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MEETING OF THE CHILDHOOD[Childhood and Youth Committee on September 13, 2023.]
AND YOUTH COMMITTEE.THANK YOU FOR JOINING US TODAY, AND THANK YOU AS WELL FOR YOUR ACTIVE PARTICIPATION IN SUPPORTING THE SUCCESS OF OUR YOUNGEST RESIDENTS.
THIS MEETING IS BEING HELD IN HYBRID MODE AS BOTH AN IN-PERSON AND A VIRTUAL MEETING ON MICROSOFT TEAMS AND HTV AS THE CHAIR AND PRESIDING OFFICER OF, OF THE COMMITTEE.
I'M PHYSICALLY PRESENT IN CHAMBERS IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE PROVISIONS OF SECTION 5 5 1 0.127 OF THE TEXAS GOVERNMENT CODE APPLICABLE TO A GOVERNMENTAL BODY THAT EXTENDS INTO THREE OR MORE COUNTIES.
ALL OTHER COMMITTEE MEMBERS HAVE THE OPTION TO PARTICIPATE IN PERSON OR VIRTUALLY VIA MICROSOFT TEAMS. I'M COUNCIL MEMBER CARLOS CISNEROS, CHAIR OF THE CHILDHOOD AND YOUTH COMMITTEE.
I AM JOINED BY COMMITTEE VICE CHAIR COUNCIL MEMBER CAROLYN EVANS SHABAZZ.
WOULD YOU LIKE TO SAY A FEW WORDS? THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR.
YOU KNOW, YOUR PASSION FOR CHILDREN IN THIS COMMITTEE IS JUST ILLUMINATING.
AND SO I THANK YOU FOR YOUR LEADERSHIP AND I LOOK FORWARD TO THE PRESENTATIONS THAT ARE COMING FORWARD.
AND THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO, TO, TO GREET THE PARTICIPANTS.
UM, WE ARE ALSO JOINED HERE IN, IN CHAMBERS BY COUNCIL MEMBER AMY PECK.
AND WE HAVE, UM, STAFF ONLINE.
WE HAVE STAFF FROM, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER CAYMAN AND COUNCIL MEMBER, UM, ED POLLARD.
I THINK THAT'S IT FOR NOW, AND WE MAY HAVE OTHERS JOIN US.
OUR FOCUS TODAY IS THE ROLE OF, OF THE HOUSTON PUBLIC LIBRARY AND THE SUCCESS OF EARLY LITERACY AND SCHOOL, SCHOOL SUPPORT FOR FAMILIES, CHILDREN, AND YOUTH.
BUT FIRST, A FEW HOUSEKEEPING ITEMS FOR THIS HYBRID MEETING.
COPIES OF TODAY'S AGENDA AND PRESENTATIONS ARE POSTED ON THE CITY OF HOUSTON WEBPAGE FOR CITY COUNCIL COMMITTEES.
WE HAVE ONE PUBLIC SPEAKER WHO SIGNED UP BY NOON TODAY TO SPEAK AT THE MEETING AS THE DEADLINE TO SIGN UP WAS NOON.
TODAY, WE WILL NOT HEAR FROM ADDITIONAL MEMBERS OF, OF THE PUBLIC, AND I'D LIKE TO ASK OUR PUBLIC SPEAKER JUST TO PLEASE STAND BY UNTIL YOUR NAME IS CALLED AT THE END OF THE MEETING AFTER PRESENTATIONS HAVE BEEN MADE.
SO LET'S BEGIN BY REVIEWING THE FOUR GOALS OF THIS COMMITTEE.
THEY ARE TO BE A CATALYST FOR CHANGE BY INCREASING PUBLIC AWARENESS AND DIALOGUE ABOUT THE CONNECTION BETWEEN THE QUALITY OF LIFE OF A CHILD AND THE ECONOMIC CONSEQUENCES OF WHAT KIND OF PERSON THAT CHILD WILL GROW UP TO BE FOCUSING ON DATA AND WELLBEING INDICATORS AS TOOLS FOR POLICY DEVELOPMENT, PLANNING AND ACCOUNTABILITY, SEEKING EQUITY AND WORKFORCE READINESS, BEGINNING AT BIRTH.
AND FINALLY, SUPPORTING OPPORTUNITIES WITHIN CITY DEPARTMENTS TO STRENGTHEN AND ENHANCE THE WEB OF RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN CHILDREN AND THEIR FAMILIES, SCHOOLS, ORGANIZATIONS, AND COMMUNITY AT LARGE.
I WANNA THANK OUR PRESENTERS FOR COMING TODAY AND FOR SHARING IMPORTANT INFORMATION WITH CITY COUNCIL.
