San Francisco Youth Commission
Minutes
Monday, April 7th, 2014
5:15pm-8:00pm
City Hall, Room 416
1. Dr. Carlton B. Goodlett Pl.
San Francisco, CA 94102

There will be public comment on each item.

Nicholas Persky, Michelle Kong, Joshua Cardenas, DeAsia Landrum, Angel Van Stark, Jina Bae, Anna Bernick, Sophie Edelhart, Monica Flores, Ramon Gomez, Michel Li, Lily Marshall-Fricker, Luisa Sicairos, Denesia Webb, Eric Wu, Joyce Wu, Ariel Yu

1. Call to Order and Roll Call

The meeting was called to order at 5:27 pm.

Commissioners present: Persky, Kong, Cardenas, Landrum, Bae, Bernick, Edelhart, Flores, Gomez, Li, Marshall-Fricker, Sicairos, Webb, Eric Wu, Joyce Wu, Yu

Commissioners Absent: Van Stark

Staff present: Allen Lu, Phimy Truong, Adele Carpenter

There was quorum.

2. Approval of Agenda (Action Item)

Commissioner Marshall-Fricker, seconded by Commissioner J. Wu, moved to approve the agenda. There was no public comment. The motion was approved by acclamation.

3. Approval of Minutes (Action Item) A. March 17, 2014

(Document A)

Commissioner Sicairos, seconded by Commissioner Li, moved to approve the minutes from March 17, 2014. There was no public comment. The motion was approved by acclamation.

4. Public Comment on Items not on Agenda (Discussion Only)

There was none.

6. Presentations (All Items to Follow Discussion and Possible Action)

A. Presentation and request for support of Mission SF’s New ERA campaign
Presenters: Irene Cuellar, Raquel Cuellar, Marco Ponce, Gabriel Hernandez, and Santiago Martinez, New Era Youth Leaders

(Document C)

The chair called this item out of order to accommodate presenters.

Marco Ponce, Washington HS student, explained that New Era is a group of ten youth leaders working for economic justice. The group advises the community on predatory financial services. New Era has been working on a campaign to make sure that all youth leaders that work in the city have:

1) A Savings account
2) Direct deposit
3) Money management system

This would ensure that the money of young workers does not go to predatory services. Raquel explained New Era youth interviewed 506 students from 26 high schools. 57% were from City Arts and Tech, Leadership, and Washington HS. The surveys addressed how youth are cashing their checks. Check cashers charge for simple transactions. Irene, student at Leadership HS, presented results from the survey: 45% of youth had checking accounts. 38% had savings accounts. Youth had many reasons for not having accounts including: not having income, needing parental permission, not knowing how. 33% of youth cashed checks in a bank. 32% had parents cash. 8% were using check cashing services. The campaign is aimed at helping youth stop using check cashing services. 68% were not aware of the fees that they were paying to use check cashing.

Santiago, Sacred Heart student, explained New Era also went to youth employment organizations and worked with them to help them work with their youth employees to sign up for bank accounts. Only 38% of the youth employers were using direct deposit. 71% did not know how to set up direct deposit for their youth employees. Gabriel presented solutions:

--convince SFUSD to hold a financial education day
--talk to DCYF to include in RFP’s that all youth receiving stipends in SF should have direct deposit
--revise the plan ahead program to make sure youth are taught about checking and savings accounts

Commissioner J. Wu asked whether this includes private employment or just CBO employment. New Era youth leaders explained the campaign is focused on CBO employment. Commissioner Bernick asked what ages the campaign was aimed at. Youth leaders explained 14-19 year olds. Commissioner Li thanked presenters for coming. She asked whether DCYF had used the recommended requirement in their recent grant applications. Commissioner Yu suggested speaking to the student advisory council. She invited New Era to present to the Ed committee. Commissioner Li asked whether they were looking at financial education for elementary school youth as well. Youth leaders explained that they were really targeting youth who earn stipends through public employment. Eric Wu commended the youth leaders for bringing awareness to these issues. Commissioner Sicairos explained that this effort really benefits young people because too many young people use check cashers. Commissioner Marshall-Fricker suggested hooking up with SFUSD’s financial literacy events. Commissioner Li asked how the campaign relates to reaching out to undocumented youth. New Era youth explained that the campaign is targeted at reaching minority groups in the mission district and bayview neighborhood to reduce the use of check cashing. Dairo Romero, New Era staff clarified that thanks to a the SF municipal ID, everyone can open a savings account in SF, regardless of documentation. Commissioner Flores thanked the presenters and underscored the importance of stopping the use of check cashing.

