YOU, Inc. Worcester Community Connections Coalition

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Summer Program Listing for Worcester - 2nd Version Please continue to get us your updates / entries!   Second Version with Updates! Worcester Summer Program listing for 2024     Click on the link below to view the document. HIGHLIGHTED Items have been

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The Vote to Continue Zero Bus Fare is Coming Up this Spring Please call your WRTA Advisory Board Member   The Vote to Continue Zero Bus Fare is Coming Up this Spring The Fares are FREE until July 1st, 2024. Please call your WRTA (Worcester Regional Transit Aut

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WCCC Worcester Community Updates for 1/23/24   Weekly Update | E-News for 1/23/24 Welcome to the weekly Worcester Community Connections Coalition E-News! This newsletter is intended to provide you with information on events, resources, and info

For more than 20 years, the youth and families we serve at YOU, Inc. have experienced an outpouring of generosity during the holidays, from thoughtful donors across Worcester County. These companies and individuals have made this time of year special for vulnerable children and families, who deserve to experience the joy of the season.

YOU, Inc. and the Seven Hills Foundation are deeply grateful for this enduring support.

This FREE Leadership Training has changed parent lives and Our Community. Please join us!!

2024 Worcester Parent Leadership Training - Taking Nominations/Registrations! Worcester Community Connections Coalition (WCCC) of YOU, Inc., an affiliate of Seven Hills Foundation and The Worcester Family Partnership  Present A FREE Parent Leadership Training 8 Week Program Wo

From The Association for Behavioral Health

The Worcester Community is experiencing a Mental Health Crisis and this is an important part of addressing the need. Please help!

HELP INCREASE FUNDING for MENTAL HEALTH CLINICS

Thousands of vulnerable children, families and adults continue to wait months to access basic mental health treatment services. Reimbursement rates for mental health clinics fall far short to

ensure access to help and to recruit and retain the clinicians needed to meet current needs. ABH filed

S. 760/ H. 2006 to provide additional funding for mental health clinics.

Right now, patients cannot access mental health/behavioral health care they need:
Medicaid rates are falling far below the cost of providing care.
Vulnerable individuals, children, and families continue to wait months to access basic mental health treatment services in their own communities.
Too many cannot access care.
Too many face long delays and wait lists.
Clinics struggle with recruitment and retention of staff.


S. 760/ H. 2006 would increase funding for mental health clinics. It would require MassHealth to increase reimbursement rates and ensure these rates remain competitive. This fix will curb wait times and delays to care, improve access to care and help recruit and retain staff

Action Alert: WHAT YOU CAN DO -
We Need Your Help!:

Next week, the Legislature’s Joint Committee on Mental Health and Substance Abuse is holding a hearing on the House version of our legislation (H. 2006) to increase mental health clinic funding.

In advance on next week’s hearing, please share this link with your team and urge them to take action today!

Please use the link below to email YOUR State Senator and State Representative and ask for their support for S. 760/ H. 2006 to fund mental health clinics.

It takes a few minutes!

https://www.votervoice.net/ABHMA/Campaigns/108444/Respond

Thank You!!

HELP US INCREASE FUNDING for MENTAL HEALTH CLINICS On October 17th the State Legislature’s Health Care Finance Committee held a public hearing on legislation (S. 760/ H. 2006) to increase reimbursement rates to mental health clinics.  We need YOU to contact your State Legislators to ask...

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WCCC Worcester Community Updates for 10/18/23 October 18, 2023 The WCCC Email Blast A Program of YOU, Inc., an Affiliate of Seven Hills Foundation Important Community Updates ! Welcome to the weekly Worcester Community Connections Coalition E-Ne

Share your input with the Worcester Regional Transportation Authority!!

Calling all Bus Riders! Join us for a Rider’s Forum

Join WRTA Administration, Central Mass. Transit Management (CMTM) and Central MA Regional Planning Commission (CMRPC) on Thursday, October 12 from 11am – 2pm at the Union Station Hub, 60 Foster St, Worcester. Connect with fellow riders, and members of the community to share your experiences, and learn about transit initiatives surrounding WRTA’s service area.

At the Rider’s Forum, WRTA, CMTM and CMRPC will be looking to create a platform for a productive and open dialogue amongst ridership and community members. Attendees will have the opportunity to ask questions, give feedback, and share concerns about the fixed-route and paratransit system serving our 37 communities.

We encourage all bus riders, whether daily commuters or occasional users, to join us at the Rider’s Forum. Your input is crucial in shaping the future of public transportation in the Greater-Worcester Region. Together, we can make our service area more efficient, accessible, and rider-friendly.

