Community
Connections
THE POWER OF PARTNERING

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Greeley's Youth Service Providers Stay Connected, Stay Funded Through YouthNet

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Greeley's Youth Service Providers Stay Connected, Stay Funded Through YouthNet

The partnerships between youth service providers, both public and private, in Greeley, Clorado, have been strengthened by YouthNet, a coalition of organizations that provide a wide range of services to Greeley youth and families. YouthNet members have been meeting once a month for nine years as a way to stay connected to and aware of partners and services that can help move their work forward.

When the Greeley Youth Initiative, the agency that convened YouthNet, received funding to integrate the asset framework into municipal government, its staff also worked through the development of YouthNet to integrate more effective strength-based approaches to youth development community wide. Luis Llerena Jr., director of the Greeley Youth Initiative, explains that the city's monthly gathering has maintained its momentum over time-- "YouthNet has become its own institution. We plan our vacations around monthly YouthNet meetings, and people even attend on their days off." The long-term benefits of YouthNet, states Llerena, "include an ongoing process for networking and empowerment that comes with being a coalition member." Another benefit is the camaraderie that has developed. People come to the meetings and are surrounded by colleagues working toward similar goals with young people.

YouthNet means money and opportunity for the community. A long-lasting impact of the coalition has been the community's ability to secure large coalition grants, increasing the potential for funding of individual initiatives. The City of Greeley acts as the fiscal agent collaborating with a group of YouthNet partner organizations to secure multi-year grant awards.

YouthNet provides an asset-rich environment for participants where each meeting begins with an Asset Moment, a chance for participants to share an asset based story, program or event with the group. While the agenda items change from month to month, the convening of service providers provides an ongoing opportunity for networking, collaborating, planning and celebrating.

For more information on YouthNet all the Greeley Youth Initiative, 970/350-9247.