There was no public comment.

Commissioner Sicairos motioned to support New Era’s campaign, seconded by Commissioner Gomez. The motion was approved by acclamation.

B. Overview of Policy Priorities for Transitional Age Youth Vision & Goals 2014-2016 Report
Presenter: Glenn Eagleson, Senior Planner & Policy Analyst/Citywide Lead for TAY Services
(Document D)

Glenn Eagleson explained this document was in development for the last 16 months. He explained that youth 16-24 are transitional age, but the group this initiative is concerned about is those that need extra support transitioning to adulthood: those involved in public systems, homeless or runaway, etc. This is about 10% of youth in this age group.

In 2012, Mayor Lee issued a policy directive to departments that serve TAY and he asked DCYF to be the home for the TAY initiative, that each dept. identify a deputy level staff to work on the initiative. The recommendation process was informed by the citywide TAY advisory board, an advisory group of TAY.

The report is organized around four pillars and working groups that TAY need to be successful: Education, Workforce development, Housing, Health & Wellness. There are also recommendations for infrastructure for TAY planning and policy as well as data, capacity building, quality, and sustainability. These recommendations provide for a long term base of support for TAY planning, as well as coordination across city departments. The document has recommendations concerning outreach and access. How do youth best connect with services? The SF4TAY site is one resource.

The report also provides issue-specific recommendations.

Education: Support and expand options for over-age/under-credit and off-track students; Provide leadership and support to strengthen current alternative education and reengagement; Leverage services and establish comprehensive reengagement centers and referral system for out-of-school youth.

Workforce development: provide leadership and coordination of the youth workforce system; Increase capacity building for all partners to serve TAY and reach desired educational and employment outcomes; Actively engage employers at all levels of the youth workforce development system.

Housing: Continue the pipeline of housing for TAY to meet or exceed the 400 unit goal by 2015; Diversify housing options for TAY; Conduct a review of TAY housing stock and effectiveness of TAY housing strategy.

Health & Wellness: Integrate trauma-informed care into departmental funding strategies; Expand services providing age and culturally appropriate education of violence and violence prevention; Expand access to outpatient and residential treatment options for youth dealing with mental health and substance abuse issues; Connect TAY with health coverage.

Commissioner Kong asked how many housing units are established for TAY. YC staff agreed to follow up and confirmed many are in pre-development. Commissioner E. Wu explained we could not buy or build our way out of the housing crisis for TAY and asked what else could be done. Mr. Eagleson explained that assessing support services for TAY in housing would be necessary. He explained that this question had been discussed but not resolved and suggested following up with MOHCD. Staff member, Adele Carpenter, suggested perhaps the youth housing town hall on May 7th would be an opportunity to connect conversations around tenant rights and supportive housing strategies.

Commissioner Sicairos commended the recommendations. Mr. Eagleson explained that the report is focused on coordination and planning priorities, but is not an exhaustive list of what the city should be doing. Commissioner Cardenas suggested that the document include more about justice-system involved TAY. Mr. Eagleson suggested that the document was focused on service need areas rather than population need areas, as young people touch multiple systems. But by framing the document that way, some things were left out. This is the frame the recommendations took for this year, but we could use a set of documents that really specifically look at the needs of youth in particular populations and systems. Commissioner Flores commended the document as a place to build from. It is a tool for system-wide coordination.

Mr. Eagleson explained the team was in the celebration and dissemination phase, was seeing how these best line up with the Mayors’ priorities, and would be presenting to the BOS on April 17th 12-1pm in room 288. They are considering a month of TAY. They are forming working groups to monitor and inform the priorities. They are developing an annual report card on recommendations that would begin in January or February to be inserting in the budget cycle.

Daisy Ozim, TAY advocate fellow, greeted commissioners and explained further the work TAY SF is doing on reducing homelessness and offered to connect commissioners with those conversations more closely. She asked commissioners to reach out to city departments and legislative aides to help share the priorities document to them.

Nicole from the CTAB board explained that while youth have many more needs, this document puts forth the key priorities of young people that go unaddressed. She addressed the question of having one-stop access for accessing healthcare. Some people felt it would be more responsible or responsive to be able to have neighborhood, or even out-of-neighborhood access. One stop shop does not allow that flexibility, but there is a need for more access points. One consideration is having a one stop shop with satellite access points.

There was no further public comment.

Commissioner Bernick, seconded by Commissioner Sicairos, moved to approve the TAY policy priorities report. The motion was approved by acclamation.