Link: Calling All Riders: Join Us for a Rider’s Forum! – WRTA (therta.com)
Flyer: Flyer_RidersForum-Oct23.pdf (therta.com)

More information at the www.therta.com

WRTA – Worcester Regional Transit Authority Moving Our Region Forward Calling All Riders: Join Us for a Rider’s Forum! Worcester, MA– The Worcester Regional Transit Authority (WRTA) is excited to announce an upcoming Rider’s Forum, an interactive event intended to engage with our ridership and members of the community…. read more Inte...

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Worcester After School Program Listing as of 9/15/23: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1G1UbALOPrMn9WX_AdJ9HJaQjjTBBoI9L/view?usp=sharing
/ send further updates to [email protected]

AfterSchoolGuide as of 091423.pdf

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Grandparents & Kinship Caregiver Support Group Re-Starting!! From Deborah Bunker, the Clinician of the Worcester Family Resource Center Our Grandparents Raising Grandchildren and Kinship Caregivers Support Group is re-starting this Friday, Sept. 15th with our d

https://forms.gle/uCRpWEjTmLWazwRH8

Interest in Domestic Violence Advocacy Work- Participation in 9/12 State Hearing STAT - The local Survivors Taking Action Group is looking for local survivors and allies who want to help with our advocacy work to support survivors of domestic abuse. There is an important hearing next Tuesday at the State House. Let us know if you might be able to attend in person or virtually. W...

Hello Everyone!
STAT - The local Survivors Taking Action Group working with Worcester Community Connections of YOU, Inc. / Seven Hills Foundation is looking for local survivors and allies who want to help with our advocacy work to support survivors of domestic abuse. We just got word of an important Hearing next Tuesday, 9/12 from 1-5pm at the State House in Boston - on two crucial bills that can be game changers for survivors. Let us know if you might be able to attend in person or virtually. We need as many people there as possible!! We can discuss transportation arrangements

Thank you! RESPOND HERE:

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WCCC Worcester Community Updates for 8/25/23 August 25, 2023 The WCCC Email Blast A Program of YOU, Inc., an Affiliate of Seven Hills Foundation Important Community Updates ! Welcome to the weekly Worcester Community Connections Coalition E-New

From the Worcester Family Partnership and Worcester Community Connections & the Worcester Family Resource Center of YOU, Inc., an affiliate of Seven Hills Foundation

STARTING TOMORROW BUT JOIN ANY WEEK

My Time!

A FREE, weekly, Parent Drop-in space to learn and practice calming and soothing strategies and connect with other Parents

*This is a great program for parents/caregivers waiting to access behavioral health services
Six Weeks, Starting

Wednesday March 1st

Feel free to drop in for any week!

4:00-5:00pm by Zoom!

Facilitated by Lynne Flanagan Tsombakos, LMHC

Child and Family Clinician

Text 774-312-3828 or call the Worcester Family Resource Center to Register: 508-796-1411

HERE IS THE ZOOM LINK!: https://zoom.us/j/6899043058

Forwarding From Worcester Public Schools

February 24, 2023

Dear Worcester Families,

It has come to our attention that the State Board of Elementary and Secondary Education is scheduled to meet this Tuesday, February 28, to vote on whether to approve a new charter school in the City of Worcester.

The proposed charter school, Worcester Cultural Academy, would be overseen by Old Sturbridge Village, Inc. and located in a former Catholic school at 81 Plantation St. that would be leased from the Worcester Archdiocese. The Worcester Public Schools, members of the Worcester School Committee, and many parents and community members are deeply concerned about this proposal and its potential serious impacts on high-needs students.

We ask that you consider attending the Board of Education meeting or emailing to share your public comment. Click here to find the meeting agenda and information on how to provide public comment. The meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, February 28, at 9:00 AM, at the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) Headquarters, 75 Pleasant St., Malden.

Or Email: https://www.doe.mass.edu/bese/contactinfo.html

Below, please find several points of information provided by the Worcester Public Schools after its review of the charter school proposal.

The proposed Worcester Cultural Academy plan will be used as a funding stream to support Old Sturbridge Village amid a backdrop of declining visitors and pandemic-related hardships. Old Sturbridge Village CEO Jim Donahue actually wrote in the 2022 annual report that the Worcester Cultural Academy and Old Sturbridge Academy charter schools are the “key” part of the museum’s plan for financial sustainability. He wrote that the charter schools “are key to the future of the Village. … The academies will provide reliable, contractual revenue to the museum, safeguarding us against fluctuations in uncontrollable factors that impact admission, such as weather and public health.”

