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Youth Summit Implementation Plan 2018-2020

Translating the Youth Voice into the Voice of Action

"I have been impressed with the urgency of doing. Knowing is not enough; we must apply. Being willing is not enough, we must do.” - Leonardo da da Vinci

ATTACHMENT #1

City Council Andrew P. Fox, Mayor

Rob McCoy, Mayor Pro Tem Al Adam, Councilmember

Claudia Bill-de la Peña, Councilmember Joel Price, Councilmember

City of Thousand Oaks Youth Commission

1401 E. Janss Road Thousand Oaks, CA 91362

(805) 381-7362 www.toaks.org/youth

[email protected]

http://www.toaks.org/youth

mailto:[email protected]

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS City of Thousand Oaks 17/18 Youth Commission

Nicole Katz, Chair Chloe Nash, Vice Chair

Maxwell Walshaw, Summit Chair Riley Goodnight, Summit Asst. Chair

Paul Moon Sarah Laufenberg Peyton Tovey

Matthew Glaubke Shelby Shea Shaylee McKeown

Ivy Schlosser Anthony Matus Jacqueline Emanuel

Leanne Petras, Conejo Youth Employment, Adult Commissioner

Dan Nalbandian, Conejo Recreation and Park District, Adult Commissioner

Francine Sprigel, City of Thousand Oaks Youth Commission Staff Liaison Special thanks to City of Thousand Oaks Library; Conejo Valley Unified School District, La Reina High School, and Thousand Oaks Teen Center for selecting students to apply; Dr. Alan Nelson, LeadYoung Institute for being an amazing guest speaker; and the community leaders who attended this summit. Thank you also to students who participated in the discourse.

Community Leader Attendees

City of Thousand Oaks (CTO): Mayor Andrew P. Fox, Councilmember Joel Price, City Manager Andrew Powers, Deputy Library Services Director Darren Jeffrey Conejo Recreation and Park District (CRPD): Director George Lange, Director Chuck Huffer, Director Ed Jones, General Manager Jim Friedl, Administrator Rochelle Callis, Recreation Manager Brenda Coleman, Teen Center Director Rick Tanaka, Youth Outreach Worker Pete Martinez Conejo Valley Unified School District (CVUSD): Boardmember Dr. Betsy Connolly, Boardmember Mike Dunn, Superintendent Dr. Mark McLaughlin, Director of Secondary Education Dr. Jim Garza, Director Student Support Services Dr. Juan Santos Thousand Oaks Police Department: Captain Don Aguilar, Assistant Police Chief; School Resource Officer Joe Ramirez, School Resource Officer Eric Seefeldt

Student Attendees

Heather Arancon Julien Fagel Prasheetha Karthikeyan Anya Prasad

Xander Beutel Curran Fleming McKenna Katzman Ayana Prewitt

Himani Boompally Abigail Garcia Kyla Kowalewski Luis Rosales

Annik Brar Amina Ghorob Eleanor Liu Paul Shields

Benjamin Burrows Eliza Ghorob Julianna Maya Montana Stith

Corbin Campbell Aden Goldberg Roshnee Moorthy Samantha Sturges

Carter Castillo Joshua Gonzales Abby Nash Allinta Tadesse

Tobey Chow Ryan Harris Eddie Nash Logan Tucker

Jake Clark Kelvin Hau Misa Nguyen Amandine Velten

Catherine Clark Veda Homa Laurie Nickolaisen Sammy Wildman

Ethan Darden Daniela Houser Veda Palaparty Catrina Wolfe

Scott Detweiler Ying Hsin Dallas Pearson Catherine Xu

Gaurav Dhirar Rida Ismail Sophia Peate Marina Zernik

Annika Kanugo Corbin Pope

Thank you to all students who participated in the discourse. We appreciate your time and effort during your very busy school week.

Table of Contents

BACKGROUND .............................................................................................................. 1

DEMOGRAPHICS ........................................................................................................... 1

PROGRAM OVERVIEW ................................................................................................. 2

February 2018 Youth Leadership Summit ................................................................... 2 Methodology ................................................................................................................ 2

OUTCOMES AND DISCOVERIES.................................................................................. 4

Community Leader Roundtable Summary .................................................................. 4 Youth Focus Group Summary .................................................................................. 14

NEXT STEPS ............................................................................................................... 20

1 Youth Summit Implementation Plan

BACKGROUND The City of Thousand Oaks Youth Master Plan was adopted by the City Council in July 2002 and all strategies were initially completed in June 2007. Community agencies and businesses were involved in plan development and implementation. In September 2007, the Youth Commission reviewed the Youth Master Plan Implementation Strategies and determined that although they had been implemented, some should be ongoing, specifically, the Youth Summit. The Commission determined that follow up on previously implemented strategies was critical in their mission. To determine if they were effective or if needs/situations had changed, the Commission hosts a biennial Youth Summit. In opposite years the Commission implements some of the recommendations learned at the summit. It also assists the Youth Commission in setting annual goals. The most recent Youth Leadership Summit was February 8, 2018. Some of the more recent programs developed through the Youth Master Plan, Youth Summits, and youth input include: Night of Networking Business Internship Fair Community Internships Training Youth (C.I.T.Y.) Reality Parties Bullying Workshops Parent Education – Substance Use Mental Health First Aid Education DEMOGRAPHICS Below are graphs that depict the demographics of the Youth Leadership Summit attendees.

