Youth Development & School Connections Services
The following services have been provided to our community over the past several years. Community partners have acknowledged the importance of these programs in the city and the City plans to continue providing a vast array of services to enhance education and youth development.
Youth Development & Job Readiness
Life Skills Training (LST) (Police Department) – LST is the highest rated, recommended and researched school-based substance abuse prevention program today. It is uniquely designed, proven effective, and grounded in over 20 years of research.
Fresno B.E.S.T Program / High School Business Education Service Training (B.E.S.T.)
(Parks Department) – The purpose of Fresno BEST program is to develop high school age youth with the skills, understanding and interest to be successful in employment, entrepreneurship or higher education.
Parks Department After School Programs
Elementary Enrichment After School Program – The Enrichment Programs (science, visual arts, performing arts, fitness and character development) are rotated throughout 53 school sites in FUSD and offer children experiences beyond traditional recreation.
Standardized After School Programs – Programmed thematically and conducted at 53 school sites. We serve approximately 2,650 children per day X 180 days for a total of 477,000 and an additional 60 days for 18 year round schools for a total of 530,000 per year.
After School Literacy Program – The literacy program is offered at three elementary schools and seeks to have children reading on grade level by third grade. 60 students, identified by school personnel as having difficulty with reading, are enrolled at present and many have jumped two grade levels since starting our program in October 2004.
Community Science Workshops – PRCS operates two After School Science Workshops in Fresno (Dickey and Granny’s parks). These workshops house our successful hands-on science programs that teach sound, magnetism, electricity, robotics, biology, chemistry, astronomy and other scientific principles. The informal approach is a proven means of creating “active-learning” for all age groups.
Mobile Science Unit – The Mobile Science Unit was acquired in collaboration with the Fresno Unified School District and the Mayor’s Office to take the success of the Science Workshops on the road. Since its rollout in the summer of 2003, the Mobile Science Unit has been an integral part of in school as well as out of school learning by way of our successful hands-on informal approach.
Therapeutic Recreation Program – PRCS runs recreation and leisure programs at seven campuses in FUSD during school hours. The program elements are designed to enhance the socialization and development of special education students
Pools-at-Schools Recreation Programs – Through a joint use agreement with FUSD, PRCS provides swim lessons to 500 children and recreational swim for 23,400 at (Edison, McLane, Fresno High, Hoover, Bullard and Roosevelt).
Head Start Programs at Community Centers – Space for early childhood education is provided at Romain Playground, Ted C. Wills Community Center, Ivy Neighborhood Center and Mosqueda Community Center. We have an active partnership through a participation in holiday activities for the children. We also advertise our many recreation opportunities available for Fresno families through their programs.
Police Department After School Program
Police Activity League (PAL) – PAL promotes interaction between volunteer and off-duty law enforcement personnel and youth through social, recreational, and educational activities in order to teach good values, acceptable behavior, and responsible citizenship.
Mentoring Programs
Buddies Program (Police Department) – Buddies provides training, screening, matching, and events that bring volunteer mentors and needy children together for a brighter future.
City / School Mentoring Partnership (ReadFresno Initiative, business / school partnership) – The City is developing a mentoring program in partnership with an area school and will integrate our efforts into the Read Fresno Initiative.
School & Student Safety
Parental Tools for Substance Abuse (Parks Department) – The City has take home drug testing kits available for purchase by parents at the City’s Community Service Centers and support local voluntary student drug testing efforts by local schools.
Campus / Community Task Force on Alcohol and Substance Abuse – Connects alcohol and substance abuse resources (prevention education, intervention strategies and treatment resources) with our youth, their families, and our schools.
Fire Department Safety Programs
Helmets are Cool – Safety helmets are collected by the Fresno Fire Department and truck companies to give to children who are riding bicycles or skating without safety helmets. Fresno Fire Chief’s Foundation will purchase posters for every classroom in the City for the Helmets are Cool Program.
Juvenile Fire Setter Intervention Program – This is an educational intervention program for children and juveniles that play with matches/lighters.
School Fire Safety Program – This program provides basic fire and life safety education to elementary students attending either public or private schools located within the City of Fresno.
“Firefighters Creating Memories” Program – The Fresno City Firefighters Association, joined with the Big Fresno Fair, Children’s Hospital of Central California, Make-A-Wish Foundation, Burn Aware, and private businesses to aid physically challenged children and their families by enjoying a fun-filled day of rides, games and food at the fair.
Smoke Detector Give-A-Way Program – This program provides smoke detectors for any resident in the City of Fresno free of charge. The Department will coordinate the drop-off (and installation if needed) of these smoke detectors and batteries.
Sparky the Fire Dog Program – Dalmation dog costume that is worn by volunteers who interact with children at public events.
Freddie the Fire Engine Program – Remote controlled mini-fire engine that interacts with kids to deliver fire safety messages.
Police Department Safety Programs
School Liaison Officers (Previously TAC Officers) – Officers are assigned to high schools and middle schools to provide law enforcement resources to the campus community.
Municipal Support Services
Graffiti & Litter Abatement (Code Enforcement & Police Department) – Keeping the areas around schools free of litter and graffiti by Code Enforcement.
Shared Use of Facilities – The City has on-going joint use agreements with surrounding school districts for usage of each other’s facilities on a as needed and availability basis.
Future School Construction (Development Department & Parks Department – park / school proximity) – The City actively participates in the process where schools districts determine how many school they will need in the future.
Infrastructure Improvements Around Schools (Public Works Department) – The Public Works Department has on-going communications with schools to focus on infrastructure improvements in proximity to schools.
Enforcement of Code Violation (Code Enforcement) – Enforcement of code violation in apartment complexes in proximity to schools.
FAX School Related Transport – 31% of the trips taken last year were made by students going to/from school. FAX provided more than 11 million passenger trips last year which means more than 3.4 million passenger trips were school related. FAX also provides school field trip assistance within FAX’s service area .
Community Focused Education Programs – The City provides education and presentation to schools on recycling, water conservation, etc.
Community Youth and Senior Center – The City is working in partnership with Fresno Unified and various community organizations on a community youth and senior center. The objective is to provide an opportunity and common space for seniors and preschoolers and other youth in mentoring and after school programs.
Contribution to Community Networking Initiatives – The City supports and contributes to the Regional Jobs Initiative, Read Fresno, the Collaborative Regional Initiative & the Leadership Council on Preschool Education.
Continued Interaction with Fresno Unified
The City participates in ongoing communication and convening among high level staff from both organizations to address common issues for improved performance. The outcomes expected from these interactions will be to provide recommendations for ways to better coordinate and utilize resources among both entities.
City leadership, including the City Manager’s Office and Education Key Result Area Cabinet, will institutionalize and participate in on-going meetings with the Superintendent and school administration.
The entities are looking into a dual effort by the District and the City on the integration of Character Counts principles into organizational processes.
We are providing increased enforcement of code violations for apartment complexes in proximity to schools.
The Public Works Department is providing renewed efforts on infrastructure projects like sidewalks and alleys for safety of students walking to and from school.