Approximately $7 million – the equivalent of 100 salaries of teachers from Worcester Public Schools – would be diverted from WPS to support 23 teachers, an expensive management fee and administrative costs at Worcester Cultural Academy.

Old Sturbridge Academy (the charter school that Old Sturbridge Village currently operates) has a much higher out-of-school suspension rate for its students when compared with Worcester Public Schools and may be disregarding recent changes in state law, which encourage alternative means of discipline. (Sources: DESE Website: OSVC Data; WPS Data.)

Out-Of-School Suspensions 2021-22

Comparisons

CLICK HERE

Sources: DESE Website: OSVC Data; WPS Data

Old Sturbridge Academy has no track record for serving English learners because its current EL population is so small that performance data cannot be publicly reported. The school had 12 English learners representing 3% of its student population in 2021-22.

Public schools are legally required to serve the needs of all students regardless of their level of disability – this includes charter schools. 21% of Worcester Public Schools students fall into the broad definition of “students with disabilities,” which could range from minor speech delays to severe physical disabilities. The charter proposal shares more about accommodating students with less severe special needs, such as anxiety or dyslexia, and not those with more severe physical or cognitive handicaps. In addition, its budget would not support a full range of special education services, including inclusion, partial inclusion, and substantially separate models that it claims it will offer.

There is concern that the lease arrangement with the Worcester Archdiocese could invite undue influence of the Catholic church onto what is being taught in a public school. Until recently, the Worcester Archdiocese falsely claimed it had an agreement with Worcester Public Schools to prohibit teaching s*x education at a school the district is leasing.

The information technology age is ending and the artificial intelligence age is beginning. Yet, there is literally nothing in the charter proposal that outlines how the school will educate students to be future-ready, nor does it mention anything about teaching critical social-emotional skills, such as interpersonal communication, self-agency, and self-leadership. No one is against museums – but there is zero evidence that a core educational approach tied to daily field trips to museums will be effective for learning critical 21st century skills.

The curriculums that are cited are purchased “off the shelf.” One such curriculum, EL Education, was coincidentally reviewed by Worcester Public Schools educators and it was not even among the top five considered for implementation.

According to the proposal, by the fifth year of operation, $470,000 will be paid annually to Old Sturbridge Village on a no-bid contract for services such as human resources, accounting, and marketing – for a school with only 61 employees. In a traditional school district with many more workers, these functions would be handled in the central office by a licensed business official and a support staff person for a much lower cost.

The current proposal does not budget for:
Snow removal
Substitute teachers
Music teachers
Art teachers
Technology staff before its fourth year of operation
A technology device for every student. (By comparison, Worcester Public Schools has guaranteed one device for each student for the past three years.)

The proposal only budgets $50,000 to purchase a school bus, which is significantly low. In comparison, Worcester Public Schools pays $103,000 for a large school bus and $84,000 for a mid-sized bus. Nowhere in the budget narrative does it show the cost of fuel, maintenance, or insurance. Nor does the plan make any provision for transportation for students in wheelchairs.

Amid a nationwide staffing shortage for teachers, bus drivers, and custodians, the proposed salary ranges for these positions are well below the average new-teacher salary for Worcester Public Schools and well below market value.
$61,000 proposed for teachers
$33,405 proposed for paraprofessionals

The financial model to support Worcester Cultural Academy is based on unrealistically high projections of admitting students with disabilities, high-need students, and English learners, which would contradict staffing assumptions in its own charter proposal. The application uses a $15,000 per-pupil figure in the first year as the foundation rate, but the foundation rate for elementary students is just under $9,000. That means the school must fully match Worcester Public School’s enrollment rates of low-income and English learner students to achieve this funding level.

Old Sturbridge Academy serves significantly fewer students from high-needs populations when compared with the 11 local school districts where the students reside.

Use this Link for comparison

student group data: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1TQHSYij9YCwVn3lV767nWY1FmOZpbZZV/edit?usp=sharing&ouid=110268268563375508715&rtpof=true&sd=true

Thank you very much for your assistance!

Student Group.doc Student Group 11 Local Districts That Provide Students for OSVC (Average Percentages) Old Sturbridge Village Charter English Learners 7% 3% Students With Disabilities 20% 17% High-Need Students 58% 49% Low-Income Students 49% 38% Student Group Old Sturbridge Academy...

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Worcester Resource Guide ENGLISH & SPANISH IN DIGITAL FORMAT From the Steering Committee of Worcester Community Connections Coalition of YOU, Inc., an affiliate of Seven Hills Foundation The Worcester Parent/Caregiver Guide to Community Resources La Guía

From the Worcester Family Partnership and Worcester Community Connections & the Worcester Family Resource Center of YOU, Inc., an affiliate of Seven Hills Foundation

My Time!