3

1011

19

16

7

7 8 9 10 11 12

Number of Students in each Grade


PROGRAM OVERVIEW February 2018 Youth Leadership Summit The event Chair reviewed the information from 2014 and 2016 which indicated that youth and leaders alike did not rank the day/time of the event very high. In response, the event was redesigned to be held on a weeknight while not losing the impact of each portion of the event. Also, 11 out of 13 Commissioners were new to the 2018 Summit. In response to that, the event Chair developed detailed facilitation training for the Commissioners (Attachment A – Facilitation Training Instructions). After several months of planning, the Youth Commission hosted the 2018 Summit which included 66 high school and middle school students as well as 20 community leaders. Methodology On February 8, 2018, the Youth Commission held a Youth Leadership Summit. Local schools, home school agencies, and youth centers were requested to choose a diverse group of students to fill out an application to be considered for participation in the leadership summit. Applications were reviewed and 80 students were selected to attend (66 attended). The intention was to obtain a more diverse group of students to participate.

In addition to demographic information, students were requested to answer the following questions on the applications:

1. List any hobbies and interests. 2. Name three things you would like to improve in the City for youth. 3. What do you think is the biggest issue facing Thousand Oaks youth today? 4. Why are you interested in attending this youth summit, and what do you hope to

gain from it? 5. What are three questions you would like to see discussed at the youth summit?

8

1

3

33

14

20

14

0 5 10 15 20 25

OTHER (HOME SCHOOL/PRIVATE …

LOS CERRITOS MIDDLE SCHOOL

REDWOOD MIDDLE SCHOOL

SEQUOIA MIDDLE SCHOOL

SYCAMORE CANYON MIDDLE …

NEWBURY PARK HIGH SCHOOL

THOUSAND OAKS HIGH SCHOOL

WESTLAKE HIGH SCHOOL

Number of Students at each school


The Commission believed by leaving the questions open ended, topics could be ascertained for discussion based on what youth are interested in and what they feel was important to discuss. The responses from the applications were then summarized to develop the Summit guidelines and topics. Each Leader received a letter with facilitation format guidelines and the questions assigned to them. This helped to keep each group on similar topics for more accurate evaluation and reporting of results. In planning the evening activities for the Youth Leadership Summit, the Youth Commission wanted to accomplish the following:

• Provide an inspirational, local speaker to energize the attendees • Allow students to become comfortable with group leaders and each other • Offer students time to have open discussions with a variety of community leaders • Provide time for students to have organized discussions on amongst themselves • Make the main goal of the day to determine what concerns are on the minds of

the attendees, not the minds of the commissioners or the leaders The schedule for the evening was as follows:

3:30 p.m. Registration/Group Introductions 4:00 p.m. Welcome/2016 Summit Accomplishments 4:15 p.m. LeadYoung Training 4:45 p.m. Leader Registration 5:00 p.m. Roundtable discussions begin with Leaders 6:00 p.m. Dinner 6:45 p.m. Youth only Focus Group Discussions 7:45 p.m. Wrap up and Evaluations

Ten groups of 5-8 students were formed by age group with a Youth Commissioner assigned to each group to record information. At the Leadership Roundtable Discussions, two leaders were assigned to each table and every 20 minutes the groups rotated to provide students the opportunity to meet and discuss with a minimum of six leaders. Leaders were provided three to four questions to discuss at the tables with the teens in addition to the open discussion portion. (Attachment B – Leader Questions) After Leader roundtable and open discussion, adults were dismissed and students worked in teen-only focus groups by age, again with Youth Commission facilitators. Each Commissioner was responsible to summarize the Leader roundtable discussions and the teen only focus groups and submit for compilation by the Youth Leadership Summit Chair to develop the 2018-2020 Youth Implementation Plan for submission to the Youth Commission.


OUTCOMES AND DISCOVERIES Community Leader Roundtable Summary During the community leader discussions, students were rotated through several sets of leaders in order to broaden their exposure. Highlighted topics are summarized below by each facilitator. (Q = Question; A = Answer Summary) Table #1 – 12th Grade: Facilitator Vice Chair Chloe Nash Conejo Valley Unified School District Q: What are some things we can do to better encourage student motivation and success? A: Develop stronger peer mentoring programs and expand the Breakthrough program so they are able to reach more students. The majors program and Thousand Oaks High School seemed not to work and should not dedicate so many resources into it. Students also talked about a cheating epidemic and local high schools. They expressed they feel bad when they cheat, but the amount of work assigned is unreasonable and close to impossible to complete. They said the solution to this was to remind students of the purpose of each individual assignment to make it seem less like busy work and more important for them to learn about for future careers. Conejo Recreation and Park District Q: How can we increase the number of things teens do in the community? A: The times certain events are held restrict teens from attending, because they are in school. Hire more teens as life guards. Q: How can the City and CRPD engage teens? A: By gearing more programs towards teens, besides the Teen Center. If you look at the activities program guide that CRPD puts out, you will notice a significant age gap between the young kids and the older people who the CRPD focuses on. City of Thousand Oaks Q: How can the Library encourage more teen usage? A: The best way to increase teen usage of the Library is to create rooms and times available for study groups of 5-8. This would be especially helpful around January and May, when finals and AP tests take place. In addition to this, have space available for students of all levels, not just high achieving students. Q: How can we ease the access of public transportation? A: Posting information on transit on platforms that teens would use, in addition to the city website.


