Name and Role with the Organization:
Shannon L. Harris, Executive Director – Our Community’s Children
Brief overview of your organization and its primary goals:
Our Community’s Children (OCC) is a public/private partnership between the City of Grand Rapids, Grand Rapids Public Schools (GRPS) and community partners. OCC exists to create programs and to facilitate initiatives that better prepare young people for college, work and life.
How does this program support public education, children, and families?
OCC is dedicated to improving the lives of young people to ensure they are learning, working, thriving, connecting and leading. The office values authentic youth voice and active participation in city projects; promotes access and opportunities for youth through afterschool and leadership programs; provides training and employment to youth in marginalized communities to enhance economic security; and coordinates a place-based response to increase post-secondary degree attainment among GRPS scholars, first-generation and students of color.
OCC’s programs and initiatives include the following:
- College Prep Summer Melt Programming
- Expanded Learning Opportunities (ELO) Network
- Grand Rapids Mayor’s Youth Council
- GRow1000 Summer Youth Employment Program
- GRow1000 Academy
- GRow1000 Employer Community of Practice
- KidSpeak®: Grand Rapids
- T2C Studio: Grand Rapids Center for College Success
- To College, Through College Initiative
How have recent Executive Orders and/or proposed changes to federal and state education budgets impacted your organization?
Our Community’s Children is financially supported through the City of Grand Rapids, Grand Rapids Public Schools, grants, membership fees, and donations. Executive orders and/or proposed changes to federal and state education budgets impact members of our ELO Network as well as those who sit on our To College, Through College Leadership Council. The ELO Network consists of out-of-school time providers, funders, and advocates who work together to ensure young people have access to quality out-of-school time programs. The ELO Network’s mission is to promote and align community efforts in the provision of high quality Out-of-School Time (OST) programs through education and advocacy, professional development, training on best practices, shared outcomes for youth, and continuous collaboration that fosters a sense of belonging for out-of-school time professionals.
Program providers are navigating through threats of cuts and the freezing of funds. Reducing program hours and staff, decreasing the number of youth served, and eliminating programs are all tough decisions that may need to be made. A few of our members, including my office, were directly impacted by the AmeriCorps freeze that disrupted service delivery and paused staffing levels. There are amazing OST programs in this community that provide not only a safe place before school, after school, evenings, weekends and summers, but they also inspire career and skill development, support physical and mental wellness, embrace the arts, contribute to sports participation, and more.
We are also keeping a close eye on the impact of possible federal and state cuts to higher education. Through our T2C Studio, we provide direct support for college access, enrollment, retention and persistence to a subset of GRPS students and alumni to get them to and through college to degree attainment. Cuts in funding could reduce Pell Grant awards, enrollment rates, scholarships, and the will to persist through to degree attainment.
How is your organization responding?
We are connected to statewide and national partners like the Michigan Afterschool Partnership, Michigan College Access Network, Every Hour Counts, and National College Attainment Network, that keep us abreast of upcoming and evolving policies that may impact our work. These partnerships and networks also provide our OST providers and higher education partners with best practices around advocacy efforts with elected officials.
We are committed to supporting the youth we serve. We will leverage the resources available to us for them to be successful. ELO providers are leveraging their relationships and ensuring decision-makers understand the importance of investing in assets. Our strongest assets are promoting our allyship and lifting the work that is so critical, especially now. Our hope is that these efforts and outcomes will not be lost nor forgotten.
How can the community help you in these efforts?
OCC and our partners welcome the time, talents, resources and support of others. We need allyship, grant opportunities, employment experiences for young people, and platforms in which to share the amazing work that is being done in Grand Rapids.
Is there anything else you’d like to lift-up about your organization and its work?
Since 1998, Our Community’s Children, formerly known as the Office of Children, Youth & Families, has supported young people with basic needs to employment; degree attainment to social emotional learning. The success of young people is everyone’s business and responsibility.