UM, WE ARE ALSO, I'M TOLD, UM, WE HAVE STAFF FROM COUNCIL MEMBER THOMAS AND COUNT, AND, UM, VICE MAYOR PRO TEM CASTEX TATUM ARE ALSO, UM, UH, PART OF THE MEETING NOW.
UH, SEPTEMBER IS NATIONAL LITERACY MONTH, AND IT IS A NATURAL TIME FOR THE HOUSTON PUBLIC LIBRARY TO REPORT TO THE CHILDHOOD AND YOUTH COMMITTEE ON HOW PUBLIC LIBRARIES SUPPORT THE SUCCESS OF CHILDREN.
BUT THERE IS MORE GOING ON WITH LIBRARIES THIS YEAR.
MANY OF OUR CITY'S PUBLIC SCHOOL STUDENTS HAVE GONE BACK TO SCHOOL THIS FALL TO SCHOOLS THAT NO LONGER HAVE LIBRARIES.
SCHOOL LIBRARIES AND PUBLIC LIBRARIES ARE DIFFERENT IN HOW THEY EACH FUNCTION AND IN HOW THEY SERVE THE COMMUNITY.
BUT LITERACY IS THEIR SHARED MISSION AT A TIME WHEN MANY OF HIC SCHOOLS HAVE DISMISSED THEIR LIBRARIANS AND REPURPOSED SCHOOL LIBRARIES FOR OTHER USES.
IT IS AN ESPECIALLY IMPORTANT TIME FOR OUR CITY TO SEE HOW PUBLIC LIBRARIES CAN HELP FILL IN THE GAPS IN THE PROVISION OF LIBRARY SERVICES TO OUR COMMUNITIES.
OUR TOPIC TODAY IS THE ROLE OF THE HOUSTON PUBLIC LIBRARY IN THE SUCCESS OF EARLY LITERACY AND SCHOOL SUPPORT FOR FAMILIES, CHILDREN, AND YOUTH.
OUR PRESENTERS ARE DR. RAY LAWSON, DIRECTOR OF THE HOUSTON PUBLIC LIBRARY, AND LA TRICIA MILTON, THE YOUTH AND FAMILY SERVICES MANAGER OF THE HOUSTON PUBLIC LIBRARY.
SO BEFORE I WELCOME YOU TO COME TO THE PODIUM FOR YOUR PRESENTATION, I'D ALSO LIKE TO, TO MENTION THAT WE HAVE STAFF FROM COUNCIL MEMBER ROBINSON NOW WHO HAVE JOINED US AS WELL.
UM, SO DR. LAWSON, UM, AND MS. MILTON, THE FLOOR IS YOURS.
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WELCOME TO YOU BOTH.WELL, WE ARE DELIGHTED TO BE HERE.
THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO PRESENT TO THE COUNCIL COMMITTEE ON CHIL CHILD, CHIL CHILDHOOD AND YOUTH.
I WANTED TO SAY CHILDREN AND YOUTH, BUT CHILDHOOD AND YOUTH.
THE FOCUS ON, AS YOU MENTIONED, COUNCIL MEMBER, THE FOCUS ON, UH, YOUTH AND ACCESS TO BOOKS AND INFORMATION IS PARAMOUNT IN TODAY'S WORLD.
AND SO THE TIMING FOR OUR CONVERSATION HERE TODAY IS IMPECCABLE.
SO THANK YOU AGAIN FOR WELCOMING US AND ALLOWING US TO HAVE THIS CONVERSATION.
I'LL BEGIN BY PROVIDING SOME INFORMATION TO HELP GROUND YOU AND WHY PUBLIC LIBRARY SERVICES TO CHILDREN ARE SO ESSENTIAL.
THERE IS NO QUESTION THAT PUBLIC LIBRARY SERVE AS VITAL COMMUNITY GATHERING SPACES AND RESOURCES AND ESSENTIAL SPACES FOR LEARNING ABOUT AND EXPLORING THE WORLD.
THE MISSION OF THE HOUSTON PUBLIC LIBRARY IS WE LINK PEOPLE TO THE WORLD.
THE MISSION IS INTENTIONALLY SHORT, SO IT'S EASY TO REMEMBER.
AND MORE IMPORTANTLY, IT'S, IT CLEARLY REITERATES OUR CORE BUSINESS.
WE PROUDLY SERVE AS A CRITICAL COMMUNITY LINK THAT CONNECTS PEOPLE TO VARIOUS WORLDS THAT THEY ARE CURIOUS ABOUT, LIKE DANCING, GARDENING, STARTING A BUSINESS, LEARNING HOW TO USE TECHNOLOGY, OR HOW TO TEACH YOUR CHILD TO READ.
