Woodbury Community Foundation Outlines Youth Initiative

As members of the examined how youth in the city could be better served, they discovered that the key to their efforts would be collaboration.

With that in mind, the group is planning to launch a website that aims to bring together organizations involved in youth programming so people have a go-to resource for children’s activities.

Mike Barrett, Bruce Soma and Tim Gunderson—members of the Woodbury Community Foundation’s youth task force—outlined the plans at the Woodbury City Council’s workshop Wednesday night. The youth initiative—one of four key areas of focus for the foundation—grew out of the findings from its recent . The others are food, jobs and housing.

After speaking with officials from athletic associations, the , churches, schools, Community Education, Boy Scouts and others, the task force learned that there’s a lack of collaboration and communication among the groups, Barrett said. They have been holding regular roundtable meetings with youth programming leaders in Woodbury for the past few months to come up with ideas to improve access for kids and foster better coordination.

The Woodbury Community Foundation is currently compiling an inventory of youth programs, Barrett said. The idea is for those groups to regularly update their information on the website, which would serve as a resource guide for parents.

Other components of the youth initiative are better transportation and improved utilization of facilities, said Soma. For example, if a group of Scouts wanted to have a sleepover at the Woodbury YMCA in order to use its facilities, it would have been difficult without them coming together, Gunderson said.

“Now maybe that could happen,” Gunderson said.

The response to the plans has been positive, Barrett said.

“All these people really do care a lot about kids,” he said. “This is not job for them.”

City Administrator Clint Gridley talked about trying to find a Cub Scout group for his family. He wasn’t sure where to start looking and said the website could be a great resource for people seeking activities for their children.

Councilwoman Amy Scoggins agreed.

“It would be so nice to have something that’s central,” she said, adding later, “It’s something that really needs to be done.”

In order for groups to be listed on the website, WCF officials would have to sign off on the content, which would have to be updated quarterly, Barrett said.

The task force is still working on the site, an e-calendar, a logo and other details, but the goal is to have it up and running by April 30.

For more information on the Woodbury Community Foundation, click here.