How does your community make youth a priority in budgeting, policymaking, services, or other ways?

Calvert County is seen statewide as a good place to raise a family. This reputation points to a county government that makes children and youth a priority. One reason for the reputation is our highly regarded school system. Calvert has the highest percentage of 0 -18 year olds of any county in Maryland and half of the county operating budget and half of the capital improvement program is dedicated toward youth education. In addition, county commissioners have supported funding for the community college, for recreation and ball fields, for the about-to-open indoor aquatic center, and the annual youth day at the county fair. However, achieving such a reputation is more than the work of a county government. It is the quality of the people who serve as educators and service providers, who work in libraries, court systems, local businesses, and recreation and park facilities. It is the strength of the faith communities and families and, most significantly, the collaboration and planning between these elements of the community. While the state Governor’s Office on Children lays out a 2-year focus, planning and action is undertaken at the county level. State funding has been severely curtailed in recent years, but volunteers and cooperation between groups have made many things possible. Businesses provide internships, mentors, job shadow days, and in-kind skills to youth service organizations. They support the United Way of Calvert County which provides grants to such organizations. The League of Women Voters, a volunteer group, conducted studies on the Needs of Children and Youth and then created the Calvert Crusade for Children to advocate for our youth. Non-profit /for-profit agencies, faith communities, service and veterans clubs, and schools and local government work together to provide education and experiential learning, medical and counseling support, and caring adult interaction for all our children.

How does your community support youth leadership or involve youth in local policy and/or budgeting decisions?

Calvert County’s Board of Education provides opportunities for youth to use their leadership abilities in various ways. At the school level, youth leadership opportunities may be found in the Student Government Association (SGA) and in the Parent, Teacher, Student Association. The SGA significantly influenced the adoption of a student member to the Board of Education. This student representative is elected by the students and has voting rights in all areas except financial matters and personnel issues. The Calvert County Public School’s Citizen Advisory Council (CAC) also involves youth by having three students from specific geographic areas of the county sit on their council. These students provide input and make recommendations on the general operation of the school district and the development of budget and policies. Service organizations provide opportunities for youth to develop and use their leadership skills by supporting school clubs and other groups. With support from these organizations (Kiwanis, Optimist, Lions, and Rotary), students receive scholarships to colleges and trainings from groups like the Hugh O’Brian Youth Development Academy. Calvert Library uses the advice of teens to develop and implement monthly Teen Nights, to make suggestions on the acquisition of books and other materials, to implement new programs and services, to organize and publicize events and fund raisers, and to recruit new members for their Teen Advisory Council of Students (TACOS). Additionally, the Calvert Crusade for Children has conducted twice yearly leadership programs for middle and high school youth. Youth are encouraged--and do--apply to the Summer Youth Leadership School at St. Mary’s College of Maryland and to be pages when the state legislature is in session.

How does your community work to ensure the well-being of the most vulnerable young people, including youth in foster care, GLBT youth, and others?

Many agencies collaborate to address the needs of our most vulnerable young people. Through the Calvert County Family Network, a System of Care Planning Committee (consisting of department heads of all the county and local state departments serving children and families) devises and implements comprehensive services for families and service providers. With the overarching goal of keeping youth placements in-home or in-county, yet mindful that many children face severe dysfunction in their families, the System of Care Planning Committee and the mental health agency of the county health department have sought and been awarded grants for programs to provide support and counseling services to treat the family as well as the child. The planning committee has investigated best practices to identify and duplicate what is working well in similar jurisdictions. The committee and others in the community have participated regularly in training programs on the concept and implementation of a system of care model. School-wide staff training addresses GLBT issues and pupil personnel workers and counselors provide face-to-face support. Schools also have GLBT youth support group meetings on an as-needed basis. The county has about 70 children in foster care. Many are teenagers; some have returned to care as the result of a disrupted adoption. A major difficulty faced by foster care supervisors is securing competent mental health care for families. It is challenging to find therapists within the community who are skilled in attachment and trauma therapy and also accept Medicaid. Through a partnership with a local adoption program, planning is ongoing to provide training for local therapists in exchange for a commitment of service to the children in care. The partnership will build the capacity of the mental health community in Calvert County and increase the number of resources available for families in need.

Please describe the ways in which your community collaborates to ensure positive outcomes for young people.