Q: How can we help students through the college application process? A: Students agreed that the Library would not be a good place for students to find college application help because the school has so many resources available. Schools handle all SAT/ college prep. Table #3 – 11th Grade: Facilitator Commissioner Peyton Tovey During the round table group discussions with the adult leaders my group discussed and delivered ideas to better help and support the community. Conejo Valley Unified School District Q: What are some things we can do to better encourage student motivation and success? A: The most common answer was a universal effort put in by the student and the teacher. The students thought it would be helpful if their counselors had the remind app so that way they could feel more connected with what is going on around them. Q: “How can we start a teen advisory council to the school board?” A: This was a harder question that required more thinking. My group came up with that it should be a public forum where students can come and raise their concerns about the school. This group would give students encouragement to vote and speak up and be heard. In open discussion, we talked about classes offered at each school. The main problem was there was too much of a difference between CP and honors classes. Honors students feel as though it is unfair. Most careers in high school are electives at the school and you can’t get anywhere with them because you can only take so many. City of Thousand Oaks Q: How can you be a leader but not be too bossy? A: Immediately the students said that a true leader should be able to voice themselves but also be able to listen to others and their ideas. Q: How can teens engage in issues and what can we do? A: First, a student should join a club that they feel they can use their voice and be heard. If there is no club they are interested in, they can make their own. Q: How can students get easier access to jobs and volunteer opportunities? A: The main and recurring response was through social media. If more programs had Twitter or Instagram it would be much easier to track them.


Table #9 – 11th Grade: Facilitator Commissioner Sarah Laufenberg Thousand Oaks Police Department Q: How can we prevent underage alcohol and drug use? A: The youth in the group suggested clear guidelines, and the implementation of streamlined school programs. They advocated for the “don’t” approach, of demonstrating the severity of the consequences of substance use (physical & consequences, hurting others). One proposal was reality parties for teens (not parents), to acknowledge first-hand consequences with their own peers. Q: If students are being bullied or know something is happening, where do you go that it anonymous? A: Students preferred interactions with friends, followed by school authority as ideal to go to with regards to bullying. Confidentiality was discussed for the limitations of anonymity, and the concept of having an anonymous line or drop-off box. It was expressed that on-campus resource officers have to find a balance between allowing students to feel comfortable, but also safe. OPEN TOPICS: (TOPD) Q: Do officers come in or do students mainly approach school faculty? A: School administrations were cited as more frequently accessed because of familiarity. The leaders urged for more students to speak up; the youth brought up that they might need education on how to do that to feel more comfortable, and one individual referenced the “every 30 seconds” simulations as a good form of student introduction to local officers. Q: If they were to facilitate a peer-targeted reality party, what kinds of scenarios would students like to see? A: Students mentioned that they might like to see what to do in vulnerable positions, such as if they are taken advantage of, have undergone peer pressure, or are also impaired and need to aid a friend. The officers and students discussed “buddy systems” and, again, the potential to have peer-centric reality parties. Q: How could a school resource officer seem more approachable? A: It was mainly portrayed that students had little awareness about the accessibility of school resource officers, but that they had potential to be a useful resource if they were more visible and well-known. Conejo Recreation and Park District Q: What can we do for youth to come together to improve our teen center? A: Students were minimally aware about options for opportunities with the Teen Center, and recommended promotional campaigns on campuses, such school announcements for activity dates and things of that nature. It seemed that younger age groups might utilize the Teen Center more, and it might be harder for older teens to find the time, unless they were to enjoy “trending” activities of a more mature quality.


Q: How can we have some of the outdoor concerts geared to youth? A: The most general suggestion was that of trending music genres, like rap and pop. A group-supported concept was that of a “mini coachella”, in which there might be a mix of a DJ and live music acts, to attract a broader group of youth. OPEN TOPICS: (CRPD) Q: What would most attract youth to the teen center? A: Drop-in events, one-night workshops, and less long-session classes were more appealing to the busy teens. With connecting to school advertisement and with less commitment, more teens would be drawn to specialty nights for just older teens. Q: Need or purpose for college app help? A: An interesting perspective was that of students whose parents didn't go to college, and thus, the youth were lacking in personal sources of guidance. Most persons at the table indicated that they would utilize a cheap and accessible college guidance or application workshop. City of Thousand Oaks Q: How can the Library encourage more teen usage? A: Teens emphasized the importance of connecting with local schools and volunteer organizations, including through social media. This would allow, in their opinion, for youth to familiarize themselves with the Library’s offerings and increase likelihood of participation. Q: How can we improve ease of access to affordable public transportation? A: The general opinion of the group was that it might be more widely advertised to kids from families with potential transportation issues, as well as the fact that public transportation in Thousand Oaks is, as per experiences within the group, of good quality and condition. OPEN TOPICS: (CTO) Q: Does the sentiment of having a physical interaction translate to books? (as opposed to on tablets, etc.) A: Group members drew attention to how some teachers require physical books to write on and annotate, and that the Library might consider selling popular and/or curriculum-involved books. Moreover, they indicated a general preference for the feel and experience of a physical book. Table #7 – 11th Grade: Facilitator Commissioner Shelby Shea Conejo Recreation and Park District Q: How can we encourage youth to spend less time on their phones? A: Ideas were presented that youth could do sports, board games, youth government, and spend time with friends. They said that we are subjecting people to screen civilization only and not really talking. The solution they presented was to offer more activities to do as a replacement for time on their phones. The solutions they were looking for would


