 data:
Free/Reduced
- 85%
ELL - 40%
Special Ed -
11%
Homeless -
10%
Source: Kathi
Amato, principal
POPULATION
CHARACTERISTICS (Town of Barnstable Report)
- Hyannis is four times more densely populated than
the Town.
- Hyannis has comparable share of households with
children with the Town as a whole but, with 40% of the households with
children having single-parents, a significantly greater share than the
Town as a whole (29%).
- Hyannis’ population is more racially diverse than
town wide, the county, and the state. Roughly 75% of Hyannis’ population
identified race as white, one race. Almost half of the Town’s total
black/African American population, 43% of the total Asian population, and
42% of total population with Hispanic/Latino origin reside in Hyannis.
- Hyannis population has lower income and greater
rates of poverty than town-wide.
·
Roughly
68% of Hyannis’ population lived in households with income up to 80% AMI (area
median income), significantly greater than town wide (48%).
·
Roughly
15% of families are below poverty level in Hyannis (6.6% town wide).
SUMMARY
HOUSING CHARACTERISTICS
·
Hyannis
has far greater share of renter-occupied housing units at 56% of all occupied
units than the Town (22%). In fact, close to half (48%) of the Town’s total
renter-occupied units are located in Hyannis.
·
Overall,
Hyannis has a greater share of housing units in multi-unit structures compared
to the Town. Only 55% of units are in single-family structures.
·
An
estimated 58% of Hyannis households are housing cost burdened with 57% of
owners and 50% of renters. Comparable rates to town wide estimates: Both
geographies showing high proportion of cost-burdened households.
SWOTs
Analysis –
Strengths,
Weaknesses, Opportunities & Threats that are helpful/harmful to the
organization’s achieving its mission and vision.
Strengths
–
- A
significant strength of HySOY is its commitment to collaborate with
organizations & groups in the community which have similar goals for
Hyannis youth. Some of these organizations are the Hyannis Public Library,
Hyannis West Elementary PTO, a camp for children of incarcerated parents
and several youth sports organizations.
- A strength of the mentor program is that it
is in its fifth year and has begun to recycle many of the mentors and some
mentors have continued their relationship with their mentees after the 4
year commitment.
- Multiple positive relationships
with administration and staff at Hyannis West Elementary School.
- The seven members of the working
board have sat on the board since the first Voices of the Village meeting
in 2011.
- Each area (mentoring, early
literacy, childhood enrichment opportunities) has a strong and consistent
leader or leaders.
- Positive image to those who know
of the organization.
Weaknesses –
- Since our organization is still young, it is not
well-known within the community.
- We are lacking in “brand awareness” as an
organization.
- Many of our working board members are very busy with
jobs, family and other civic involvement.
- We do not have any salaried positions.
- We lack a regular or consistent funding source.
- Though we have strong relationships with teachers at
Hyannis West, many do not know of our program or the work we do in the
school.
- We do not receive consistent press coverage or social
media presence about our programs.
- We need a larger working board of members who can
spread out the work of the various committees.
- Most of our board members and mentors are female and
above 50. We could use a more equal distribution of gender and age among
our board and volunteers.
Opportunities
–
- We have a growing number of English Language
Learners, transient youth, and homeless students in Hyannis, increasing
the need for our organization.
- There are many grants available for supporting youth
initiatives.
- Many organizations are working to provide services
to youth in Hyannis-partnering with these could grow and strengthen our
program.
- With our strong relationship with Hyannis West
Elementary, we could provide additional programs and enrichments to students
at this school.
- The ability to broaden our program into the other
schools serving Hyannis youth within our district (BUES, BIS, BHS,
BHMPCS).
Threats
–
- The need to
continually train a growing population of volunteers in confidentiality
and best practices of working with youth.
- We do not have
liability insurance.
- We have a small
number of working board members.
Goals
To help
children in need reach their full potential through professionally supported,
one-to-one mentoring relationships.
To put books and other reading materials into the hands and homes of
Hyannis children.
To serve an increasing number of Hyannis children per year with diverse
enrichment opportunities.
To increase public awareness of HySOY, Inc. and its mission and goals.
Objectives
MENTORING
1.
The
Mentor Program Directors will recruit 8-12 new mentors by October of each year.
2.
Potential
new mentors will attend training and orientation sessions in October in
preparation for an early November start.
3.
Ongoing
support and training will be provided by directors in the form of emails, phone
calls and meetings.
4.
Interactive
and consumable materials will be provided by Hyannis Supporting Our Youth, Inc.
for mentors to use with their children.
5.
An
appreciation celebration will be held at the end of each year for mentees to
learn the value of gratitude.
6.
Hyannis
Supporting Our Youth, Inc. will show its appreciation to mentors with a summer
gathering, celebrating a successful year.
7.
Each
year, mentors and mentees will participate in two community service activities
to help the mentees understand and value service to others.
EARLY LITERACY
- Promote and increase awareness of the Early Literacy
Committee at HyWest elementary school and in the larger Hyannis community.
- Contact one to three Hyannis organizations to
arrange speaking opportunities to either significant individuals in that
organization or to the organization as a whole. [By end of school year]
3.
Reconnect
with Sturgis West H.S. to promote fund raising for the program as well as
supportive activities with HyWest students as had been done before. [By Fall
2016]
4.
Contact
one to two additional schools in the community to explore possible fund raising
and other supportive activities. [By Fall 2016]
5.
Review
two relevant and significant grant sources. [By end of school year]
6.
Identify
at least one individual who would be able to assist and/or collaborate with
grant writing. [By end of school year]
CHILDHOOD ENRICHMENT OPPORTUNITIES
- Fundraiser: By 2017,
HySOY will recruit a person with the time, motivation, and experience to
run a fundraiser that would become an annual, hallmark event.
- Grants: During 2016,
pick three grants or beneficiary events for which to apply.
- Children: By the end
of May, 2016, choose sponsorship children to ensure preferred program
choices and completion.
- Community: Over the
next two years, strengthen and grow our community connections with groups
and organizations with a similar mission.
