January 2008

A New Year's Resolution with a lasting impact: Be a MENTOR!

Did you know?

Researchers have found that youth who meet regularly with a mentor are:
	*	52% less likely than their peers to skip a day of school
	*	53% less likely to skip class
	*	46% less likely than their peers to start using drugs
	*	33% less likely to hit someone

To learn more about local mentoring opportunities or to sign up to be a mentor, click here or call HCI at 664-3524.

January is National Mentoring Month. Please think about signing up to be a mentor for a local youth. All of Northfield’s mentoring programs currently have waiting lists of young people hoping to be paired with a caring adult. It takes as little as an hour a week. You don’t need any special qualifications – just a willingness to make a connection with a Northfield youth!

High school students can also be mentors, so encourage a local teen to consider this, too!

Northfield honored at Minnesota Summit on Youth Development

The Northfield Skateboard Coalition received a “Red Wagon Award” for youth civic engagement from Governor Tim Pawlenty and Lt. Governor Carol Molnau at the “Minnesota Summit on Youth Development” in Minneapolis on December 5. The Coalition was one of only three groups statewide to receive this honor. Also at the event, Northfield was profiled in a video on model youth development practices. The Northfield Mayor’s Youth Council worked with the conference organizers to produce the video, which should be available soon on the national America’s Promise website. The video highlighted the work of the Northfield Union of Youth/Key, Tackling Obstacles and Raising College Hopes (TORCH) initiative, Northfield Soccer Association, Skateboard Coalition, Northfield High School and Mayor’s Youth Council.

Northfield High School senior Stephanie Calderon was one of five youth selected to speak on the Summit’s afternoon panel on youth leadership. Stephanie spoke in front of nearly 500 people, sharing her insights on the importance of involving youth in decision-making and providing out-of-school opportunities for young people.

Skateboard Coalition receives award, Governor Tim Pawlenty (far left) & Ltn. Governor Carol Molnau (far right)

Skateboard Coalition contines to "push" forward with challenge grant

In October, HCI issued a challenge grant to the Northfield Skateboard Coalition, offering to match, dollar-for-dollar, any funds the youth raise from October 15, 2007 to April 1, 2008, (up to $10,000). To date, the Coalition has raised nearly $4,000 of their $10,000 goal!		Please consider contributing to the youth's effort! Donations can be mailed to the Northfield Union of Youth, P.O. Box 481, Northfield, MN 55057. Checks can be made out to the Northfield Union of Youth – please write “Skateboard Coalition” in the memo line. Donations are tax-deductible.
To learn more about the Coalition and their work over the past 18 months, visit: http://www.unionofyouth.org/skateplaza/ .

Adolescent Outpatient Treatment Group available

The Rice County Chemical Health Coalition’s Provider Team is supporting a collaborative adolescent outpatient treatment program for local youth dealing with substance use issues. The group will meet on Tuesday and Thursday afternoons in Northfield. Transportation can be arranged and funding is available for youth without insurance coverage. The group is open to young people ages 13-17.

To learn more about the group, click here.

Making a Difference Award

This month's "Making a Difference Award" winners

Students in the Northfield High School Focus 10/Social Studies and English class received the November/December HCI “Making a Difference Award.” Facilitated by Sarah Swan-McDonald and Bubba Sullivan, the Focus 10 class aims to help students get "back on track" academically and gain confidence in their abilities. Students are introduced to their role in the community as volunteers and learn the value of civic engagement.

The class was recognized for their outstanding service projects that positively impact other youth. The class recently completed a unit on homelessness and created fleece blankets for the Northfield Community Action Center’s annual Christmas Sharing Program. To learn more about the group’s effort, click here.

Any individual or group that has a positive impact on youth can be nominated for a “Making a Difference Award.” Click here to get an application form and submit it electronically. Applications are accepted on a monthly basis and reviewed by a committee of HCI board members and local youth.

Along with the public recognition in the Northfield News, recipients will receive a framed certificate of congratulations.

Rice County Safe Communities Coalition

Rice County Safe Communities Coalition (RCSCC) is leading an effort to unite community leaders with law enforcement in support of activities to eliminate drunk driving in Rice County. Rice County was recently added to Minnesota’s 15 deadliest counties for impaired driving, based on data from 2004-06. On November 30, 2007, local community leaders and law enforcement officers gathered at the Rice County Court House to show support for efforts to reduce impaired driving.

RCSCC is in its second year working throughout Rice County to educate residents on the importance of seat belts and the dangers of impaired driving. Some of the other efforts of the RCSCC include working with county high schools to increase awareness of seat belt use; partnering with businesses to incorporate traffic safety in their safety training efforts; and working to educate families about seat belt safety at various county events.

RCSCC also collaborates with the Southeast Minnesota Toward Zero Death Coalition to help decrease traffic fatalities through Southeast Minnesota counties.

For more information on the RCSCC, contact Kathy Cooper, the RCSCC Coordinator, at 507-319-3245, or email.

Three online resource directories available

In collaboration with a number of community partners, HCI now maintains three online directories of local resources available to assist Northfield youth and families:
	*	Rice County Chemical Health Directory (in English & Spanish)
	*	Rice County Mental Health Resource Directory (in English & Spanish)
	*	Rice County Parent Education Resource Directory (currently in English only)
To access all the directories, click here.

Northfield HCI Home Page

info@northfieldhci.org

In This Issue:

A New Year's Resolution with a lasting impact: Be a MENTOR!

Northfield honored at Minnesota Summit on Youth Development

Skateboard Coalition continues to "push" forward with challenge grant

Adolescent Outpatient Treatment Group available

Making a Difference Award

Rice County Safe Communities Coalition

Three online resource directories available