benefit more than one type of youth such as something that would make a more shy and non-athletic kid happy since there are already many sports programs. Q: What activities will promote a healthier lifestyle among teens? A: A good solution to teens having a healthier lifestyle is spending less time indoors and on electronics and spending more time outside and exercising. In addition, they said introducing kids to sports and how to eat well when they are young could make a difference when they get older. Q: What programs can be started to promote creativity among teens? A: My group said that a lot of programs are only around drawing and that we need to branch out and have more options with music, film and editing, and architecture. Programs like an architecture or film and editing class being started would benefit our city’s youth. Conejo Valley Unified School District Q: What classes or counseling programs can we introduce to the schools to aid in reducing student stress? A: It would be a good idea to teach students how to alleviate stress through sports or arts or other ways along with better teaching time management and thinking ahead. Q: How can we improve the way we think about mental health? A: Offer more times to talk about and more events to discuss the issues teens have and to give them a platform to talk about issues. They also said mental health days at school would be a good idea. Q: How can school curriculum be changed to better prepare students for university and life? A: School should have a class offered that teaches you how to do life skills like taxes, balancing a checkbook, and budgeting since they will be on their own soon. Thousand Oaks Police Department Q: How can we prevent underage alcohol and drug use? A: We should have more restrictions and give out more impactful information to teens about what they’re doing to their bodies and what could happen if they are irresponsible. Q: If we are being bullied or know something is happening where do we go that is anonymous? A: Go to parents, teachers, principals, peer counseling, friends, or anonymous tips to these people.


Table #2 – 10th Grade: Facilitator Commissioner Matthew Glaubke Conejo Recreation and Park District Q: How do we increase the number of things teenagers can do in the community? A: One of our group members suggested that there should be a program where teens in the community can create their own clubs outside of school through CRPD that other teens can sign up for to meet people with similar interests as them. Mr. Friedl said that clubs and programs aren’t currently created by teens, but that a club idea could be suggested to them and the teen could join the club in the future. Q: What recreational activities are provided in Thousand Oaks? A: In addition to the clubs provided, we were taught about the numerous recreational activities offered by the park system as well as the parks themselves. Another group member suggested a free bike rental system to use within the parks that could be checked out with a Library card or another form of ID. The leaders seemed very enthusiastic about the idea and even suggested that it could go hand-in-hand with public transportation, allowing citizens to use bikes in addition to or instead of taking the bus. The Teen Center also came up in discussion numerous times, with the group saying that it seems as though the teen center caters towards middle schoolers more often because of the many dances held for them every year. Since many high schools only have one or two dances per year, many people wanted the teen center to host dances for high schoolers or even host dances at the high schools to allow students to have one or two more dances per year. Conejo Valley Unified School District Q: How can youth start a teen advisory council to the school board? A: Some members of my group worked in a collaborative manner with the two leaders from the school system to come up with a formidable idea for a youth commission-like advisory board for the school board. Dr. Connolly suggested that members are selected in a similar manner as the youth commission, and also said that when the commission needs input from students, surveys can be created by the members of the council to send out to students. While the group members seemed enthusiastic about the idea of a council for the board, they weren’t completely sure about the logistics of a commission and didn’t want to volunteer ideas, as none of them had been a part of one before. City of Thousand Oaks Q: How do you be a leader that is not too bossy but also not a pushover? A: Mayor Fox explained that different jobs require different leadership roles and strategies. For example, when he works as a firefighter, he has to be a lot more bossy with his employees because often times the situations he has control of are dangerous and require very strict command. He also pointed out that while he and Mr. Powers have similar level jobs, they have different leadership styles due to the people they manage as well as the number of people they manage.


Table #6 – 10th Grade: Facilitator Commissioner Anthony Matus Conejo Valley Unified School District Q: What can we do help end teen violence? A: • Encourage more positive thinking events

• Make sure everyone is included in all events and have stability at their homes and with their families

• If someone sees something suspicious, encourage them to report it • Offer help at schools for depression and anxiety

• Better access to counseling; It is too intimidating to go and ask for help. The system needs to be more accessible

• School assemblies promoting awareness of teen violence Q: What can be done to fight racism and bullying in schools? A: • A form of culture and explanation in a history or health class • Better history studies • Promote respecting other cultures and learning about minorities • Have more open discussions about racism • Expand curriculum to include minority populations • Speak more on minority achievements rather than how they are oppressed Q: How can we encourage youth to spend less time on their phones? A: • Help youth to appreciate the amount of nature around them and see the outdoors

as an exciting opportunity • Smartphones are designed to be interesting so we need activities that can counter the interest of a smartphone

• More community activities for teens • Phone use stems from boredom so we need to help teen stay occupied • Parents may need to limit phone time for some teens Q: What classes or programs can we introduce to reduce stress on students? A: • Instead of a class, change parts of the curriculum to reduce stress

• Teachers coordinating efforts to reduce homework and studying loads on the same day