OUR CITY'S LIBRARY ALSO PROUDLY SERVES AS A BRIDGE TO THE DIGITAL DIVIDE BY PROVIDING FREE INTERNET ACCESS AND LOANING COMPUTERS AND HOTSPOTS AND TABLETS, THE WAY WE LOAN BOOKS TO PROVIDE MORE EQUITABLE ACCESS TO THE LIBRARY'S WIDE RANGE OF DIGITAL AND PRINT RESOURCES.
WITH THE MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL'S APPROVAL, THE HOUSTON PUBLIC LIBRARY IS NOW FINED FREE, MEANING IF YOU RETURN BOOKS A LITTLE LATE KEYWORD THERE IS RETURN THE BOOKS.
BUT IF YOU RETURN THEM A LITTLE LATE, YOU WON'T BE CHARGED.
STUDIES HAVE SHOWN THAT CHARGING FINES, UH, REALLY INHIBITS ACCESS RATHER THAN PROVIDES ACCESS.
SO THE MISSION OF THE, OF CHILDREN'S SERVICES AND, UM, YOUTH SERVICES AT THE HOUSTON PUBLIC LIBRARY AND MOST LIBRARIES ACROSS THE WORLD IS TO SERVE AS AN INFORMATION LEARNING CULTURAL CENTER THAT PROVIDES MEANINGFUL ACCESS, UH, TO AGE IN ABILITY, APPROPRIATE INFORMATION, PROGRAMS AND SERVICES AND LANGUAGE RELEVANT TO THE MULTICULTURAL COMMUNITY OF CHILDREN, THEIR FAMILIES AND CAREGIVERS SUPPORTING LITERACY, LEARNING AND READING ARE UNIVERSALLY, UH, RECOGNIZED AS CENTRAL TO THE ACHIEVEMENT OF THIS MISSION.
THE PURPOSE OF LIBRARY SERVICES TO CHILDREN IS TO PROVIDE RESOURCES AND SERVICES IN A VARIETY OF FORMATS TO MEET THE NEEDS OF CHILDREN OF ALL AGES AND ABILITY TO SUPPORT THEIR EDUCATION, INFORMATION, AND PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT.
CHILDREN ARE OUR PRIMARY SERVICE CLIENTELE AT MOST, IF NOT ALL, PUBLIC LIBRARIES.
LIBRARY SERVICES TO CHILDREN PLAY AN IMPORTANT ROLE IN THE DEVELOPMENT AND MAINTENANCE OF A DEMOCRATIC SOCIETY.
BY OFFERING THE CHILD ACCESS TO WIDE AND VARIED RANGE OF KNOWLEDGE, IDEAS, AND OPINIONS.
CHILDREN SHOULD BE ABLE TO RELY ON LIBRARIES FOR THEIR RIGHT TO INFORMATION AND EDUCATION.
OUR WELL-TRAINED AND INNOVATIVE CHILDREN'S LIBRARIANS ARE AT THE FOREFRONT OF PROMOTING CHILDREN'S RIGHTS THROUGH THE KEY ROLE THEY PLAY IN LITERACY DEVELOPMENT, AND DISSEMINATING INFORMATION ABOUT THE IMPORTANCE OF LITERACY IN READING NOT ONLY TO THEM, BUT TO THEIR FAMILIES.
UNIVERSAL LITERACY IS RECOGNIZED IN THE VISION IN TRANSFORMING OUR WORLD.
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AGENDA FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT OPPORTUNITIES TO DEVELOP LANGUAGE LITERACY AND READING ARE VITALLY IMPORTANT.THE CHILDREN AND YOUTH LIBRARIAN HAS A KEY PARTNERSHIP ROLE IN THE LEARNING PARTNERSHIP OF SCHOOL, FAMILY, AND CAREGIVER IN HELPING TO DEVELOP THESE SKILLS BY FACILITATING MEANINGFUL ACCESS TO RESOURCES, PLAY AND SERVICES FOR CHILDREN AND THEIR FAMILIES.
BEFORE I TURN THE PRESENTATION OVER TO LATRICIA, I WANT TO QUICKLY SHARE A FEW HPL SPACES THAT WE DESIGNED, ESPECIALLY FOR CHILDREN AND YOUTH.
I ALSO WANT TO TAKE THIS OPPORTUNITY TO THANK YOU AGAIN FOR HAVING US HERE AND TO APOLOGIZE BECAUSE I HAVE TO LEAVE A LITTLE EARLY.
SO NOW WE'LL GO TO THE, UH, PRESENTATION OF THE SPACES.
