Birth to Five/Ingham Great Start Collaborative 
Vision Statement: “Every Ingham County child ready to succeed in school and life”

Meeting AGENDA – Wednesday, January 9, 2008

Bethlehem Lutheran Church, 549 E. Mt. Hope in Lansing

1:30      Introductions - All (Sharlina and Lucy)
                                    - Approval of GSC 12/12/07 Meeting Minutes

1:40     ECIC updates (Cherie)

1:45     GSC Coordinator Report (Michelle)

                        - Review 2008 Application process, due 1/15/08
                          (Action Agenda, Work Plan, Budget)
                               

2:00      Implementation - next steps (Michelle & Ken)
- Alignment of Workgroups & Action Agenda
- Recruit Workgroup members, Goal Area leaders
- Propose GSC meeting changes (time & agenda format)

2:15     Public Awareness Workgroup

- Speakers Bureau (Jill or Michelle)

- Birth to Five website (Ken)

2:45     Advisory Groups – Updates (Michelle, Stephanie, Lisa)

                                  Great Parents Great Start, Early On, Jump Start (Healthy Start)
                    

2:55     Outreach Initiatives - Parent Coalition & Faith-Based (Sharlina, Yvonne)

3:05     Workgroups – Updates (see written reports, or email contacts)   

Birth to Five/Ingham Great Start Collaborative 
Vision Statement: “Every Ingham County child ready to succeed in school and life”

Meeting MINUTES – Wednesday, January 9, 2008

Introductions

            Sharlina called the meeting to order at 1:33pm.  Operations Committee members continue chairing the Ingham GSC meetings.  Today, Sharlina will be chairing the meeting, and also acting as the timekeeper.  Members proceeded with introductions and new participants Jennifer Lawson, Mary Machowicz, Ashweena Gonuguntla, MC Rothhorn, Laurie Linscott, Kellye Wood, Naminah Koroma, and Keri Keck were introduced and welcomed by all.

Approval of 12/12/07 Minutes

            The minutes from the previous Ingham GSC meeting were approved without correction.  The meeting minutes will be posted to the Ingham GSC website www.cacvoices.org/birthtofive.

Review 2008 ECIC Grant Application; due 1/15/08

          Michelle reviewed the documents that must be submitted to the ECIC in order to receive the Ingham GSC funding for the next 8 months (from Feb 2008 through September 2008).  These include the Ingham Early Childhood Action Agenda, the 2008 Work Plan, the Strategic Plan Notebook, and a new 8-month budget. The GSC voted to approve the Action Agenda at the 12/12/07 meeting. Michelle passed around a copy of the Strategic Plan Notebook, which includes the Action Agenda and narrative about the strategic planning process, and other documents required by the ECIC.  At this meeting the Operations Committee members signed the open letter to the community introducing the Action Agenda on behalf of the GSC.        Michelle reviewed the 2008 Work Plan which was emailed to members on 12/12/ 07.  After clarifications and discussion the GSC voted unanimously to approve the 2008 Work Plan. 
            Michelle passed out copies of the 8-month contract budget summary and explained that it will be essentially a continuation budget based on the current 4-month operating budget.  The only significant change was to set aside money for an Infrastructure Investment Fund.  The details of this new budget were reviewed at the Operation Committee meeting on 1/4/08, and it was their recommendation that the GSC approve the proposed budget.  The GSC discussed the budget and received clarification on several line-items, and then the GSC voted unanimously to approve the 8-month budget and submit it to the ECIC for funding.

Alignment of Workgroups & Action Agenda

            Ken and Michelle led a discussion about the next steps in Implementation of the Action Agenda.  Ken presented a version of the ECIC 5-point star illustrating the 5 Goal Areas and the current GSC workgroups.  Ken also passed out a sheet, which summarized the 9 current GSC workgroups and their primary Goal areas using the labels from the 5-point star diagram and a sixth category called “Infrastructure  (see attached).  While it is apparent that the GSC has existing Workgroups focused on five of the six of these categories - the Goal area of “Basic Needs, Economic Security and Child Safety “ does not have a designated GSC Workgroup.

            In discussion it was stated that although the GSC does not have a Workgroup specifically focused on Basic Needs there are several other community coalitions, that the GSC is involved in, that do address this Goal area.  Members suggested examples such as the Greater Lansing Homeless Resolution Network, Ingham Substance Abuse Prevention Coalition, the Lead Coalition, and the Power of We Ad Hoc Committee on Transportation. GSC members agreed that working through these, and other existing community coalitions would be a better strategy than trying to form new workgroups around Basic Needs.  In discussion it was it was also suggested that perhaps a Parent Education Workgroup (working closely with the GSC Parent Coalition) might need to be formed to oversee implementation of some of the objectives in the Action Agenda.

            New members were encouraged to join at least one of the GSC Workgroups, and a sign-up sheet was passed around to boost membership.  The GSC Workgroups will be the place where the details of implementing the Action Agenda will occur.  The chairpersons of each of the Workgroups agreed to place on the agenda for their Workgroup this next month, the task of reviewing the Action Agenda Goals, Strategies and Objectives that are in their areas.