• More block schedule and classes such as yoga • More realistic classes that relate to life as you get older • Teachers teaching practical study habits Q: How can we help people with mental health issues? A: • School counselors and psychologists need to be more present at schools and in the

community areas • Programs to help families at home • More informative at school assemblies • Educate parents about mental health issues


Table #4 – 9th Grade: Facilitator Commissioner Shaylee McKeown City of Thousand Oaks Q: How to be a leader and not bossy? A: Students said the leader should listen to others and consider their ideas. This can be done by replying or giving feedback to the person, interact with them (nod, eye contact), turn down ideas in a respectful manner, show good body language (open body up), come up with alternative ideas, and to find a common ground. Also, to empower people by including everyone in the conversation and encouraging each other. The students also thought the leader should be confident. They can show confidence by speaking loudly, have knowledge in what they’re talking about, stand up for their beliefs, and admit your mistakes (show vulnerability and come to equal ground). The last idea students talked about to be a leader with being bossy was to lead for the moment which means to have situational leadership, develop relationships, find common interests, and realize if you don’t step up then no one will. Q: How teens can express themselves? A: Students said speaking at City Council meetings is a good way to be heard since some are televised and so many people see. Also, to talk to a counselor or administrator because they can then take these ideas into consideration at a board or faculty meeting. Q: What needs to be done in the community? A: Students discussed that there should be more youth recreation activities that provides a safe place (like Art Trek instead of a party), and to have more transportation specifically for youth because they may not feel comfortable/safe being with older people. Conejo Recreation and Park District Q: How to make finding jobs and volunteer opportunities a possibility? A: Students discussed having more posters up around different schools, more advertising on social media, having announcements in school’s news/major programs, and have internships shown in different school clubs. Also, to have a website or survey that directs you to a job based on questions such as whether you want a higher paying job or lower, and having a website categorized by job such as medical, vet, etc. Also, by advertising in newspapers (Acorn) and magazines (Dos Vientos Living). Q: What are some events you find successful in helping kids find jobs? A: The students said the college fair and City internship fair were both very successful because kids go there as well as promoting businesses. It is a good way to meet people and make connections. Q: What is the most effective way to spread awareness of opportunities? A: The students agreed social media is the most effective way since most people are on Snapchat or Instagram. The kids also talked about how it would be a smart idea to create a Conejo Valley app that kids can download, and that businesses can add information about the positions they have open. The kids said they’d like to see and app like this in the style or “Care.com.”


Conejo Valley Unified School District Q: How to prevent teen violence? A: Students said to spread awareness of the consequences, get involved in social media bullying and home life, stop the inflictor, help counselors become more approachable, and to get kids less caught into their phones. Q: What can be done to fight racism and bullying in schools? A: The student’s agreed that racism roots from how a person is raised and from people who are unwilling to see other people’s values. They said to report the problem, teach about the history of racism in schools, find a way to educate adults that what they do influences their kids, and stop the influencers because people aren’t born racist. Table #8 – 9th Grade: Facilitator Commissioner Ivy Schlosser Conejo Valley Unified School District Q: What classes or counseling programs can we introduce to the schools to aid in reducing student stress? A: Many of the students believe that there needs to be programs that can help students deal with stress because it is one of the main issues many students deal with. They also thought that stress is caused by AP classes, social peers, projects, athletics, and when teachers do not consider other classes. Even though these all made students feel anxious, the main cause was the pressure of getting into a good college, which was ultimately coming from their parents. Some solutions include collaboration between teachers, a limit on parents checking their child’s grades online, and better opportunities for students to get involved in the community. Thousand Oaks Police Department Q: How can we prevent underage alcohol and drug use? A: All the students in my group were aware of this problem and had great ideas on solutions. Some ideas were to provide lessons/sessions to educate kids on what they are putting into their bodies, provide a reality party for younger students to attend, limit how students can obtain these materials, and to limit the parental influence. One of the best ideas was to instill good morals to the children when they are young, in order to let them know that it starts with themselves. Lastly, a main reason my group believed that students were resorting to drugs and alcohol was because of stress, not only caused by school, but also by their parents. Conejo Recreation and Park District Q: What can we do as youth to come together to improve our teen center? A: The main problem discussed was the advertising for students in high school. All of the high school students agreed that at their middle school, they would always hear about teen center events, but have not heard about any at their high school. An event that my group thought might get a lot of kids involved was a science fair that any student in the district can enter. Another group member thought that the teen center should start getting involved with private schools, so those students can take part in their events as well.


Another suggestion was that the teen center should offer a class to help students with their college applications, if they are struggling or just want some help. Moreover, some ways the teen center can better advertise is by putting ads in the Acorn, setting up an account on next door, the app, or by placing pulls on either Instagram or twitter to see what the students are into. Table #10 – 7 & 8th Grade: Facilitator Commissioner Jacqueline Emanuel Conejo Recreation and Park District Q: What can we do to improve the Teen Center? A: Offering the following programs was suggested:

-tech related things (Already being offered) -performing arts (Already being offered) -audition workshops (Already being offered) -color and mud runs (Already being offered) -better transportation -babysitting and first aid classes (Already being offered)

City of Thousand Oaks Q: How can the Library encourage teen usage/ improve the Library? A: The following was suggested:

