It's Our Money

Name of Your Organization:

Sunnyside Community Services

Overview of the Project - Please provide a brief description of the project.

Sunnyside Community Services (SCS) is a community-based organization that has been helping Queens residents since 1974. Our mission is to enrich lives and strengthen communities through services and engagement for individuals of all ages, beginning with those most in need. Under our Youth and Family services umbrella, where this project will sit, we help youth succeed in their educational and career goals. Queens Youth Visions will engage up to 45 teens (divided into two groups) in a 6-week online interactive workshop series on civics topics identified by the participating youth and the different kinds of advocacy. To develop students' leadership skills and help prepare them for college and careers, we will focus specific sessions on career exploration of public service careers and resume and career plan development. Participants will receive a stipend for their participation in achieving milestones and creating a final collaborative project around a civic issue.

Which of the following issues does your project address?

1. Issue 1 - Addressing Mental Health
2. Issue 2 - Preparation for College and/or Career
3. Issue 3 - Youth Advocacy Promotion

Issue 2 and Issue 3

Youth Engagement - Please explain how you will engage youth in the planning and implementation of the project.

SCS recognizes that many young people feel disenfranchised and that they are not taken seriously. In response, youth voice and choice will be critical to this project. Participants will collectively decide on the civic topic addressed based on issues important to them and their community. They will also determine the type of project they develop by the end of the project period and its content. This project could take the form of creating a website, PSA, information brochure, or another type of interactive, informational resource. We will also approach the project from a positive youth development framework that builds on the skills and talents of the youth who participate.

Budget - Your total project budget must equal $20,000 to be placed on the ballot for a youth vote. Please provide a brief description of what the funds would be used for to successfully implement your project. You will also need to download, fill in, and attach a full budget using this template.

The budget for this project includes salaries of two staff to deliver the workshop series ($8,750), and $250 stipends for the participants ($11,250). Any other costs will be in-kind to the project.

Timeline- Please describe the timeline for the implementation and completion of the project. All work for this project must be completed by June 30, 2021, which is the end of the city’s fiscal year and the deadline for the funds to be spent.

We will work on the project’s preparations in late February with finalization of its design. Participants will be recruited and enrolled between last February and late March. The project will launch in April with workshops and conclude by June 4th with the final projects completed. SCS will also offer, beyond the project itself, the opportunity to meet with staff for enrollment in other SCS programs like our college access services, during June.

Project Activity Alignment - How does your project align with at least one of the following topics:

1. Leadership skills development: organizing & advocacy trainings
2. Stewardship of public spaces: public parks, transportation, etc.
3. Youth and student engagement
4. Civic education and advocacy
5. Community outreach involving residents that have been historically underrepresented in or underserved by city government and its processes

First and foremost, we will engage youth (3) in the planning and implementing of their civic project's focus and format. Our project aligns with Leadership Skills development (1) by allowing participants to exercise their voice and choice, learn about different kinds of advocacy and its tools, and take on different roles in the project’s process. Resume writing and career planning will also help youth think about how they present themselves and their strengths. Civic education and advocacy (4) are core elements as projects will address and respond to a community need, and our career education component will focus on public sector careers. Depending on the issue area identified by participants, projects may also involve stewardship of public spaces (2) and/or community outreach to underserved populations (5).

What is your organization's area of focus?

1. Children and youth related
2. Advocacy and organizing
3. Arts and culture
4. Civic engagement
5. Education and literacy
6. Emergency management and disaster response
7. Employment and workforce development
8. Environment and sustainability
9. Faith-based
10. Food access
11. Health and medicine
12. Homelessness and/or affordable housing
13. Human rights
14. Human services
15. Immigrants and/or refugees
16. Justice related
17. Legal services
18. People with disabilities
19. Senior services
20. Women's issues

Overall SCS is a human services organization (14). We also focus on children and youth (1), education and literacy (5), employment and workforce development (7) immigrants and/or refugees (15), and senior services (19).

Affirmations - Type \"YES\" below each statement to affirm that you are eligible to appear on the ballot for this process.

I confirm that my organization will be registered in the NYC Payee Information Portal and in PassPort, NYC’s online procurement system, in order to receive funding from the City of New York.

YES

I confirm that my organization is able to front the costs of implementing this project. Organizations will be paid based on deliverables. 

YES

Completion of Deliverables: I understand all deliverables must be completed by June 30th, 2021.

YES

I understand a condition of funding includes submission of a final report upon project completion, and participating in a debrief session with the CEC.

YES