SO THE FIRST SLIDE IS, UM, UH, SHOWS YOU A LEAF ON THE COVER SLIDE AND HOW WE, UM, DESIGN SPACES, ESPECIALLY FOR CHILDREN FROM THE SEATING.
AND IF YOU LOOK VERY CLOSELY, YOU CAN SEE BACK, UH, YOU CAN SEE A FATHER OR A CAREGIVER, UM, READING TO HIS, UM, HIS CHILD IN THAT SPACE.
SO THE NOOKS AND CRANNIES, UH, UH, YOU CAN OFTEN FIND CHILDREN JUST CUDDLED IN THOSE KINDS OF SPACES.
THE SECOND SLIDE IS A TECH TECH LINK, DIXON, WHICH USED TO BE THE AMANDA DIXON LIBRARY, VERY SMALL LIBRARY, AND A SMALL FOOTPRINT THAT WE TURNED INTO A TECH CENTER.
AND WHEN YOU, UM, GO INSIDE, THERE'S A, UH, IT'S LIKE A DIGITAL MAKER SPACE, UH, INSIDE THAT LIBRARY.
AND YOU SEE A, UM, A, A RENDERING OF THAT.
SO WE ARE VERY INTENTIONAL ABOUT WHAT WE PUT IN THE, IN THE TECH LINK, UH, OPPORTUNITIES, UM, TO ENGAGE YOUTH AND BOTH YOUTH AND YOUNG CHILDREN, UH, PROVIDING A MUSIC STUDIO, FOR EXAMPLE.
UH, AND ALSO AN ACCESS TO TECHNOLOGY, OF COURSE, THE AWARD-WINNING A LEAF LIBRARY.
UM, IT'S, UH, YOU SAW, UM, THIS AS THE COVER, BUT ALSO TO GIVE YOU A SENSE OF THE SPACE AND DEPTH OF THIS LIBRARY IS, UH, ALSO PRESENTED HERE.
IN THE NEXT SLIDE, THERE ARE TWO OTHER PICTURES OF A LEAF YOU CAN KEEP MOVING.
AND THEN THE NEXT SLIDE, BECAUSE WE'RE SO PROUD OF THIS SPACE.
AND YOU CAN SEE THE SIGN THERE THAT SAYS THIS, WELCOME TO THE CHILDREN'S AREA.
SO CHILDREN KNOW THEY HAVE A SPACE IN OUR LIBRARIES.
UM, AND ALSO, UH, THIS IS THE YOUNG LIBRARY.
I AM, UM, REALLY, UM, PROUD OF THIS, UH, LIBRARY BECAUSE YOU CAN SEE THE NIGHT VIEW, UM, LINKING YOU TO THE WORLD.
OUR, OUR MOTTO, OUR VISION, OUR MISSION.
ALSO, THERE ARE PICTURES OF YOUNG LIBRARY, UM, BEAUTIFUL CHILDREN'S SPACES.
AND THE LAST RENDERING, UM, WE HAVE, UH, IS THE FLORES LIBRARY.
I TRIED TO SHOW RENDERINGS FROM, UH, CHILDREN'S SPACES, REPRESENTATIVE OF, UH, DIFFERENT REGIONS IN OUR LIBRARY SERVICE MODEL.
SO NOW I'LL TURN IT OVER TO LA TRICIA TO TALK ABOUT THE SERVICES FOR CHILDREN.
LATRICIA, BEFORE YOU START, I WANTED TO JUST, UM, WELCOME COUNCIL MEMBER DAVID ROBINSON, HIS STATUS STAFF MEMBER LISTENING IN, BUT THAT I'M THE COUNCIL MEMBER HIMSELF, AND HERE HE IS.
THANK YOU COUNCIL MEMBER FOR JOINING US.
UH, MADAM CHAIR, BEFORE DR. LAWSON GOES, I JUST WANNA THANK HER FOR SHOWING THOSE,
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UH OH, YOU LOST SOUND.WELL, I JUST WANTED TO SAY THANK DR. LAWSON, HER AND HER TEAM, UH, FOR SHARING THE IMAGES OF THOSE SPACES.
UM, OF COURSE, I'M YOUR ARCHITECT HERE TELLING YOU WELL DONE.
AND, UH, YOUR TEAM FOR ALL THE GOOD WORK THEY'VE DONE.
UM, KEEP, KEEP GOING AND, UH, YOU'RE SUCH, YOU'RE PROVIDING SUCH A VITAL AND IMPORTANT SERVICE FOR US.
UM, THIS AFTERNOON FOR THIS VERY, VERY IMPORTANT PRESENTATION.