-more current books -more reading programs like the summer ones -STEM programs -prep ACT/SAT classes (offered online) -essay writing courses -college fairs

Q: How can the Library improve group study? A: Suggestions:

-more comfy seating -more charging stations

Q: How can we get more people to use public transportation? A: Recommendations:

-more teen friendly -more advertisement

Conejo Recreation and Park District Q: What would you like to see in the Conejo Recreation and Park District? A: Recommendations:

-color/mud runs (Already being offered) -runs into wildwood (Already being offered) -more event advertisements given to schools


Youth Focus Group Summary Youth focus group topics were determined by the participants. Facilitators spend the first 10 minutes working with teens to determine the top 3 topics they wanted to elaborate on for the remainder of the time. 12th Grade Focus Group Summary The group of five high school seniors were made up of Thousand Oaks High School Students and Westlake High School students. They discussed the need for better city planning with drive throughs for fast food restaurants. As well as a need for an In-N-Out Burger on Thousand Oaks Boulevard. Mental health and suicide are also common problems that teens are aware of. Bringing awareness to and ending the stigma of mental health through educational workshops provided by the city would be a helpful resource for teens. Also, students wanted to reach out more to Conejo Valley High School. They felt it was often ignored. One major problem facing teens in Thousand Oaks is the dangerous streets and the few stoplights making it easier for teens to speed or drive dangerously. 11th Grade Focus Group Summary – Table #3

The first question discussed was, “how can teens have political discussions in a safe environment?” We believe students should have a voice and a club should be created to be able to have these conversations. In the club, there should be student teacher debates over a political topic to see both sides of the stories.

Next we discussed depression and anxiety. We came up with an advice board for students. They can submit questions and answers will be posted if it is appropriate. We also talked about a therapy room where a teacher can open up their classroom and students can go in there to relax and hangout.

Lastly, we talked about the lack of communication between parents and their kids. This generation is much different than our parents and sometimes they don’t understand that. A back to school night for parents to come into their child’s classes and really understand what they do. The back to school nights now are only 15 minutes long which is not enough to really understand what we are learning.

11th Grade Focus Group Summary – Table #9

Within the youth group discussion, topics from the leadership roundtable, like vaping (substance abuse) and AP test and/or college application workshops were introduced, as well as recreational ideas, like for hosting the “mini Coachella” or putting on escape rooms.


One particular suggestion highly advocated for within the group was putting on specialty “hang-out” events to introduce youth to the various facilities around Thousand Oaks, including various community centers, the Teen Center, and the Library. A parallel idea would be an ice cream social, in that it would provide introduction to new peers, as well as to the environment of the location. Paired with a trending attraction or activity, such as laser tag, an escape room, or a specialty treat, the event could create familiarity between teens and the facilities and positive associations with the spaces.

11th Grade Focus Group Summary – Table #7 Our three issues to discuss were: Not enough lunch time/more cafeterias, Substance abuse, and Vaping. Not enough lunch time/cafeterias: Lunch lines are too long and don’t offer enough time to arrive at class on time, forces kids to eat fast creating heartburn, and makes kids resort to fast food from off campus. The solutions they offered were having youth representation on the school board, more lunch lines, divide lines by food, and make a school garden. Substance abuse: There isn’t enough prevention and education on the effect. The solutions they offered were to scare the kids on the effect early on, have health experts talk to students, have teens or adults that went down that path describe the bad it did for them, and show the effects more than just saying its bad. Vaping: It's too easily accessible online, too many kids vaping in bathrooms, and there’s not enough awareness. The solutions they presented were having vape detectors in school bathrooms, tell affects and promote awareness. 10th Grade Focus Group Summary

Nothing for teens to do after 9pm • Shops, meeting area open late • Adult presence to prevent bullying and drugs • Caters to teenagers

Bad Health/ Smart Phones

• More PE in elementary schools • Encourage teens to spend time in reality • Encourage kids to do sports • Promote physical activity over smart phone use

School classes are impractical

• Teachers can be a problem and hinder learning in a class • School nurses need to be more useful and teach basic health skills • Reform home economics to be more practical and make it mandatory • Add more practical classes


Vaping and Drugs • Anti-vaping campaigns starting in elementary school • Vaping rehab centers set up in the community • More infomercials on TV about vaping and E-cigarettes to promote awareness on how bad it is to use E-cigarette products • Special dogs in schools to sniff drugs

9th Grade Focus Group Summary – Table #4:

Recreational Student’s enjoyed the events such as Art Trek. Student’s wish to see a bowling alley in Thousand Oaks, more places like “Dojo Boom”, a music hangout, karaoke safe place, high school teen dances at the teen center, and movie nights at different parks or places. Mental Health Student’s decided there needs to be more awareness and for kids to realize the jokes about suicide that people say or post to social media aren’t funny. Kids also said there needs to be less pressure to fit into a trend. Insecurity Student’s said there should be a youth motivation program or support group. They also said to change the way you see yourself if you are insecure and to start by lifting others up and giving a positive self-perception 9th Grade Focus Group Summary – Table #8: At my groups own roundtable, we came up with topics, such as homelessness, hunger, drugs/alcohol/vaping, school lunches, community and teen involvement, streetlights, stress, college, and mental health. The first topic we decided to discuss further was drugs, alcohol, and vaping which our whole group agreed is a problem in our community. The problem with these is that they are too easy for kids to get. Whether they steal them from their parents, get a fake I.D., or find alcohol at parties, the students in the community have too easy of an access to these substances. The access is very easy for teens because they are disguised, parents have them at their house, or students sell them at school without getting caught. Some ways to limit this access is to make sure students know how they are damaging their bodies and lives’, have better resources at school such as checking bags, and to limit the access by educating parents and limiting the spots not watched at school. Our next topic was stress and how it is caused. Some ways stress is caused in student’s lives is from the pressure from parents, needing to go to a good college, and competition from peers, classes and colleges. Many students also believe that if they do not get into the best colleges, they are going nowhere in life. Some solutions to all of this stress are letting the students know what they are getting into when they take all AP classes or apply