The Calvert County Interagency Council for Children and Families is a community-wide, 70+ membership organization that brings issues pertaining to families and children to the attention of the community leadership. The IAC speaks for those who usually have no voice in decision-making. It assesses needs, surveys communities, and identifies gaps in services. Its members are agencies and organizations that target and provide services to families with children. The IAC includes representatives from the fields of education, health, juvenile justice, child care, after-school time, business and local government as well as faith-based organizations. Meeting monthly, the group identifies programs, grant opportunities, community events, and job openings to address issues that impact the quality of life for county families. IAC research has allowed the county to receive grant-funded programs as well as persuade local and State funders that programs and services are thoughtfully planned, carefully implemented, and well monitored. While there are many programs available to support families and youth, there is also evidence that families are all too often not aware of them or cannot access those services. The IAC is the "go to" organization when the dissemination of information is urgent. It "gets the word out" to families of the available support services, marketing the various programs and assisting families who may be in need of the services. A constant issue in this rural community is transportation; in fact, access to services is often a larger problem than their availability. The IAC is currently accumulating information on the existing transportation sources and developing a county-wide partnership that would allow all entities to be tracked by one software system. Existing transportation services would then be pooled to provide those in need a means to get to/from their appointments throughout the day and into the evening hours.

What are your community’s most significant challenges in ensuring that youth have access toand support from caring adults? What innovative solutions or evidence-based practices have been implemented to address these challenges?

With the large number of organizations trying to address the needs of youth, the various approaches have been fragmented. Calvert County makes extensive use of the Search Institute’s Asset Development (AD) program as a systematic, intentional way for adults who work with children to approach positive, healthy development. Grounded in extensive research in youth development, resiliency, and prevention, AD identifies the relationships, opportunities, and personal qualities that young people need to avoid risks and to thrive. A United Way grant funded workshops and youth leadership development for middle and high school students. To assist in this effort, 37 individuals were trained in the AD program by the Calvert County Family Network (CCFN.) The CCFN also provided materials to 39 schools and agencies for training communities, agencies, and church groups. As a result, the AD framework has been an umbrella under which parents, youth, coaches, faith-based groups, volunteers, teachers, and others have operated to foster the development of positive skills, opportunities, and experiences to assist youth in making wise decisions and being better prepared to lead successful lives. Evidence of this positive strategy may be found in the Department of Juvenile Services, Department of Social Services, Calvert County Memorial Hospital, Calvert Library, Calvert Alliance Against Substance Abuse, Girl Scouts, East John Community Center, Prime Time Children’s Center, College of Southern Maryland, Tri-County Youth Services, and Boys and Girls Club. Initiatives to apply AD are ongoing: a 2009 survey of students and staff in all six middle schools was conducted to assess and promote the improvement of the school learning climate. It found that students lacked a voice in decision-making and that improvements in classroom discipline are needed. Ongoing workshops are scheduled to address these areas and ideas on improving the school climate will become a part of school improvement plans.

What are your community’s most significant challenges in providing safe places for all young people to participate in out-of-school activities and programs?

Calvert County is largely rural, with distances separating communities from resources and public transportation is limited. Parents have long commutes and longer workdays, reducing the time and energy they have to serve as youth leaders and making communications with service providers more difficult. These elements add up to serious challenges in providing safe places for our youth. To overcome the transportation problem, efforts have been undertaken to bring activities to children. The Yardley Hills community is an example: local nonprofits partner with the elementary school and each other to provide support and activities, such as a book club within the Yardley Hills community, and aspects of the Asset Development (see Section 4.1) program have been incorporated in a weekly "School Success Center" in the local community center and in the "Jump 2 B Fit" Carnival. At the county level, youth age 14 and up are welcomed to help out at county fire stations; at age 16, they are able to accompany fire fighters on calls. Fire stations also provide a safe place for a young person to stay overnight while riding out tense times with parents. Middle schools provide supervised dances for their students. These dance nights are supported by parents and local businesses. Church groups also host evening activities for young people in their areas. The Interagency Council for Children and Youth is working on ways to obtain better transportation for after-school, weekend, and vacation activities by collaborating with the faith community and non-profit agencies with vans. Parents are being informed of the resources and activities that are available to provide their children with safe and supervised recreational activities via notices in newspapers and on websites, and flyers are sent home with students.