UM, AS YOU SAID EARLIER, I'M LATRICIA MILTON, THE YOUTH AND FAMILY SERVICES MANAGER FOR THE HOUSTON PUBLIC LIBRARY.
AND I AM GOING TO SHARE A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE PROGRAMS THAT WE HAVE IN PLACE CURRENTLY, UM, THAT ARE SPECIFICALLY FOR THE YOUNG AUDIENCES AND FAMILIES THAT WE SERVE FOR THE HOUSTON PUBLIC LIBRARY.
UM,
AND, UM, WE TRY TO KEEP IN MIND THE MAKEUP OF HOUSTON AS A CITY BECAUSE WE RECOGNIZE THAT THERE ARE MANY AUDIENCES WITHIN THE SPECIFIC AUDIENCES THAT WE SERVE FROM THE DIVERSE COMMUNITIES THAT MAKE UP THIS CITY.
AND SO IT'S IMPORTANT THAT WHAT WE BRING FORTH AT OUR LIBRARIES, SPEAK TO THOSE RESIDENTS, SPEAK TO THOSE SPEAK, WHO MAY NOT FEEL LIKE LIBRARIES HAVE SOMETHING TO SAY TO THEM, JUST TO LET THEM KNOW WE SEE YOU.
SO, WITH YOUTH AND FAMILY SERVICES, I'VE BROKEN IT DOWN INTO A FEW DIFFERENT CATEGORIES.
THE FIRST BEING EARLY LITERACY PROGRAMMING, BECAUSE WE ARE OF THE BELIEF AND THE UNDERSTANDING THAT EDUCATION DOES NOT START THE MOMENT OF CHILD STEPS INTO A SCHOOL, IT BEGINS AT HOME.
AND SO WE DO A LOT OF PROGRAMMING TO HELP SUPPORT PARENTS AND CAREGIVERS IN THEIR ROLE IN THE EDUCATION OF THEIR CHILD AND THE DEVELOPMENT OF THEIR CHILDREN AS THEY PREPARE TO ENTER INTO SCHOOLS.
SO WE HAVE PROGRAMS SUCH AS FAMILY PLACE, AND ON THE NEXT FEW SLIDES, I'LL HIGHLIGHT SOME OF THESE.
UM, WE HAVE PROGRAMS SUCH AS FAMILY PLACE.
WE HAVE STORY TIMES THROUGHOUT THE MONTH THAT INCLUDES TODDLER STORY TIMES, BILINGUAL STORY TIMES, PAJAMA STORY TIMES, YOU NAME IT, YOU, WE MIGHT HAVE A STORY TIME FOR IT.
UM, WE ALSO HAVE OUR 1000 BOOKS BEFORE KINDERGARTEN, BECAUSE OF COURSE, WE ARE A LIBRARY.
SO OUR NUMBER ONE GOAL IS TO PROMOTE LITERACY.
AND WE ALSO UNDERSTAND ACCORDING TO THE STATS, THAT THE MORE WORDS, THE MORE LANGUAGE, UM, THAT WE GET BEFORE OUR YOUNG CHILDREN, THE BETTER OFF THEY WILL BE WHEN THEY START SCHOOL.
AND IT SPEAKS TO THE SUCCESS OF THEM LATER AS THEY BECOME ADULTS AND CITIZENS, UM, AS THEY GROW OLDER.
AND WE ALSO HAVE OUR SUMMER READING PROGRAM, WHICH IS KNOWN ANYWHERE.
THERE'S A LIBRARY, YOU HEAR ABOUT SUMMER READING.
IT'S TO COMBAT THE SUMMER SLIDE.
AND IT'S TO ALSO REINFORCE THE UNDERSTANDING THAT IF YOU'RE, IF YOU'RE READING, YOU'RE LEARNING, IF YOU'RE READING, YOU'RE GROWING, READING IS IMPORTANT TO ALL ASPECTS OF LIFE.
UM, WE, WE DO A LOT WITH THE SCHOOLS AND WE TRY TO REMAIN IN CONSTANT COMMUNICATION AND CONTACT WITH OUR SCHOOLS.
WE HAVE, UM, PARTNERSHIPS THROUGH OUR LEARNING LINK PROGRAM, WHICH WE HAVE SEVERAL, UM, ISDS THAT ARE A PART OF IT.
UM, HOUSTON, ISD, PASADENA, ISD ARE JUST A COUPLE OF, OF ISD SYSTEMS THAT ARE A PART OF THIS.
UM, WE ALSO HAVE AUTHOR VISITS.