The chair called a brief recess at 6:34 pm. The meeting was called back to order at 6:43 pm.

7. Youth Commission Business (All Items to Follow Discussion and Possible Action)

A. [Second Reading] Resolution 1314—04—Youth Commission’s recommended policies and priorities for the Children’s Fund
Sponsors and Presenters: Commissioners Eric Wu and Michelle Kong
(Document E)

Commissioners Kong and Wu read the resolution into the public record.

Phimy Truong read an email from Maria Su, director of Dept. of Children, Youth, and Their Families to commissioners. Adele Carpenter clarified whether the resolved clause was meant to work out to 1 youth seat in every 5 commission seats or 1 in 4. Commissioner Kong clarified that the resolved clause was meant to specify one youth seat out of every four seats on the commission.

Commissioner Kong clarified the resolved clause regarding youth seats on an oversight commission would be amended to read: “Including a minimum of youth seats in proportion of 25% youth advisory seats in any body…”

Commissioner Flores commended the resolution.

There was no public comment.

Commissioner Marshall-Fricker moved to approve the resolution, seconded by Commissioner Bernick. The resolution was approved by acclamation.

5. Legislation Referred from the Board of Supervisors (All Items to Follow Discussion and Possible Action)

A. BOS file no. 140274 Hearing – Expanding Technology Sector Opportunities for Girls and Low-Income Youth
Sponsor: Mar
Presenter: Staff
(Document B)

The chair then resumed the normal order of the agenda and returned to item 5.

Staff member, Allen Lu, explained that this hearing request was exploratory and was looking at expanding tech sector employment for girls and low-income youth.

Commissioner Cardenas motioned to recommend the following questions:

Do young women and low income youth have the academic and social support they need to succeed in their schools and communities? Commissioner Landrum seconded asking this question.

Do schools have the resources and support they need to hire highly qualified math and science teachers? Commissioner Bae seconded asking this question.

Commissioner Kong suggested including a question regarding Galileo’s “hour of code” which was an introductory class on computer programming: Can they support or continue this effort district-wide or have a fair where youth can be exposed to computer programming? Commissioner Sicairos seconded the inclusion of this question.

Commissioner Flores recommended asking that Alliance for Girls and DOSW be involved with this effort and help bring a gender lens to these questions.

Commissioner Kong suggested adding a recommendation that the city look into means of providing measures of accountability in its partnerships with private sector companies to expand opportunities to girls and low income youth. The motion was seconded by Commissioner Eric Wu. Commissioner Kong also motioned to add a question about expanding project pull. Commissioner Bernick seconded this motion.

Commissioner Li, seconded by Commissioner Edelhart motioned to support the hearing request.

Adele Carpenter recommended that commissioners look into the issue of youth engagement in tech sector employment for inclusion in community benefit agreements.

There was no further public comment.

The basic motion of support for the hearing request, the motion was passed by acclamation. Commissioner Kong’s motion to inquire into expanding project pull was passed by acclamation. Commissioner Kong’s motion that the city create more accountability in its partnerships with private companies regarding expanding tech sector opportunities for girls and low income youth was passed by acclamation. Commissioner Kong’s motion suggesting expanding the “hour of code” and having a resource fair on code was passed by acclamation.

Commissioner Cardenas’ motion regarding including a question about the resourcing of schools to hire math and science teachers was passed by acclamation.

Regarding Commissioner Cardenas’ motion regarding the academic and social needs of low-income girls, Commissioner Flores suggested that we focus on the hearing topic and the opportunities at hand, rather than distracting from the effort to expand opportunities.

Commissioner Cardenas’ motion regarding social and academic support passed by roll call vote: Ayes: Bae, Bernick, Cardenas, Edelhart, Gomez, Kong, Landrum, Li, Persky, Webb, E. Wu, J. Wu, Yu No’es: Flores, Sicairos, Marshall-Fricker

Commissioner Flores motioned to recommend that tech companies looking to hire youth consider receiving professional development from community organizations that work with youth. Commissioner Marshall-Fricker seconded the motion. The motion was passed by acclamation.

Eric Wu motioned to include a recommendation that the city partner with private companies through the use of community benefit agreements to expand displacement assistance and resources to low-income youth. The motion was seconded by Commissioner Kong. The motion passed according to the following roll call vote: Ayes: Bae, Bernick, Cardenas, Edelhart, Gomez, Kong, Landrum, Li, Persky, Webb, E. Wu, J. Wu, Yu No’s: Flores, Marshall-Fricker, Sicairos

Commissioner Kong motioned to recommend that city partnerships with tech companies should include mentoring to tech clubs in SFUSD. Commissioner Li seconded. The motion was passed by acclamation.

