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

• pportunities 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

• ur Legislator to Work

Visits (TYLTW)

Who received grants?

• Luxemburg-Casco

High S chool

• Medford High S

chool

• Clayton High S

chool

• Mukwonago High

S chool

• Headwaters, Inc.
• Black River

Industries

• Ventures Unlimited
• The Bridge for

Community Life

• RCS

Empowers

• Curative Connections
• LCS

Racine

• Creative

Employment Opportunities

• Community Care,

Inc.

• KIDS
• Keeping

Individuals with Disabilities S erved

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
• Presentations and luncheons

for employers, service clubs and chambers

• Business tours
• Inclusive career fairs
• S

chool board presentations,

• Local media campaigns
• Employer recognition events
• Legislative luncheons
• Disability Mentoring Day
• Community conversations.
• Lots of social media posts from

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
• Collaborating with Medford High S

chool

• Media Campaign to be launched
• Presentations to service clubs and businesses
• Planning Employer event this summer

The Bridge to Community Life - Hudson

• S
• ft S

kills Event on 4/ 28 –

• ver

50 yout h will at tend

• 2 Take Y
• ur 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

• phomore = 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?