NOT ONLY DO AUTHORS COME TO LIBRARIES, BUT WE MAKE A SPECIAL EFFORT TO TAKE THEM OUT INTO THE COMMUNITY, ESPECIALLY TO SCHOOLS THAT DON'T NECESSARILY HAVE THE FUNDING TO GET THEIR STUDENTS OUT TO OUR LIBRARIES.
AND SO AUTHORS ARE ABLE TO COME, UM, HAVE A CONVERSATION ABOUT THEIR BOOKS, HAVE BOOK SIGNINGS, AS WELL AS TALK TO THE KIDS AFTER THE EVENTS ARE OVER SO THAT THEY CAN HAVE THAT EXPOSURE TO SOME OF THOSE PEOPLE WHOSE BOOKS THEY'VE PROBABLY READ THAT THEY PROBABLY NEVER THOUGHT THEY'D MEET IN REAL LIFE.
UM, AND TO DISCOVER THAT THEY'RE JUST LIKE THEM AND SOME OF THEIR STORIES ARE, ARE PRETTY SIMILAR.
I CAN'T TELL YOU HOW MANY AUTHORS HAVE COME IN AND SAID, I HAVEN'T ALWAYS BEEN A READER, BUT THIS HAPPENED IN MY LIFE.
AND AS A RESULT, I STARTED READING NONSTOP.
AND LOOK, I'M WRITING BOOKS NOW.
AND SO THESE, THESE ARE VERY IMPACTFUL VISITS FOR EVERYONE INVOLVED, INCLUDING THE EDUCATORS.
WE ALSO MAKE A SPECIAL INTENT TO HAVE PROGRAMMING FOR OUT OF
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SCHOOL TIME.WE UNDERSTAND THAT A LOT OF KIDS, TEENS COME TO THE LIBRARY DIRECTLY AFTER SCHOOL, AND THEY'RE THERE FOR HOURS WAITING ON THEIR PARENTS TO BE PICKED TO PICK THEM UP, OR WAITING ON PARENTS TO GET OFF FROM WORK SO THAT THEY CAN HOME.
AND SO WE PUT A SPECIAL EFFORT IN MAKING SURE THAT THERE'S PROGRAMMING HAPPENING IN OUR LIBRARY LOCATIONS TO NOT JUST KEEP THEM OCCUPIED, BUT TO CONTINUE TO, YOU KNOW, MENTALLY STIMULATE THEM, EMOTIONALLY STIMULATE THEM, AND BRING THAT COMRADERY BETWEEN ALL OF THE DIFFERENT SCHOOL, SCHOOL STUDENTS THAT ARE COMING INTO OUR LIBRARIES.
AND THEN FINALLY, UM, DR. LAWSON HAS HIGHLIGHTED OUR TECH LINKS, WHICH ARE NOT IN ALL LOCATIONS, BUT THEY ARE THROUGHOUT THE CITY.
THAT GIVES YOUNG PEOPLE AND THEIR FAMILIES ACCESS TO A LOT OF THE TECH, UM, THE TECHNOLOGY THAT YOU WOULD HAVE TO PAY A LOT OF MONEY TO USE OR YOU JUST WOULDN'T HAVE IN YOUR COMMUNITIES IF WE DID NOT PROVIDE THOSE SPACES.
SO IN THE NEXT FEW SLIDES, I'M GONNA HIGHLIGHT SOME OF THE PROGRAMS THAT I'VE MENTIONED.
UM, BEGINNING WITH I BELIEVE FAMILY PLACE.
FAMILY PLACE IS CURRENTLY, UM, A PROGRAM THAT IS IN PLACE AT FIVE OF OUR LOCATIONS.
UM, BY THE END OF 2025, WE WILL HAVE DOUBLED OR MORE THAN DOUBLED THOSE LOCATIONS.
AND THESE PROGRAMS ARE SPECIFICALLY DESIGNED TO SUPPORT FAMILIES OF CHILDREN FIVE AND UNDER IN THEIR DEVELOPMENT AND LEARNING AT THAT STAGE OF LIFE.
AND SO IT'S VERY, UM, CHILD LED, YOU KNOW, THE, THE CHILDREN KIND OF EXPLORE THE ACTIVITIES AND THE PARENTS FOLLOW ALONG.
IT'S ALSO A PROGRAM THAT'S DESIGNED TO CREATE THAT FAMILY ENGAGEMENT AND CONNECTION WITH THEIR CHILD, AS WELL AS CONNECTING WITH OTHER FAMILIES WHO ARE JUST LIKE THEM WITH THE SAME AGE, UM, YOUNG PEOPLE.
UM, WE HAVE, IT'S A FIVE WEEK PROGRAM, AND EVERY WEEK THERE IS A DIFFERENT FOCUS.
