YARMOUTHPORT – On Monday, May 19, The Cape Cod Foundation unveiled the Cape-wide Youth Action Plan. The Action Plan is a direct result of work that commenced following feedback on The Cape Cod Foundation’s 2009 “Understanding Cape Cod” report and has involved more than 50 community members to date.
The public launch on Monday was supported by more than 15 local networks: Barnstable County Department of Human Services (including the Health and Human Services Advisory Council, and the Regional Substance Abuse Prevention Council); Barnstable County Human Rights Commission; Barnstable County 4H/UMass Extension; Cape Cod Chamber of Commerce; Cape Cod Collaborative; Cape Cod Council of Churches; Cape Cod Justice for Youth Collaborative; Cape Cod Neighborhood Support Coalition; Cape Cod Volunteers; Cape Cod Young Professionals (CCYP); Cape & Islands District Attorney’s Office; Cape & Islands Workforce Investment Board Youth Council; Community Action Committee of Cape Cod & Islands, Inc; Community Network of Cape Cod; League of Women Voters of the Cape Cod Area; Mashpee Cares; Plain Talk; and Support Our Schools
“The purpose of the plan is to provide a road-map for the community to track progress on regional, systemic opportunities that will help to strengthen our ability as a community to create a healthy Cape Cod for ALL young people,” explained Kristin O’Malley, Executive Director of The Cape Cod Foundation during Monday’s event. “The plan is not meant to duplicate services or programs that are already happening in our community, but provide a “map” of who is doing what and encourage the expansion of partnerships and the leveraging of resources to increase impact.”
Eileen Miskell, Chairman and President of The Cape Cod Foundation Board of Directors, praised the commitment and dedication of all of the community members that have been involved to date, and noted that the Board of Directors is excited to see how the plan will continue in the coming months and years.
The highlight of the launch was a speech by Billy Cook-Warren (pictured here), a senior at Bourne High School, who spoke candidly and passionately about the programs, services and people on Cape Cod who have significantly changed his life for the better. Billy noted, through his own personal experiences, he has come to realize that “with hard work and determination, the unimaginable can be achieved.” Billy encouraged the audience to continue finding meaningful ways to involve our young people in making Cape Cod an even better place to live.
To read the plan and to learn more about how to get involved, visit The Cape Cod Foundation’s website at www.capecodfoundation.org.