What are your community’s most significant challenges in providing access to health care for all young people?Challenges to the provision of a Healthy Start for all children and youth include inadequate funding and a lack of transportation and local pediatric mental health practitioners. Decreases in state funding and foundation grants have reduced what were already inadequate health services and a rapid population expansion has spread these services even thinner. At the same time, an increase in household income has resulted in a decrease of funding from federal Title 1 grants. The county has experienced an almost doubling of infant mortality rate over the past 4 years; increasing teenage pregnancy rates; and higher than state average rates for youth suicide, youth car crashes with substance abuse, and childhood obesity. A Community Health Roundtable that includes the hospital, health department, schools, and non-profits, is collaborating to address health issues. Detailed health data gathering, planning and action are in place to improve youth health outcomes. The health department identifies and monitors the pregnancies of women who are uninsured and/or have health issues. In response to the number of infant deaths associated with babies’ sleep environments, home visits are conducted to check on babies’ sleeping arrangements. To address substance abuse during pregnancy, the health department has been successful in promoting universal drug testing for all pregnant women in the county at their first obstetric visit--the first such policy in Maryland. A dental health clinic, staffed by local dentists, has been formed to educate parents and provide dental treatment to children. Children are introduced early to dental health with Colgate Dental Van visits to many pre-school events. The hospital is improving pediatric care with three new family practices, new pediatric specialties, and an Adolescent Mental Health Day Treatment program and collaborates with a local World Gym in the Presidential Challenge "Healthy Lifestyle School Model" to reduce child obesity.

What are your community’s most significant challenges in ensuring that all young people 1) receive an effective education; 2) graduate from high school on time; and 3) graduate ready to pursue post-secondary education? Of the 24 school systems in Maryland, Calvert has the fifth best high school dropout rate at 1.60% (95 students). A review of why students dropped out of school indicated that 70% stated they were not motivated; 32% left for financial reasons; 26% left to become a parent; and 22% left to care for a family member. Indicators that can predict a student dropping out of school include: repeating a grade; feeling ill-prepared for high school; and failing grades. To address these issues, and potentially prevent students from dropping out, the county school system has instituted alternative programs such as twilight school; 9th grade academies; 6th grade teams; Saturday school; summer school; an algebra enrichment program; intervention programs; and 1-hour lunch programs in our high schools, allowing students more access to remediation, interventions, compensatory services, social skills training, and mentoring. In the past, the county focused on traditional vocational education that provided students trade-specific skills that would prepare them for a job straight out of high school. Today’s Career and Technical Education (CTE) is a rigorous, relevant program of study that prepares students both for college and careers, giving them more options in the 21st Century’s global economy and its varied and rapidly changing workplace. As of July 1, 2010, the county’s Calvert Career Center will be renamed the Career and Technology Academy to reflect those changes; the county superintendent recently received a state award for his creative work in CTE. The Race to the Top initiative has been making news across the nation. Calvert County adopted the common core standards in January 2010 and our Board of Education voted to sign Maryland’s Race to the Top Participating Local Education Agency Memorandum of Understanding, which will become part of Maryland’s application for a federal Race to the Top grant.

What are your community’s most significant challenges in providing young people with community service and/or service-learning opportunities?

As a historically rural jurisdiction, transportation has been an ongoing issue for any activities involving young people. Many clubs and activities were once held on academic campuses during after-school hours, but cutbacks in funding resulted in the cancellation of the "late bus" service. In response, the local high schools implemented an expanded lunch break, allowing students to participate during the school day in activities that had once required transportation after school. Community members come into the schools to assist youth in pursuing the activities of their choice. In addition to many long-standing service opportunities (peer tutoring, class council, student government), newer community partners have begun school-based clubs offering many opportunities for youth to help others. These new programs include such groups as Best Buddies with youth providing peer friendship/support to youth with disabilities; Lorax Environmental Club, whose members provide education to elementary students and outreach to county residents; and Fellowship of Christian Athletes with youth-to-youth mentoring to name a few. There are also many opportunities for youth outside of the school day. Through their churches, youth have assisted the disadvantaged in Western Maryland, New Orleans, Guatemala, and other distressed regions; these youth also volunteer within the local community. Recently, changes have been made in their protocols that will permit youth as young as 14 to participate in local Habitat for Humanity builds, applying the skills learned on out-of-area mission trips to the local community also. In other programs, young musicians have contributed their talents to raise funds at concerts for local initiatives against hunger, for peers with medical issues, and for facilities that will benefit later generations of youth.