SO ONE WEEK IS LITERACY, ONE WEEK IS NUTRITION, ONE WEEK IS CHILDHOOD DEVELOPMENT.
AND WE HAVE RESOURCE PROFESSIONALS FROM THOSE SPECIFIC AREAS THAT COME IN TO BE AVAILABLE FOR QUESTIONS, UM, FOR INSTRUCTION IF PARENTS NEED THAT FOR CLARITY ON, MY CHILD IS DOING THIS, BUT I'M NOT SURE IF THEY'RE SUPPOSED TO BE DOING THIS AS WELL.
SO THEY CAN TAKE THEIR TIME AND KIND OF TALK TO THESE RESOURCE PROFESSIONALS ABOUT WHAT'S HAPPENING WITH THEIR CHILDREN, AS WELL AS WE PROVIDE A PARENTING COLLECTION OF BOOKS AS A PART OF OUR REGULAR COLLECTION IF PARENTS WANT TO CHECK THINGS OUT FOR FURTHER READING.
WE ALSO HAVE OUR STORY TIMES HERE.
I HAVE A FEW PICTURES OF OUR STORY TIMES.
AS I MENTIONED EARLIER, OUR STORY TIMES RANGE FROM OUR TRADITIONAL STORY TIMES TO BILINGUAL STORY TIMES.
IN SOME COMMUNITIES WHERE OTHER LANGUAGES ARE PRESENT.
UM, WE TEND TO LEAN MORE TOWARDS SPANISH.
WE ARE EXPLORING THE POSSIBILITY OF ADDING MORE LANGUAGES TO OUR STORY TIMES BECAUSE WE UNDERSTAND IN SOME OF OUR COMMUNITIES, THERE ARE MULTIPLE LANGUAGES, UM, AS WELL AS THERE ARE TODDLER TIMES LAP LAPSE SITS.
SO WE HAVE A RANGE OF STORY TIMES THAT TAKE PLACE.
AND AGAIN, WE ARE TRYING TO GET AS MUCH, UM, LANGUAGE AND EXPOSURE TO READING TO THESE YOUNG PEOPLE AS WE CAN SO THAT WE CAN HELP IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF THEIR BRAINS, OF THEIR UNDERSTANDING OF, YOU KNOW, JUST THEIR GENERAL SUCCESS AS INDIVIDUALS.
AND THEN WE HAVE PROGRAMS THAT WE KIND OF THINK OF OFF THE CUFF SOMETIMES, LIKE TODDLER PLAY DATES, WHICH IS SOMETHING THAT WE, UM, INTRODUCED A COUPLE OF YEARS AGO IN AN EFFORT.
UM, WE WERE STILL KIND OF IN THE PANDEMIC, BUT WE WANTED TO GIVE FAMILIES AN OPPORTUNITY TO COME AND ENJOY, UM, ACTIVITIES WITH THEIR YOUNG PEOPLE, EVEN THOUGH THERE WASN'T A LOT TO DO.
THESE ARE KIND OF THEMED ACTIVITIES.
UM, WE HAVE SENSORY ACTIVITIES AS A PART OF THIS.
WE HAVE THINGS SUCH AS A PETTING ZOO WHERE WE BRING ACTUAL ANIMALS FOR THEM TO PLAY WITH.
UM, AND WE CONNECT A BOOK TO ALL OF THE ACTIVITIES THAT HAPPEN.
SO ALL OF THE ACTIVITIES THAT ARE FOR THAT WEEK ARE TIED TO SOME BOOK THAT, UM, THIS FALL WE WILL BEGIN BY READING THE BOOK AND WE WILL LET THE KIDS LOOSE
AND SO THIS IS SOMETHING THAT WE DO EVERY SPRING AND FALL.
IT COVERS A FIVE WEEK SPAN, AND WE'VE BEEN ROTATING THEM AROUND THE CITY TO MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE COVERAGE ACROSS, UM, ALL OF THE REGIONS.
AND THEN OF COURSE, WE HAVE OUR SCHOOL AUTHOR VISITS.
UM, IT'S ALWAYS EXCITING TO SEE HOW THE KIDS RESPOND WHEN THE AUTHOR WALKS IN THE ROOM AND THEY MAY HAVE AN IDEA OF WHAT THE AUTHOR LOOKS LIKE.
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IN IN PLAIN CLOTHES AND NOT LIKE A WHOLE SUITUM, WE'VE HAD MANY AUTHOR VISITS SO FAR, AND NOW WE HAVE SCHOOLS THAT WILL REACH OUT TO US AND ASK US AHEAD OF TIME, WHO DO YOU HAVE COMING NEXT? PLEASE LET US KNOW, UM, IF THIS AUTHOR IS COMING.
