WI Employment First Partners Creating Change One Community at a - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

WI Employment First Partners Creating Change One Community at a Time

What are Employment First (EF) Partner Grants? • Provide funding ( up to $3,000) and technical assistance to local groups to engage in grassroots activities in their communities to expand integrated employment opportunities for individuals with disabilities

What are examples of EF Partner Activities? • Community conversations with businesses, individuals with disabilities, families, community organizations • Business recognition lunches/ events • Hosting legislative breakfasts with local representatives and community stakeholders • Presenting to employer groups (e.g., Chambers, Rotary Kiwanis) • Conducting media campaigns (videos, PS A ’s)

Why did BPDD initiate EF Partner Grants? • Recognized the need to expand grassroots efforts to expand Employment First • Wanted to build upon the efforts of the 4 EF Community Action Teams • Need to incentivize replication of CAT efforts to more communities across Wisconsin

How were EF Partner Grants awarded? • Request for Application was distributed widely via website, data bank blasts and other social media • Open to any organization that wanted to apply (e.g., provider, school, PF group) • S pecific list of grantee expectations in RF A • Went through a review process/ scoring • 17 community organizations applied/ 14 received grants

What are some EF Partner Grant expectations? • Outreach Events with EF Message • Take photos / share with BPDD • Develop EF Ambassadors • Participate in at least two Take Y our Legislator to Work Visits (TYLTW)

Who received grants? • Luxemburg-Casco Industries Employment High S chool Opportunities • Ventures Unlimited • Medford High S • Community Care, chool • The Bridge for Inc. • Clayton High S chool Community Life • KIDS - Keeping • Mukwonago High • RCS Empowers Individuals with S chool • Curative Connections Disabilities S erved • Headwaters, Inc. • LCS Racine • Black River • Creative

Where are the EF Partner grants located?

What have the grantee’s accomplished so far? • 26 EF Ambassadors promoting EF and sharing their employment stories • 4 videos making the case for “ Why hiring individuals with disabilities is good for business” • Participated in over 12 TYLTW visits • Presented at the 2016 EF Conference

Conducted dozens of outreach events • Parent transition events • Local media campaigns • Presentations and luncheons • Employer recognition events for employers, service clubs • Legislative luncheons and chambers • Disability Mentoring Day • Business tours • Community conversations. • Inclusive career fairs • Lots of social media posts from • S chool board presentations, events!

Headwaters - Rhinelander • Produced a Video • Present ed and S hared Video at Part ners in Educat ion, Rot ary, Tech College, Oneida Count y Human S ervices • Part nership wit h human services t o have small group conversat ions wit h families concerned about int egrat ed employment in t ri-count y area • 4 Employment First Ambassadors

Black River Industries - Medford • Found j obs for 4 individuals in the community • Presentations to service clubs and businesses • Collaborating with Medford High S • Planning Employer event this summer chool • Media Campaign to be launched

The Bridge to Community Life - Hudson • S oft S kills Event on 4/ 28 – over 50 yout h will at tend • 2 Take Y our Legislat ure t o Work visit s. • Recognized 12 employers wit h cust om plaques. • 1 EF Ambassador - arranged present at ion at a business net working meet ing, and River Falls and New Richmond Chambers

Curative Connections – Green Bay • Informat ion packet s developed for parent s about employment planning and how t o help prepare yout h for j obs • Disseminat ing info at t ransit ion fair in t he area • Collaborat ing wit h Chamber on informat ional webinar for employers • 1 EF Ambassador – present ing t o business groups and service clubs

Community Care, Inc. • 5 Ambassadors in 5 counties • Presented to care team in Kenosha and to care teams in Calumet, Outagamie, Waupaca, and Winnebago counties. • Presentation planned for a student/ teacher/ parent group in Kenosha county. Will plan several more for May and June.

Luxemburg-Casco High S chool • Business Tours with students • Parent information session • Inclusive Career Fair • 1 EF Ambassador

Medford High S chool • Produced a Video • Present at ions t o Businesses and S ervice Clubs wit h EF Ambassadors • Communit y Conversat ion in May (15 employers have already commit t ed t o be t here!) • My Child Can Work Parent S ession • 5 EF Ambassadors • Number of st udent s wit h disabilit ies affect ed by t he grant: Grade 7 = 18, Grade 8 = 22, Freshman = 29, S ophomore = 29, Juniors = 21, S eniors = 30, S OAR (18-21 program) = 7

RCS Empowers • Employer Recognit ion Luncheon wit h 190 people in at t endance • Post er campaign • Business t o Business Out reach and Net working (t hrough RCS Business Advisory Board) • Informat ion event on Int egrat ed Employment for individuals wit h disabilit ies and t heir family members • Event t o connect people wit h disabilit ies t o t heir legislat ors and elect ed officials • 4+ EF Ambassadors

LCS Racine • Produced a Video • EF Community Action Team Quarterly Meetings • Planning two Public Service Announcements • Business Event in June • Presentations to Rotary, Kiwanis, RAMAC, Kenosha Chamber, etc. • Share success stories in email blasts to community businesses • 2 EF Ambassadors

Clayton High S chool • 4 EF Ambassadors • 2 TYLTW Visits • Legislative luncheon . 4 of 4 legislators attended . • School Board Presentation . All 4 Ambassadors presented. • Teacher presented with two Ambassadors at the Parents in Partnership Conference in S t. Croix Falls. • 15 students, 2 business representatives and 3 staff members attend a business lunch at a local restaurant. • 28 students participated in mock interviews with 5 employers from the area.

CEO – Milwaukee • Co-organized Disability Mentoring Day. Featured the WI Employment First logo on the canvas totes given away for the events. 28 mentees and 34 business mentors participated. • Planning Legislative Luncheon

Ventures Unlimited • 1 EF Ambassador • Barron Count y business luncheon. Over 30 people at t ended including several local businesses, Chamber represent at ives, t he direct or of Barron Count y Economic Development , S t at e Represent at ive Romaine Quinn, long • Planning anot her Business event for S ept ember

What is the proposal for the next five year plan? • Provide 8 new EF Partner Grants at up to 3,000 ($24,000) • Provide coaching/ TA ($11,000) • Total Budget: $35,000

What are some questions for discussion? • How do we expand to new organizations while keeping previous grantees moving forward? • S hould we do targeted outreach to specific areas of the state? Do we give extra points/ incentives? • How do we effectively share the learning as grants expand? • How can we effectively use current EF Partners to help other new EF Partners?