to colleges such as Stanford, Yale or Harvard, to set up meetings with counselors, and to educate students and parents about stress. Lastly, my table discussed college competition and admissions. These create stress and added pressure to students because many kids are disappointed when they are not accepted, afraid to apply again if they are waitlisted or declined, and think that where they attend changes their self-worth. Some solutions are to let students know that they can be happy at community college, and to provide proper resources for the SAT and ACT. 7 & 8th grade Focus Group Summary

Mental Health Solutions: -seminars -people other than school counsels to talk to -talks in classes -teachers, counselors and parents getting trained in how to deal with it

Drugs and Vaping Solutions:

-learning course -more drug checks

Maintenance at Schools - Solutions:

-faster service -water fountains don't work

GOALS AND IMPLEMENTATION STRATEGIES

After careful review and consideration of all youth and leader discussions and suggestions, the Youth Commission developed six (6) goals including implementation strategies to begin next term (FY 2018/19). All of these activities include collaboration between agencies as indicated. Some of these goals may require additional staff and other expenses. In light of fiscal challenges, the Youth Commission recognizes that research on these goals may begin now, and actual implementation may be considered in future budget cycles. These are not in order of importance. 1. Increase the help for high school seniors wishing to attend college after the

admissions process.

Based on most reports from students who attended our summit, it seems clear that many students were displeased at where they were accepted, felt inadequate, or didn’t think they could afford to go where they wanted. To meet this goal, some suggestions are as follows:

a. Have workshops to help students decide where to go and help them be happy with their choice.

b. Increase the amount of help for finding and applying for scholarships.


c. Have seminars discussing other options on how to get to your dream school. For example, a junior college and transferring.

2. Increase the number of and improve the visibility of youth recreational options in Thousand Oaks.

Every Summit the Youth Commission receives recommendations for a bowling alley, ice skating rink, and an older teen dance club. The Commission provides this information to stakeholders. In an effort to meet this request, the Teen Center began hosting high school only concerts and other older teen events which are regularly sold out. To meet this goal the following is proposed:

a. Provide Summit results to Conejo Recreation and Park District, Teen Center, local Chamber of Commerce, and businesses.

b. Encourage the Teen Center and other organizations to host outdoor concerts and activities, especially in the evenings during the summer, designed for teens.

c. Co-host activities with Library and Teen Center such as an open mike night or movie night.

d. Continue hosting High School Hangout at Art Trek.

e. Assist Teen Center in advertising programs and events through our website, shared ads in school newspapers, and increased marketing materials.

f. Expand the database Conejo Connection to include as many recreational opportunities for youth as possible.

3. Assess the success of current drug and alcohol prevention programs at schools. Increase awareness of the repercussions of drug use.

There are many different types of programs that are being and have been used to combat alcohol and drug abuse. A thorough review should be conducted to see which of these programs seem to work best.

To meet this goal, the following is proposed:

a. Conduct research throughout high schools and middle schools to assess the extent of knowledge about drugs and alcohol.

b. Host speakers at televised meetings and events that can discourage teens from abusing alcohol or drugs. These can be leaders of non-profits against substance abuse, or people with personal stories of overcoming drug use as a teen. Utilize online surveys to determine effectiveness.

c. Conduct contest to develop anti-drug posters. Winning designs will be placed in public places to encourage youth to be drug free.


d. Increase the security in schools like drug dogs and vape detectors in bathrooms.

4. Educate and engage youth in local civic participation.

a. Include in Youth Commission annual brochure and newsletter information on how teens can have their voice heard locally. Distribute to schools and other organizations.

b. Contact local high school and middle school student government leaders. Inform them of the Youth Commission’s projects and how their schools can get involved.

c. Host additional civic leader/student events.

d. Assist City Clerk with new voter registration information distribution.

5. Educate local youth on importance of mental health and increase options to help provide for teens in need.

Based on most reports from students who attended our summit, it seems clear that many students want to learn more about mental health or want others to be more educated on it so that the tragic things we hear about are less prevalent. To meet this goal, some suggestions are as follows:

a. Seminars for students, parents, and teachers.

a. Increased education for teachers on how to deal with an issue.

b. Training more people other than counselors to be able to talk with those in need so they have options on who to talk with.

6. Continue open dialogue between community leaders and youth. (CTO/CVUSD/CRPD/Community Business)

The Youth Commission determined that hosting a biennial summit provides a full year to follow up and begin implementation of recommendations prior to reconvening with community youth and leaders.

