August 2018 – FAB Meeting #4

August 9, 2018 from 6-8pm

UB backbone staff present:
Kassa Belay
David Harrington
Nysheva-Starr

Number of FAB members present: 18/24

Accomodations: Dinner and childcare provided

Agenda/Minutes:

• Meeting Objectives
  • Follow up on previous work by reviewing next steps from the FAB and PAT of the Discover Together: Brownsville proposal
  • Clarify our goals and methods by continuing to develop a deeper understanding of the Discover Together: Brownsville proposal and tailoring the proposal to match this community.
  • Work on collective decision-making by aligning PAT and FAB next steps.
• Icebreaker
• Housekeeping
• Discover Together Brownsville:
  • Presentations given at PAT # 2
  • Breakout Groups
  • Share
• Closing
• Evaluations

Breakout Group Notes

Family Co-Op

WHAT

• What is one major change, if any, that you would you make to the way this section of the proposal is written? Why?
  • Stagger Family Co-Op session program hours throughout the full week, rather than only on weekends, to ensure greater accessibility
  • Create a “Mascot Character” that would be present in all 3 DTB components (Family Co-op, Providers as Literacy Coaches and Learning Landscapes)

WHO

• Which partners would be essential to the success of this proposal? They can be organizations, specific programs, or sectors/types of programs (e.g. SCO’s Nurse Family Partnership, or Power of 2).
  • Be sure to target groups that engage fathers in particular: SCO’s Fathers Program, Man Up etc.
  • Explore inviting local authors and early childhood educators (Brownsville or surrounding areas) to partner with Scholastic to create books, songs, activities and curriculum
• Who on the FAB should take leadership roles to work on this proposal? What kind of commitment would that entail?
  • Volunteers selected from FAB

WHERE

• What locations would be best to host this proposal? These can be specific sites or types of sites. Should we start with one location as a pilot or aim for multiple locations? Why?
  • Consider outdoor spaces for Family Co-Op sites when appropriate (considering weather etc.) such as local parks and community gardens
  • Recreational Centers, Prince Joshua Community Center
  • Field trip location ideas:
    • Firehouses, Made in Brownsville, 3 Black Cats, Melting Pot Cafe, Weeksville Heritage Center, Wyckoff House Museum, Pepsi Factory, Train Yards

HOW

• How should we proceed? Identify 1-3 next steps you would recommend for this proposal right now. These can happen between meetings or at the next meeting. They can be assigned to UB backbone staff or FAB members.
  • Add above listed potential Family Co-Op host sites and field trip sites to maps
  • Target celebrities in addition to political representative that can support the Family Co-Op model in Brownsville, financially or otherwise
    • Including: Danny Jacobs, Young MA, Mike Tyson

Learning Landscapes/Language Kits

WHAT

• What is one major change, if any, that you would make to the way this section of the proposal is written? Why?
  • FAB Members felt it was important to try to develop a culture of parents modeling ‘best practices’ for other parents to follow.  In this regard, the FAB feels that its essential to implement Language Kits that are tangible, in addition to being visual.
    • Upon entering supermarkets, children can ‘Take One of These’ – a laminated question sheet with attached dry erase marker.  The laminated sheets have questions that are aligned with signage placed strategically around the store.
    • Examples of the synchronicity of the Signs & Sheets
      • Produce Aisle
        • A large sign is posted above the produce. It reads: Apples come in many colors.
        • A question on the laminated sheet coincides with the sign in the produce aisle: ‘How many different colors of apples do you see?’
      • Cereal Aisle
        • A large sign hangs from the cereal aisle. It reads: Hidden shapes are Everywhere!
        • A question on the laminated sheet coincides with the sign in the cereal aisle. Do you see any shapes?  Which ones can you find?

• • • • Dairy Aisle
        • Signage here is a picture of milk, cheese, and eggs. The question on the laminated sheet asks: ‘What foods are in the dairy aisle?

