* WARNING: THIS IS AN UNOFFICIAL, INTRODUCTORY COPY OF THE BILL.
THE OFFICIAL COPY CONSIDERED BY THE CITY COUNCIL IS THE FIRST READER COPY.
INTRODUCTORY*
CITY OF BALTIMORE
COUNCIL BILL R
(Resolution)
Introduced by: Councilmember Clarke
A RESOLUTION ENTITLED
A COUNCIL RESOLUTION concerning
Title
Peer-to-Peer Youth Enterprises Investment Fund - Recovery and Reinvestment Act Funding
FOR the purpose of requesting that the Administration include a $3 million line item in the 2009-2010 City budget for the Peer-to-Peer Youth Enterprises Investment Fund to expand the number of individual Peer-to-Peer Youth Enterprises in Baltimore City.
Body
WHEREAS, The recently passed Recovery and Reinvestment Act contained $1.2 billion for youth employment services, including summer and year-round employment; and
WHEREAS, Maryland will gain $11.7 million from the Recovery and Reinvestment Act for youth employment services; and
WHEREAS, Peer-to-Peer Youth Enterprises provide year-round employment for young people in Baltimore in an innovative and effective way; and
WHEREAS, These groups hire young people to teach or train other young people a skill, trade, or knowledge, and thus paid peers enter the knowledge-based economy and positively affect other young people; and
WHEREAS, Peer-to-Peer jobs are in a different category than low skilled jobs, and the stimulus should not subsidize traditional employers to hire young people and push adults out of the low skilled jobs needed; and
WHEREAS, Over 20 after school and out-of-school groups have a Peer-to-Peer Youth Enterprise component to their work with very positive outcomes, and paid peers have high graduation rates, high college enrollment, more involvement to improve their own communities, job skills and job readiness - ultimately retaining youth leadership in Baltimore; and
WHEREAS, According to Robert Balfanz, a researcher for the Center for the Social Organization of Schools at Johns Hopkins University, “failure to graduate from high school has become a ticket to the underclass”, and between lower tax contributions and higher social program use, each high school dropout can be expected to cost at least $200,000 more in public funding over the course of his or her life than if he or she had earned a high school degree; and
WHEREAS, According to the KidsCount Data book in 2007, 32.6% of middle school students and 42.6% high school students are absent more than 20 days within the school year, and there is a direct correlation between attendance rates and drop out rates; and
WHEREAS, It is imperative we implement new solutions for the crisis endangering our young people; and
WHEREAS, Peer-to-Peer Youth Enterprise groups were the largest Youth Works sites last summer; and
WHEREAS, Peer-to-Peer Youth Enterprises have full support from Dr. Andrés Alonso, CEO of Baltimore City Public Schools; and
WHEREAS, The Peer-to-Peer Youth Enterprises Investment fund will leverage public dollars with private foundation and corporate dollars to create an on-going stream of funds for Peer-to-Peer Youth Enterprises; and
WHEREAS, $3 million will enable various Peer-to-Peer Youth Enterprises to hire roughly 1,000 young people who will teach/train between 2,000-6,000 other young people; and
WHEREAS, The City Council Education Committee fully supports Peer-to-Peer Youth Enterprises and the plans for an Investment Fund to expand the number of Peer-to-Peer Youth Enterprises citywide.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF BALTIMORE, That this Body requests a $3 million dollar line item in the City budget for the Peer-to-Peer Youth Enterprises Investment Fund to expand the number of Peer-to-Peer Youth Enterprises in Baltimore City.
AND BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution be sent to the Mayor, the Director of Finance, Members of the Peer-to-Peer Youth Enterprises, the CEO of Baltimore City Public Schools, and the Mayor’s Legislative Liaison to the City Council.
dlr09-0657~intro/26Feb09
ccres/Peer/mpc
dlr09-0657~intro/26Feb09
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ccres/Peer/mpc