To meet this goal the following is proposed:

a. Following each summit, implementation teams are formed from Summit participants to meet monthly for the purpose of brainstorming solutions, implementing, and following up top recommendations from the Youth Leadership Summit. Teams to be lead by Youth Commissioners.

b. Continue to host biennial summits to gain feedback on improvements, recommendations, and solutions. Next summit to be held February 2020.

c. Include potential local youth businesses to participate in discussions.


d. Host mini-focus group, motivational, and leadership activities as part of implementation process.

NEXT STEPS After approval of the plan by City Council, the Youth Commission will present findings to the Conejo Recreation and Park District and the Conejo Valley Unified School District.

The Youth Commission reconvenes each year in September. At that time, specific activities will be chosen for the 2018/2019 term. A recruitment letter with copies of the plan will be sent to schools to develop implementation teams for the term. These teams will focus on the term goals. Adult representatives from each agency will be asked to participate.

The Youth Commission will strive to maintain attendance and enthusiasm within Implementation Committees by establishing and updating goals in each category. At the end of the year, the Commission will report on the progress of our Implementation Committees to City Council.


Attachment A

How To Facilitate Leader Roundtable Discussions

Youth Leadership Summit 2018 ROUNDTABLE DESCRIPTION: A roundtable is a facilitated discussion that gives each participant the maximum amount of group input on a given subject of common interest in a short amount of time. GOAL & OBJECTIVES: To facilitate a meaningful group discussion that is engaging and helpful o By identifying areas of common interest o By keeping a fast pace o By drawing as many people into the discussion as possible o By wearing name tags DOS & DON’TS: Effective roundtables: o Keep the discussion moving o But give plenty of time for discussion o Each topic is clear & solicits specific feedback o Discussion includes and involves multiple people o End at the high point of the discussion Ineffective roundtables: o There’s not enough time for discussion o Conversation dies out before a new topic begins o Topics aren’t clear about what feedback they want o Discussion focuses on 1 or a few speakers leavening others out


DIRECTIONS: Welcome (2 minutes): (shake hands with leaders and intro yourself) Explain to them that you are a group of XX Graders and first everyone will introduce him/herself and what school they go to, then the facilitation will be turned over to the leaders. Let them know they have 20 minutes and you will keep track of time. The first 10-15 minutes will be discussion on the questions from the applications, the last 5 or 10 will be open to questions. Let them know you will take notes, whether it be on paper or on a small laptop/tablet. Below is text you can use After introductions, the goal for today is to have a meaningful group discussion that is engaging and helpful. We will use the top questions from the applications in the area of XXXX (depending on where the leaders are from). Each leader has a couple of questions they will ask the table participants and then provide input. This is a group discussion so remember: o To talk to everyone in the group not just myself o To keep your comments brief and to the point • That everyone is welcome to share so please feel free to ask or share whatever

you think will be helpful • I will be tracking time and taking notes But quickly, first let’s go around and say our name and school or agency. Start with yourself and end with leaders Discussion Topics (20 minutes per roundtable): State the topic in the form of a problem to solve. Take notes, allow time for students to ask leaders questions


How To Facilitate Youth Roundtable Discussions Youth Leadership Summit 2018

ROUNDTABLE DESCRIPTION: A roundtable is a facilitated discussion that gives each participant the maximum amount of group input on a given subject of common interest in a short amount of time. GOAL & OBJECTIVES: To facilitate a meaningful group discussion that is engaging and helpful o By identifying areas of common interest o By keeping a fast pace o By drawing as many people into the discussion as possible o By wearing name tags DOS & DON’TS: Effective roundtables: o Keep the discussion moving o But give plenty of time for discussion o Each topic is clear & solicits specific feedback o Discussion includes and involves multiple people o End at the high point of the discussion Ineffective roundtables: o There’s not enough time for discussion o Conversation dies out before a new topic begins o Topics aren’t clear about what feedback they want o Discussion focuses on 1 or a few speakers leavening others out DIRECTIONS: Welcome (5 minutes): Welcome everyone my name is ___________ and I am on the Thousand Oaks Youth Commission. In case you don't already know, the Youth Commission is a youth advisory body to City Council on all matters relating to youth.


The goal for today is to have a meaningful group discussion that is engaging and helpful. We will attempt to do this by identifying areas of common interest. First let’s get to know each other by going around and saying our name, grade level, school, and something they hope to gain from the Youth Summit. This is a group discussion so remember: o To talk to everyone in the group not just myself o To keep your comments brief and to the point o That everyone is welcome to share so please feel free to ask or share whatever you think will be helpful Collect discussion points (2 minutes): Take out your pen and notepad I’m going to give us 1-2 minutes to brainstorm all of the possible topics that we can discuss. Remember we are going for quantity not quality right now so whatever comes to mind, write it down After the 1-2minutes are up: Take a look at your list of topics and highlight the top 3 topics that you think would be the most beneficial for you to discuss. Go around and have everyone share their top three discussion topics Put a check mark by a topic for every time it is mentioned again The topics with the most check marks are the topics that you will discuss Discussion Topics (20 minutes per topic=60 minutes): State the topic in the form of a problem to solve. Capture the ideas and answers to the proposed problem on the easel pad Allow the group as a whole to discuss these options Closing (5 Minutes): Let’s go around the circle and share a keyword or phrase that describes this round table for you In the final minutes share either something that you learned or something you will be pondering from today’s discussion

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