            The GSC discussed changing the format of the future GSC meeting to dedicate more time to reviewing our progress on the Action Agenda.  The Operations Committee members suggested that the meeting might be more focused, if instead of having Workgroup Reports on the Agenda, that the time be re-oriented to report on progress in each of the 6 Goal Areas of the Action Agenda (the 5-point star areas + Infrastructure).  A sample revised Agenda format was shared wherein the Workgroups and GSC members could share progress, announcements, and discussion focused on these six Goal areas. The proposed new Agenda format breaks the GSC meeting into three parts:

Part I Opening (~half hour)

- Introductions - All
- Approval of GSC Previous Meeting Minutes
- ECIC updates
- GSC Coordinator Report (Michelle)
- Advisory Groups

Part II Action Agenda (~15 minutes each of six Goal areas = 1.5 hours)
     - Reports on Progress with Action Agenda Objectives
     - Discussion of upcoming activities and ideas
     - Discussion on next steps, additional resources needed, etc

Part III - Special Activities or Presentations (~half hour)
- examples: New Initiatives, Agency or Program Spotlights, Professional Development Training for GSC

            After much discussion the GSC reached consensus to try the new meeting format.  The GSC also voted to extend the meeting time an additional half hour, beginning the meeting a 1pm if child care could be available.  {Kathy Kelly has agreed to have the FGC on-site child care be open for GSC children for the new 1pm meeting time, beginning on February 13, 2008}

Public Awareness Workgroup

            Ken showed many of the features at the Birth to Five, GSC website (www.cacvoices.org).  The Public Awareness workgroup has been reviewing the GSC website monthly, and offering guidance and suggestions.  The GSC website is intended as an internal communication tool for GSC members, and also as an information site for the wider community.    The website now has these sections: GSC, Birth to Five homepage,  GSC Agenda and Minutes, GSC Workgroups, GSC Training, GSC Members, GSC Meeting Calendars, Monthly Focus Articles, Quality Early Learning, and Other Resources.  Members were encouraged to explore the website to find out about Workgroup progress, check the calendar of meetings, and download the monthly focus articles to use in newsletters.  If items need updating email Ken at KenSperber@comcast.net and he will make the changes.

            Michelle shared the Speakers Bureau form developed by the Public Awareness Workgroup over the last several meetings.  The idea for creating a Speakers Bureau database was developed to meet the requests that the Faith Liaison, the Parent Coordinator, and other GSC members have been receiving. The plan is to compile a list of speakers on early childhood topics that would be willing to make presentations to parent and community groups.  GSC members were asked to take the forms back to their agencies and fill them out (making additional copies if necessary).  The forms include fax, email and phone contact numbers to return the forms.  Please return the attached Speakers Bureau Form before the next GSC meeting on February 13^th.

Advisory Groups & Liaison Updates

            Michelle distributed new Great Parents Great Start (GPGS) schedules and reported that the Sate has delayed the release of the GPGS grant application until sometime after this month.  Depending on the submission deadline, an email approval vote may be requested from the GSC.

            Lisa reported that Jump Start is considering submitting an application to the Children’s Trust fund for the six months remaining in this fiscal year.

            Yvonne will be focusing her new contacts on the faith-based organizations that received capacity building grants from the Power of We Consortium.  Yvonne will be setting up site visits with each of these 7 organizations and sharing information on the Great Start Collaborative and our Early Childhood Action Agenda, and to see how we intersect with their strategic plans.

            Sharlina shared the success of the December Parent Coalition meeting (14 attended).  Sharlina again welcomed the parents who are first time attendees to the GSC meeting.  The Parent Coalition has been reviewing the Action Agenda and developing a strategic plan that energizes parents.  The next Parent Coalition meeting is on 1/16/08 from 1-3pm.  The Parent Coalition has started to meet on the 3^rd Wednesday of each month at the  Bethlehem Lutheran Church, 549 E. Mt. Hope in Lansing.  Free on-site child care through the Family Growth Center will be available by reservation by calling 371-1347.

Workgroups – Updates

          The Agendas, Minutes and meeting calendars for each of the GSC Workgroups is posted on the website www.cacvoices.org/birthtofive.  For additional information contact any of the Workgroup leaders listed below:

Literacy Coalition            Beany Tomber            Beany@wkar.org
Public Awareness            Jill Lawler                   JLawler@ingham.org
Safe Sleep                      Carol Buzzitta             CBuzzitta@expectantparents.org
Infant Mortality               Lisa Chambers           LChambers@ingham.org
Quality Initiatives            Marcia Rysztak           RysztaM@lcc.edu
KEEP & Soc-Emotional     Barry Kaufman           Kaufman@ceicmh.org
Kindergarten Transition   Tom Mumby               Thomas.Mumby@lansingschools.net
                                       Sergio Keck               Sergio.Keck@lansingschools.net
                                       Lucy McClintic            Lucy.McClintic@CACSHeadStart.org
 Parent Coalition              Sharlina Pye-Mack      InghamGSCparents@yahoo.com                                   
Operations Committee     Michelle Nicholson      MNichols@inghamisd.org
                                             

Next GSC Meeting

            The next Ingham GSC Meeting will be begin at a new time on February 13, 2008 at 1:00pm and end at the usual 3:30pm.  The meeting will be at the Bethlehem Lutheran Church, 549 E. Mt. Hope in Lansing. Child Care will be available by Reservation Only - Call 371-1347.
The GSC meeting officially ended at 3:40pm.