7.1  Youth Testimonials

Sarah Trego
Age 17
CHS Senior

I would strongly agree that Calvert County is a great place to live in, not only for youth, but for all people. I moved to Calvert County and entered the fourth grade, and it was nothing like what I had experienced in my early years of educational instruction. Unlike at my previous school, I received individual attention and learned at a pace that was right for me. Starting in fourth grade, I entered an accelerated honors program and continued into high school, taking as many AP courses as applicable. At Calvert High, my experiences have all been positive, specifically in regards relationships I have grown with teachers. I have been nominated for several positions, including an opportunity to work at the Maryland General Assembly as well as an internship to work with the President and the US Congress.

I have been heavily involved in student activities over my four years here at Calvert High. I have been a member of the Calvert High Chorus for four years. Over that span of time, we have traveled to many places, won many awards, and delivered stellar performances. More than anything else I’ve done, chorus allowed me to be myself, make friends, and contribute to the school community and society at large.

In Calvert County, students are given the tools and guidance they need to achieve. I know of very few people who have not left this county and don’t go on to excel in their adult lives. It is a safe and nurturing place to raise a family, and prosper.

In conclusion, I can say nothing but positive things about Calvert County, specifically in its relation to youth. There is no better place in which to receive an education, become an adult, and thrive in society.
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Mary Addison
17
Northern High School Junior

The life of a military brat is not an easy one. Growing up, I remember how moving boxes were always present, like the smell of smoke after a fire. Just as I began to feel almost at home one place, the military would decide to whisk my family away to another "exciting" place, like...Richmond. When we moved to Owings, I was a hardened veteran of an endless relocation war. I decided Calvert County would not be my home, and Northern High would not be my school; it would just be a stop along the way.

But Northern had other plans. Never at another school (believe me, I've attended several) have teachers been so wholeheartedly devoted to their students. Never have I seen a group of educators who are more willing to sacrifice their own time, their own freedom, and often, their own sanity to help a student. My chemistry teacher has spent hours upon hours drilling chemical equilibrium problems into my head. My English teacher could probably write a book of her own in all the time she has spent reviewing my essays. My teachers make Northern my home.

But it doesn't stop there. Calvert County Public Schools also provides its hardworking, dedicated students with a chance to shadow a mentor in the field of their dreams through the Calvert Mentorship Program. It gives students something to work for, something to dream about while they fight through hours of homework. The program shows students that their hard work is not wasted.

My school and its teachers make my community one of the 100 Best Communities for Young People. A school is the heart of a community. In Calvert County, that heart is beating strong.

P.S. My teachers didn't bribe me. I swear.
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Brittany Arthur

Calvert county is where I live and have lived for 12 years (all my life). I’m in the 6th grade at Windy Hill Middle School. I have gone to Prime Time Children Center for all of my life. My mom was working at Prime Time when she was pregnant with me.

Calvert county is a good place for youth because it is safe. Police keep a good eye on children and bad people or criminals. There are lots of restaurants. In Calvert county there is lots of stuff to do. Go to the Beach, go shopping at local stores, and eat food; I recommend the Chesapeake Bay Blue Crab. I go to the beach and the water park with my friends and family. You can look for sharks teeth. You can sell sharks teeth for a good amount of money. You can go swimming but watch out for the jellyfish. You can get a good tan on the beach in the summer sun. You can walk on the boardwalk. You could go to the library and read lots of books and borrow books with your library card; just remember to bring the books back. You could go to the candy shop and buy lots of yummy candy for good prices. You and your family and friends can go plant vegetable seeds, flowers, trees and other plants. Calvert County has lots of sports like soccer, baseball, football and tennis. You can join teams of any sport or you can do other after school activities. You can go to the farmers market on Friday of every week until the end of Summer. You and your friends can play games like Hide-n-go seek, tag and Flashlight tag. You can learn to play a musical instrument. I think Calvert County is great.
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Nicholas Cartron, 16
Huntingtown High, Junior