A FREE, weekly, Parent Drop-in space to learn and practice calming and soothing strategies and connect with other Parents



Six Weeks, Starting March 1st

Feel free to drop in for any week!

4:00-5:00pm by Zoom!



Facilitated by Lynne Flanagan Tsombakos, LMHC

Child and Family Clinician

Text 774-312-3828 or call the Worcester Family Resource Center to Register: 508-796-1411

HERE IS THE ZOOM LINK!: https://zoom.us/j/6899043058

Click here to apply for the Worcester Parent Leadership Training! https://forms.gle/1jr1BZeLUQHUbyAL6

Calling Parents who Want to Make a Difference in our Community. We Need Your Voices to address the Housing, Food, Child Care and other Needs! Nothing About Us Without Us! FREE Leadership Training for Worcester Parents!!

From the Zero-Fare WRTA Coalition:

Dear friends:

The Administration of the WRTA Just Announced Route Cuts that Will Go Into Effect This Friday. (see below)

These cut were made with little notice to let bus riders know and no opportunity for community, nor WRTA Advisory Board input!

These Cuts Come On Top Of Already GREAT Service Concerns with Riders Often Stranded at Bus Stops! These were discussed at length at the Worcester Transportation Committee Meeting on January 5th!

These Routes will Primarily Impact Low Income Neighborhoods of Worcester

The Cuts are Blamed on Bus Drivers Using Paid Family Leave!

Other Businesses hire Supplementary Staff, even part time to help with coverage - why can't the WRTA?

---------------------------------------------------------------

Let the Board of the WRTA Know that These Sudden Cuts, with NO Community or WRTA Advisory Board Input are Unacceptable!

Here are some key points that we All must continue to advocate for:

The WRTA is sitting on 22 million remaining CARES ACT funds. Why can’t the WRTA use it to continue Zero Fare?
We want better bus service for Worcester AND the continuation of Zero Fare which has been a huge support and lifeline to so many low income families and has benefited our local economy. If we charge fares again, ridership will plummet and we will be taking that money (3.3 million according to the WRTA) out of rider pockets when we HAVE the money.
We can have both Free Fares AND Better Service! Merrimack Valley’s RTA system is fare free and has seen REDUCED complaints since it stopped charging fares and has increased frequency in service on multiple routes! There were problems with the WRTA service BEFORE the service went free.



Please help us to advocate for the continuation of Fare Free

and Better Bus Service!:

by contacting your local WRTA Advisory Board Member: https://bit.ly/WRTAcontactsheet.

If you live in Worcester, also contact your City Councilor: https://www.worcesterma.gov/city-council/councilors.

In solidarity,

Zero-Fare WRTA Coalition

Worcester Community Connections / YOU Inc. , an affiliate of Seven Hills Foundation, emails are intended solely to share information about available community resources, and efforts to strengthen local services. Any views or opinions presented via the links provided above are those of the agencies and organizations who have shared this information, and do not necessarily represent those of Worcester Community Connections Coalition or YOU Inc., an affiliate of Seven Hills Foundation

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Worcester Community Connnections of Seven Hills & the Worcester Family Partnership Present

A FREE Parent Leadership Training
8 Week Program
Worcester People Empowering People

Parent Leadership Development Certificate
from the University of Connecticut

Worrying About Problems in Your Community?
Help Change Them!!
Turn Your Concern Into Action!

Where: In Person (with some sessions on Zoom)
When: Wednesday Evenings (3/1, 3/8, 3/15, 3/22, 3/29, 4/5, 4/12, 4/26 and 5/3 (graduation)

Time: 5:30 – 7:10 pm

LINK to Apply:
https://forms.gle/6YamJPH8dYoSVarZ7

Space is Limited. Please contact Anne at [email protected]
or 774-312-3828 for more information
Parent Nominations will be accepted until February 22nd, 2023.

CLICK HERE FOR ENGLISH FLYER

CLICK HERE FOR SPANISH FLYER

Worcester People Empowering People Parent Leadership Training 2023 - Nomination Form Please fill in the information below for the person (including yourself!) who you would like to nominate to participate in this year's program

In year #21 of an inspiring tradition, the Dudley Middle School – led by DMS teacher Lesa Patrock – presented YOU, Inc. with more than 400 gifts for children and teens served by our agency. This outpouring of generosity comes courtesy of DMS students, staff and families, the Dudley community, and donors far and wide. YOU, Inc. and the Seven Hills Foundation are deeply grateful for your generosity!