Illinois Workforce Advantage

Value-Added Strategies to Strengthen CommunitiesGovernor George H. Ryan

Illinois Workforce Advantage (IWA) Mission

To make targeted, distressed communities in Illinois better places for parents to raise children.

An IWA Premise

Communities that thrive are those capable of creating sound strategies for their revitalization and building effective partnerships with government and business organizations for carrying out their plans.

Innovative Approach for State Government

Supporting and strengthening community revitalization projects requires that state agencies learn to collaborate with one another around place-based strategies.

Communities are Distressed, People are Resilient High rates of poverty Dedicated leaders High unemployment rates Entrepreneurial energy High dropout rates Parents devoted to kids

IWA Bridges Communities and State Organizations

Local Working Groups

IWA Subcabinet

State Universities

Anchor Institutions: Vitally Important to Communities

Strengthen community identity

Maintain economic and social stability

Reflect culture and history

Enables formation of social networks, leadership

Virtual Family Resource Centers

Parent educational resources

Work readiness Networking many

services Positive roles in

community development

Digital technology Parents as

educators

Harvey Family Education Center School-based sites Computer labs Early childhood screening Multiple agencies on site Client track referral system District 152 leadership

East St. Louis, Alpha Omega Work Readiness Center Better Family Life, Inc., nationally

renowned program Alpha Omega Enterprises ESL Enterprise Community Neighborhood Tech. Assistance Center Comprehensive work readiness Neighborhood revitalization strategies

Southern 7 Virtual Community Resource Center 7-county network Central website

and technical assistance

FoCUS Federation lead organization

School-based centers

Referrals to WIA one-stop

Englewood Family Resource Network Six elementary schools Intensive support for at-risk students Literacy training for parents and students Multiple agencies co-locating resources Parents as tutors Southwest Women Working Together,

Mary McDowell Settlement House in lead Leadership training for parents

Humboldt Park Community Learning Centers

Ten schools Builds on

community plan for digital village

After-school and evening centers

Parent-driven Led by NNNN

Near Northwest Neighborhood Network

North Lawndale Re-entry Network for Ex-Offenders Majority of adult males ex-offenders North Lawndale Employment Network

in lead Statewide model for $2 million US

grant Close cooperation with IDOC Ties with 1st-rate resources already

in community

Targeted Job Training – MLK Center, Rock Island

Douglas Park, Longview, Old Chicago neighborhoods

Sunset Business Park

Subsidize entry phase of employment

Little Village Violence Prevention Collaborative Parent leadership curriculum Youth involvement in designing

community center Gang intervention Creation of community schools Tied to community education plan

& new high school

Maywood Family Education Center

Maywood School District & many partners

Modeled on Harvey center

Health component Early childhood Resource room

University technical assistance and applied research University of Illinois

at Chicago’s Great Cities Institute

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign’s NTAC

Southern Illinois University’s Dunn-Richmond Center

Community Economic Development

IWA-UIC Great Cities Institute Partnership Grants and technical

assistance for: 16th Street

Revitalization Project, N. Lawndale

Comprehensive youth center design, Humboldt Park

Little Village plan on 26th and Kostner

Business roundtable and site inventories, Englewood

5th Street Plan, site inventory, Maywood

Neighborhood indicators research

Leadership training New grant proposals

Dunn-Richmond Center, SIU-C

Southernmost Illinois Agricultural Alliance

Shrimp farming Agri-business Revolving loan fund,

Empowerment Zone Juice processing

plant

UIUC, Neighborhood Technical Assistance Center, ESL

Coordination and expansion of community tech centers

Mini-grants and technical assistance for local CBOs for CED

New neighborhood revitalization project

IWA AmeriCorps 77 members Policy Research

Action Group SIU-E, Rend Lake

CC, Aunt Martha’s Emphasis on youth Placements tied to

core IWA projects Most members

from IWA areas

Tracking Agency Performance Indicators at Community Level Drive state

performance indicators down to community level

Health, economic, social indicators

Illinois system a breakthrough

PB Views

Getting agency “buy-in” –commitment from Governor’s Office

Challenges communities to realign resources & relationships

A priority of foundations

New Fatherhood Initiatives UIC Institute on

Race, Research and Public Policy

De Paul Egan Urban Center

Engage communities in strategic planning

Youth outreach to fathers

Family Enterprise Institute Sinai Community

Institute, and local community development corp.

Building productive family institutions

Policy component Improve local

outcomes