The forum was part of the city of Watertown's anti-poverty initiative. The city was awarded $1 million in Empire State Poverty Reduction Initiative funding in the 2016-17 state budget. The grant is being administered by United Way of Northern New York (NNY).
United Way of NNY Chief Executive Officer Robert D. Gorman said Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo had proposed funding 12 cities around the state with $1 million anti-poverty initiative grants in his executive budget proposal last year.
"Watertown was not on that list of 12 cities," he said, noting Assemblywoman Jenne immediately saw the omission and worked during the budget negotiation process to get funding for the North Country. "At the end of the day, Addie got the city of Watertown added to the list."
Assemblywoman Jenne, who was the forum’s keynote speaker, said the goal of the funding was to provide tools to help individuals raise themselves out of poverty and gain long-term economic stability.
"While this grant went to the city of Watertown, this initiative is not just about the city. Our approach to these types of issues in the North Country is regional. My hope is the work the city does through this grant process will have a much larger footprint."
The poverty rate in Jefferson County is 15 percent, with 28 percent of children under 18 years of age living in poverty. The numbers are even higher in St. Lawrence County, with a 19 percent poverty rate and 27 percent of children under 18 years of age living in poverty.
"This Call to Action community forum brought together educators from a number of schools in Jefferson and Lewis counties and representatives from a host of community organizations serving the tri-county region in the North Country," Assemblywoman Jenne pointed out.
The forum was facilitated by the Institute for Learning Centered Education.
Don Mesibov, the Canton-based institute's director, said students raised in concentrated poverty face a unique set of challenges, often associated with trauma, which many schools are not prepared to address effectively.
He said his program's poverty and trauma initiative is aimed at assisting educators in developing the tools and strategies they need to help students succeed in academic, social and personal settings.
Mr. Mesibov noted Assemblywoman Jenne had secured $20,000 in state funding, allowing the program to launch the poverty initiative.
"Addie got us a legislative grant that helped us start working with 35 schools in the North Country and Fairport," he noted.
He said bringing together educators and agencies to work with individuals living in poverty was an important step in addressing the challenges facing the region.
"There are common denominators as we work to reach people. We have a lot more power in this room than you realize," he said to the approximately 70 participants at the forum.
The state's anti-poverty initiative is aimed at making targeted investments in capital projects to improve the quality, efficiency and reach of services that address poverty, including job training, public safety, and health and nutrition programs.
The initiative also seeks to better align public and private resources with community-based interventions that are successful in improving outcomes for residents and build partnerships among public and private, municipal and nonprofit organizations to provide a variety of solutions.
Assemblywoman Jenne said the North Country's poverty rate is higher than the state and national averages. She noted that she continues to fight for funding and programs to grow the workforce and help to reduce the number of families living in poverty.
"At first glance, it might not seem like the farm-to-school program, funding food pantries, gaining equitable funding for our schools, implementing community school programs, increasing the minimum wage and this $1 million grant to the city of Watertown are related," she said.
"But it is a holistic approach to improve the North Country and help lift people out of poverty. We know education is an important part of that process and providing schools with the tools they need to reach students with the greatest needs is critically important," Assemblywoman Jenne said.
"We also know students faced with empty cupboards at home and coming to school hungry are going to find it hard to focus on their schoolwork. We know that students dealing with traumatic events at home are going to find it hard to focus on their academics when they come to school. Programs like these give schools and community organizations better tools to meet those students' needs," she added.
The city has submitted a proposal to the state that calls for the funding to be used for mentorship programs, providing vehicles to the working poor with transportation needs, refurbishing six to eight homes for working poor families and working with employers on strategies to retain employees that come to the workforce from lives of poverty.
"We know there are barriers that can make it difficult for individuals to get out of poverty, and these programs are aimed at helping individuals and families overcome some of those challenges," Assemblywoman Jenne said.
The community forum was sponsored by the United Way of Northern New York, Jefferson-Lewis BOCES, Jefferson-Lewis Teacher Center, Watertown City School District and the North Country Regional Office of the New York State United Teachers (NYSUT).
IN THE PHOTOS:
TOP PHOTO:
Assemblywoman Addie A.E. Jenne visits with Robert D. Gorman, chief executive officer of United Way of NNY, at "Call to Action, A Community Forum on Poverty/Trauma held at Jefferson Community College. The event was sponsored by Jefferson-Lewis BOCES, Jeff-Lewis Teacher Center, Watertown Central School District, the North Country Office of NYSUT and the Institute for Learning Centered Education.
BOTTOM PHOTO:
Assemblywoman Addie A.E. Jenne, standing, checks in with Beverly Ouderkirk of Morristown, a member of the New York State Board of Regents, at a community forum on Friday at Jefferson Community College, The event attracted 80 individuals from several school districts in Jefferson County and a number of community organizations ranging from the North Country Prenatal/Perinatal Council and the Fort Drum Regional Health Planning Organization to Watertown Urban Mission and the Community Action Planning Council.
Assemblywoman Addie A.E. Jenne talks with Don Mesibov, director of the Institute for Learning Centered Education, at Friday's community forum on poverty at Jefferson Community College. The event drew representatives from a number of non-profit organizations as well as the Watertown, Indian River, Thousand Islands, Beaver River, South Lewis, South Jefferson and Lowville Academy school districts. Officials from Jefferson-Lewis BOCES and SUNY Canton were also on hand for the forum.
Assemblywoman Addie A.E. Jenne, standing, checks in with Beverly Ouderkirk of Morristown, a member of the New York State Board of Regents, at a community forum on Friday at Jefferson Community College,
Assemblywoman Addie A.E. Jenne chats with Robert D. Gorman, chief executive officer of United Way of NNY, and Antwerp Primary School Principal Elixabeth Culbertson at "Call to Action, A Community Forum on Poverty/Trauma held at Jefferson Community College.
Don Mesiboc, director of the Institute for Learning Centered Education, talks with Marlene Pickering and Lawrence Bohler about their experiences growing up in poverty