Commissioner Kong motioned that the city look into private sector grants for youth-led projects in STEM. Commissioner Li seconded. The motion was passed by acclamation.

7. Youth Commission Business (All Items to Follow Discussion and Possible Action)

B. Motion 1314-M-07 Request for Youth Commission Support and Sponsorship of Summer Learning Day 2014
Presenter and Sponsor: Commissioner Jina Bae
(Document F)

Commissioner Bae read the motion into the public record. Commissioner Kong seconded the motion.

Commissioner Bernick asked clarifying questions. Phimy Truong explained the youth commission had been participating in Summer Learning Day for the last few years. Commissioner Gomez spoke in support of the event.

There was no public comment.

The motion was approved by acclamation.

C. Motion 1314-M-08 Support SFCIPP’s letter of support for DGO 7.04
Presenter and Sponsor: Commissioners Ramon Gomez and Sophie Edelhart
(Documents G, H)

Commissioner Edelhart explained that the police department’s protocol surrounding the arrest of adults in front of children was up for approval as a permanent policy and would require
training for police. She explained this is aligned with the commission’s priorities on the
needs of youth with incarcerated parents and is supported by Project WHAT. Commissioner
Edelhart read the motion into the public record.

Commissioner Gomez seconded the motion.

There was no public comment.

The motion was passed by acclamation.

D. Motion 1314-M-09 Supporting Generation Citizens Civics Day
Presenter and Sponsor: Commissioner DeAsia Landrum
(Document I)

Commissioner Landrum read the motion into the public record.

There was no public comment.

Commissioner Bernick seconded the motion. The motion was approved by acclamation.

8. Staff Report (Discussion Only)

Phimy Truong, Allen Lu, and Adele Carpenter gave programmatic updates about outreach opportunities, events, and youth commission applications.

9. Committee Reports (Discussion Only)

A. Executive Committee, Chair Michelle Kong

Commissioner Kong explained that Youth Advocacy Day was a success. Commissioners attended Taking a Stand SF. Commissioner Landrum is presenting to Guadalupe MS and committee members will be attending Sup. Avalos’ roundtable on the Children’s Fund on Weds. They will be conducting Youth Meal night outreach on 12N on an upcoming Tuesday night. The Budget and Policy Priority presentation to BOS is set for May 28th.

B. Youth Justice Committee, Chair Sophie Edelhart
On March 25th Supervisor Cohen introduced the youth commission’s request for a hearing on CIPP. Supervisors Avalos and Breed co-sponsored. Commissioner Edelhart invited commissioners to the police commission meeting on May 7th.

C. Immigration & Employment Committee, Chair Michel Li
The committee met with Christina Huang at SFUSD to learn about ESL and ELL programs as well as newcomer pathways and discussed their interest in distributing student surveys. Members met with API legal to learn more about DACA.

D. Education, Health & Wellness Committee, Chair Ariel Yu
The committee went over surveys they distributed to classmates on special education awareness. They are working on a resolution. They had a presentation on credit recovery evaluation. This Wednesday they are getting a presentation on Youth Vote.

E. TAY, Housing, and LGBT issues Committee, Chair Eric Wu
A date was chosen for the youth townhall: May 7th, 701 Golden Gate Avenue. The committee is beginning outreach and has established an agenda. He asked commissioners to help promote the event via facebook.

F. Youth Advisory Council, Representative Joyce Wu

Last meeting the council had a debrief on the focus group that was held at United Playaz. Members of the council went to We Day.

10. Attendance Authorizations (Action Item)

A. Request for authorization of absences

i. Commissioner Monica Flores, March 17, 2014 (leaving early)

Commissioner Marshall-Fricker motioned to authorize, seconded by Commissioner Gomez. There was no public comment. The motion was approved by acclamation.

11. Announcements (This Includes Community Events)

Commissioner Edelhart explained that one of her teachers is being Ellis Act evicted and there is a march being organized to highlight the impact of Ellis Act evictions on teachers and students.

Commissioner Li suggested the housing committee receive a presentation from a teacher at Lowell regarding an initiative to solve homelessness.

Commissioner Flores invited commissioners to an outreach event for MYEEP and Summer Jobs Plus on April 9th.

12. Adjournment

The meeting was adjourned at 8:22 pm.