Community members are invited to a joint meeting of the Woodland City Council and the Woodland Joint Unified School District Board of Trustees to accept the Woodland Community Youth Action Plan on April 20 in Woodland.
The Youth Action Plan is a newly developed communitywide guide to better support Woodland youth. The school district, the City, and many other educational partners, including students, collaborated to create the plan with a unified focus on ensuring that all young people throughout Woodland have the support and opportunities to thrive.
The joint meeting is the culmination of a years-long collaborative effort. Preparatory work began on a Youth Plan in 2019. That effort came to fruition right before the pandemic started in March 2020 and the final plan is set to be approved on Thursday, April 20.
“This marks the culmination of partnerships and collaboration to create a plan for Woodland youth,” said Rogelio Villagrana, Board of Trustees President for Woodland Joint Unified School District. “We came together as allies and advocates to increase the support and opportunities for young people in our community. We now have a guide we can all use for supporting our youth. I look forward to continued partnerships in order to build a better future for our youth and our community.”
“The City is committed to investing in our young people,” added Ken Hiatt, Woodland City Manager. “This plan recognizes that when young Woodlanders excel, we all benefit.”
The Woodland Community Youth Action Plan helps define a vision for the future based on input from educational partners and youth. The Youth Development Network facilitated the coalition’s meetings and planning efforts.
“It makes me proud to see our community united in a vision for the betterment of our youth,” said Elodia Ortega-Lampkin, Superintendent of Woodland Joint Unified School District. “As community leaders, families, parents, and students, we all have a role to play in ensuring that all young people have the opportunity to thrive. This plan shows we can all make a difference when we work together. Our youth deserve the best and this is a big step forward, with many more to come.”
Participating partners included:
- City representatives (Police, Library, City Manager’s Office, and Community Services Department)
- School District staff and leadership
- UC Davis Early Academic Outreach Program
- Yolo County Assessor, Clerk-Recorder, and Elections
- Yolo County Office of Education
- All Leaders Must Serve
- RISE (Rural Innovations in Social Economics) Inc.
- Concilio of Yolo
Strategies to develop the plan included:
- Engaging key stakeholders throughout the community
- Establishing and promoting a shared vision for youth
- Assessing needs and designing comprehensive strategies
- Creating a framework for shared accountability
- Coordinating City, school, and community efforts
During the preparation of the plan, leadership solicited input from students and parents focused on current services available to them and ones that would help them develop into adulthood.
With this information, along with information from the key partners, the Woodland Community Youth Action Plan identifies aspirations, guiding principles, key indicators, and calls to action for the following age groups:
- Early Childhood: 0 -5
- Elementary: 6-10
- Middle School: 11-13
- High School: 14-18
- Young Adult: 19-25
Meeting Details:
Date: Thursday, April 20
Time: 5:30 PM
Location: Woodland Community and Senior Center, 2001 East St., Woodland
A community celebration will follow the meeting. Refreshments will be served.