WHO

• Which partners would be essential to the success of this proposal? They can be organizations, specific programs, or sectors/types of programs (e.g. SCO’s Nurse Family Partnership or Power of 2).  We ask this question with an eye towards cross-sector collaboration, mutually-reinforcing activities that avoid duplication, and creating solutions that are accessible to the entire community.
  • FAB members felt more information is needed to decide on potential partners to move forward with Learning Landscapes, but, they felt confident that steps towards Language Kits can begin now.
  • Furthermore, FAB members agreed with the sentiment shared by PAT members, that beginning with Language Kits now might be a good way to demonstrate efficiency of this component of the proposal.  In doing so, the following potential partners were highlighted:
    • Supermarkets
      • Food Bazaar on Junius & Dumont Aves.
      • ShopRite @ Gateway Center
        • FAB Member Athenia Rodney has a relationship with this ShopRite location.  She cited their commitment to family and initiatives and activities that highlight community.
    • Brookdale Hospital Pediatric Emergency Area
      • According to FAB members, the emergency room at Brookdale Hospital for children is not child-friendly.  There are no activities for children to do while they wait and the room lacks visual engagement on the walls, since there is no signage.
    • Department of Homeless Services (DHS)
      • The homeless shelters in Brownsville lack stimulation that can enhance language and social skills for 0-3 year olds, including, not offering opportunities for parents to foster the skills associated with this development.
      • ‘Brighten’ up the communal spaces within the shelters.
        • Suggestions for Enhancements
          • Murals on the walls that highlight shapes and colors and sizes.  Allows for conversation between parents and children.
          • Areas set aside in the intake, eating and recreation areas to ‘house’ the language kits.
      • One Laundromat
        • In accordance with the ‘Wash Time is Talk Time,’ the FAB thought it might be good to try to partner with one laundromat to set up signage.
• Who on the FAB should take leadership roles to work on this proposal? What kind of commitment would that entail? (Opportunity to revisit this since FAB meeting #3)
  • FAB members volunteered to lead the various next steps of the  proposal.

Books for Brownsville / Providers as Cross-Sector Literacy Coaches

WHAT

• What is one major change, if any, that you would you make to the way this section of the proposal is written? Why?
  • FAB members liked the proposal as is but had a few minor suggestions that they thought would make this part of the proposal successful in Brownsville. These do not necessarily constitute major changes but are more practical or strategic in nature: Include pregnant moms in the group of mothers who can be trained, and be careful about how supplies are doled out. That is, the books supplied are part of a kit; it can sometimes be counter-productive to start a kit at the first interaction with a caregiver because they might never return. However, books can still be given out that are standalone at those first interactions.

WHO

• Which partners would be essential to the success of this proposal? They can be organizations, specific programs, or sectors/types of programs (e.g. SCO’s Nurse Family Partnership, or Power of 2).
  • In addition to Reach Out and Read, FAB members suggested that the following programs might be good partners in thinking about how to plan and carry out a project like this: Healthy Home, Good Shepherd, CAMBA, Nurse Family Partnership, and Parent Home Visit.

• Who on the PAT should take leadership roles to work on this proposal? What kind of commitment would that entail?
  • One PAT member volunteered to take on a leadership role, which corresponds with her having attended the PAT. Several others are interested in participating at some level.

WHERE

• What locations would be best to host this proposal? These can be specific sites or types of sites. Should we start with one location as a pilot or aim for multiple locations? Why?
  • The FAB is interested in starting at a number of locations to complement what ROR is doing. They also noted that ROR is in a lot of locations near and around Brownsville but not many in Brownsville itself.
  • Perhaps we could start by reaching out to various potential sites and seeing if we can organize one cohort to to receive training all at once.
  • The suggested sites are:

1. East NY Diagnostic Center
2. Jump Start
3. WIC offices, 405 and Blake Ave
4. New York Psychotherapy and Counseling Center
5. Excellence Baby Academy
6. Daycare Centers
7. Headstart (such as at PS 41)
8. First Step NYC
9. Clinics
10. Libraries
11. Healthier Choice

HOW

• How should we proceed? Identify 1-3 next steps you would recommend for this proposal right now. These can happen between meetings or at the next meeting. They can be assigned to UB backbone staff or PAT members.

1. Can FAB be trained by ROR? David will ask ROR.
2. Add FAB members to the PAT listserv. David will carry out.
3. Each FAB member who knows someone or some organization that might help us plan this or be a site for this should reach out to that person/org on the FAB’s behalf and connect them to David/Kassa before the next meeting.

Reality Check Evaluations