County Hosts ‘Path to Promise’ Youth Summit
Thursday, August 15th
Poughkeepsie … Dutchess County Executive Marc Molinaro invites residents ages 14-19 to attend Dutchess County’s “Path to Promise” Youth Leadership Summit on Thursday, August 15th from 12 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. at the Poughkeepsie Grand Hotel.
Path to Promise is the County’s comprehensive effort to ensure all young people in the county have the assets they need to achieve their full potential as they grow into young adults.
County Executive Molinaro first announced the initiative in his 2017 State of the County Address. Working with national consulting group, PCG, the County has engaged in dialogues with youth, parents, service providers, funders and the public at large to identify and analyze existing youth programs, build on them and use the information acquired to help determine how we can close gaps in services and supports.
“Through this process,” said County Executive Molinaro, “the motto ‘Nothing About Me Without Me’ has emerged as an unbending reminder of our commitment to youth while continually involving them in shaping their Path to Promise.”
The upcoming youth summit is a continuation of that deep outreach effort. Attendees will learn about and give their input about the Path to Promise, continuing to help guide the process that will benefit county youth moving forward. They’ll separate into breakout groups to share their thoughts about the building blocks of Path to Promise – six domain areas: learning, material basics, safety, family/social relationships, mental health, and physical health — and they’ll report their findings back to the full group.
Youth can reserve their spot at the free summit by emailing their name, age and hometown topath2promise@dutchessny.gov, calling 845-486-3790, or texting to 845-245-5741. Lunch will be provided. Space is limited. RSVP by August 12th.
Sabrina Jaar Marzouka, Commissioner of the Dutchess County Department of Community and Family Services (DCFS), said, “It’s imperative we continue to listen as we implement these plans that will profoundly impact the future of Dutchess County youth for generations to come.”
Gully Stanford, who has been named Chairperson of the Path to Promise Implementation Committee, said, “I am greatly looking forward to the summit – and to our broader efforts to strengthen youth services throughout the county.”
The upcoming Youth Summit is one of several events as part of the outreach effort, County Executive Molinaro also has appointed Ali Muhammad, to assist in outreach for youth services and community engagement for the “Path to Promise” initiative. Ali Muhammad, who has served as executive aide for the Dutchess County Human Rights Commission and is a former City of Beacon council member, has been attending local youth oriented events and meeting with youth organizations and service providers to mobilize the community. Mr. Muhammad will conduct workshops to educate the public about the Path to Promise initiative. Community and youth organizations interested in learning more about the Path to Promise can set up a workshop by contacting him at Path2Promise@dutchessny.gov.
Dutchess County Government annually spends more than $58 million on youth services mandated by the state and federal government; these include significant investments in early education and early intervention. The County invests more than $4 million on youth development “discretionary services,” such as child care, teen parent supports, education, employment and drug awareness programs; most of these services are contracted through community agencies. County officials are currently developing the 2020 county budget, including funding implementation of Path to Promise goals.
To learn more about Dutchess County’s Path to Promise, visit the Dutchess County website at https://www.dutchessny.gov/