The Sunken Garden

Over the past few decades, you may have noticed a major uprising in technological innovation. You may have noticed a similar rise in youth participation in school extracurricular activities, as well as a refreshing number of advanced placement courses. You just may have noticed these attributes, but only if you were looking in the right places. One such place exists as a sunken garden among the rest; a fertile plot for the youth to ground their roots in, all the while existing beneath the sometimes overwhelming sensation of the urban jungle. This is a supportive environment for kids who want to get their advantage in a technologically advancing world while they are young, and a hotbed for present experience and future innovation. The Calvert community assures that its youth keep up with their grades, find incentives for taking advanced courses, and are swayed from the dangers of drug-alcohol abuse. Calvert’s agenda provides many progressive science-technology programs that ensure both focused and interesting pathways to success.

One prominent youth program that Calvert offers is a Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics agenda cleverly annotated STEM. What this community-based program does is help students believe that STEM careers are realistic options, and gives them hands-on experience to realize their maximum potential in a competitive global market. This vision is the actual agenda that STEM has created through a series of programs like Try College for a Day, which gives elementary-level students the opportunity to attend college for a day. Other programs include the problem-based Project: Lead the Way, where high-schoolers and middle-schoolers alike add rigor and relevance to their school’s traditional technology agendas. Participants are encouraged to develop leadership skills, teamwork abilities, public speaking, understandings of their impact on society, and advanced problem-solving skills.

7.5  Success Story

In August 2009, Lauren attended an Adult Education Orientation because she had a new baby and decided she needed her high school diploma in order to succeed. Lauren and her son came to the attention of the Judy Center when she became an Adult Ed student at Barstow Acres Elementary School. That class resulted from a collaborative effort between Adult Ed for the class instruction, Healthy Families for Parenting, and the Judy Center as a literacy partner. In addition, Lauren attended Family Nights hosted by the Judy Center. Through perseverance and hard work, Lauren finally felt ready to take the GED Test in January 2010. She passed with a high score of 3030--exceeding by 30 points the score needed to qualify for a certificate of merit and potential scholarships. Lauren continues to meet with her Healthy Families support worker every week for home visits that focus on positive parent-child interaction, healthy childhood development, and prevention of poor childhood outcomes. Her current goals include attending the local community college and continuing her path of successful learning. This Success Story includes continuing progress by a now motivated young mother who was supported by the innovative interactions of three program providers.

8.1  Additional Information

The Southern Maryland College Access Network (SoMD CAN), formed in 2005, has worked to increase the college-going rate among first-generation college-bound, low income, and minority students. These are often the same students who lack motivation for learning, live in an environment which does not stress the importance of education, and have a higher than average tendency to drop out of high school. SoMD CAN helps these students and their families navigate the intricacies of selection, application, and financing higher education.

To deliver this support, SoMD CAN works cooperatively with the Calvert County Public Schools to ensure the target population is identified in the junior year of high school and followed weekly throughout the school year until their high school graduation. SoMD CAN has worked with over 2,000 students in the past four years, providing the students with a Pre-College Advisor who delivers a weekly curriculum developed to create a better understanding of the purpose and benefits of higher education. This advisor mentors these students and helps them choose a higher education institution that best fits the student’s academic, social, and financial capabilities and needs. In addition, SoMD CAN shares its expertise in the fields of higher education admissions and financial aid to enrich the work of guidance counselors in all county high schools and with local youth-oriented social agencies. It provides workshops and seminars, such as Financial Aid Nights, at high schools and middle schools and Career Days at elementary schools as well as at events hosted by other local youth-supportive organizations, such as the Boys and Girls Clubs and the Calvert Crusade for Children.

This year, SoMD CAN collaborated with local service clubs that provide college scholarships to create a single application form for those scholarships, streamlining what can be an arduous process.

Section 6: Additional Data and Outcomes
Indicated Child Abuse Declines
From 1994 to 2008, child abuse cases have declined steadily due to programs supporting teen/adult parents, enforcement of penalties and reporting requirements, and the state’s adjustment of rules to recognize accidents as such. Since local data is in the context of state data, the comparison factors in rule changes. 

In 1994, the Calvert County rate was 5.4 per 1,000 children under 18 years of age; the Maryland rate was 7.8. Since then, the county decline has been by a factor of two: down to 2.5 cases per 1,000 in the county; the Maryland rate was 4.4.