AND SO THESE ARE JUST A FEW PHOTOS FROM VISITS THAT WE'VE HAD OVER THE PAST YEAR, UM, WITH AUTHORS.
AND AS YOU CAN SEE, THE AUTHORS ARE USUALLY REALLY ENGAGED WITH THE KIDS, GIVING THEM HIGH FIVES.
SOMETIMES THE KIDS WILL PULL 'EM TO THE SIDE AND ASK THEIR OWN LITTLE QUESTIONS.
AND SO IT'S REALLY, UM, I THINK IT INSPIRES THEM TO DREAM BIG AS WELL, BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, ALL KIDS DON'T GET THESE OPPORTUNITIES TO MEET REAL LIFE AUTHORS OF THE BOOKS THAT THEY'RE READING ALL OF THE TIME.
SO I CONSIDER THESE PROGRAMS VERY SPECIAL, UM, FOR THESE, FOR THESE YOUNG PEOPLE THAT GET AN OPPORTUNITY TO PARTICIPATE.
AND THEN I DON'T WANNA FORGET ABOUT OUR TEENS AND OUR TWEENS.
UM, A LOT OF TIMES WE SAY THESE, THIS IS THE HARDEST GROUP TO KEEP
OUR TECH LINKS ARE A GOOD WAY TO PULL THEM IN BECAUSE OF THE MUSIC STUDIOS, BECAUSE OF THE 3D PRINTING, REALLY, IT'S GOOD FOR ALL OF THEM, BUT ESPECIALLY THIS GROUP, OUR AUTHOR PROGRAMS IS ANOTHER WAY THAT WE TRY TO PULL THEM IN BECAUSE SOMETIMES, YOU KNOW, THEY ACT LIKE THEY'RE TOO COOL TO REALLY GEEK OUT OVER AN AUTHOR.
AND THEN WHEN THEY WALK IN THE ROOM, IT'S LIKE, OH,
AND THE OTHER ADDED PLUS FOR THIS AGE GROUP IS I TEND TO, UM, HAVE THEM BE IN CONVERSATION WITH THE AUTHORS WHEN THEY COME IN.
SO WITH TEEN AUTHORS, I LOOK FOR A TEAM THAT WOULD BE INTERESTED IN BEING IN CONVERSATION.
AND THAT ALWAYS CHANGES THE GAME BECAUSE AGAIN, THAT'S A UNIQUE OPPORTUNITY THAT YOU DON'T FIND IN MANY PLACES.
AND, UM, JUST TO LET YOU KNOW, NEXT MONTH IS TEAM TOBER.
WE'LL BE DOING A HIGH SCHOOL TOUR ACROSS HOUSTON, WHERE WE WILL BE VISITING SEVERAL HIGH SCHOOLS TO LET THEM KNOW WE WANT TO SEE THE TEENS BACK INTO, IN OUR LIBRARY SPACES.
WE WILL BE HAVING ACTIVITIES FOR THEM SUCH AS SILENT LISTENING PARTIES, TEAM GAME DAYS.
WE HAVE ALL KINDS OF THINGS PLANNED, BUT I JUST WANTED TO PUT THAT PLUG IN WHILE WE WERE TALKING ABOUT, UM, TEAM PROGRAMS. SO YOU'LL BE HEARING MORE ABOUT THAT.
AND, UM, OUR FIRST WEEK IS ALL ABOUT BANNED BOOKS.
AND SO WE'RE INVITING AN AUTHOR WHOSE BOOK HAS BEEN BANNED TO COME IN AND HAVE CONVERSATION WITH, UM, SOME TEENS NEXT SLIDE.
AND THAT'S BASICALLY IT FOR, UM, THE, THE PROGRAMS THAT I WANTED TO HIGHLIGHT.
UM, AS I SAID, THERE ARE MANY OTHER PROGRAMS, BUT I WANTED TO HIGHLIGHT THOSE FEW IN PARTICULAR SO THAT YOU CAN SEE, UM, WE HAVE PHOTOS FROM ALL OF THESE THINGS.
AND, YOU KNOW, NOW THAT WE ARE RE-ENGAGING A LOT OF THE SCHOOLS, THEY'RE REALLY, REALLY EXCITED ABOUT WHAT THE LIBRARY HAS TO OFFER AND BRINGING US INTO THEIR SPACES.
UM, UH, DURING THE PRESENTATION, I WANTED TO JUST TELL YOU THAT WE WERE ALSO JOINED BY STAFF FROM COUNCIL MEMBER ALCORN AND FROM STAFF, FROM COUNCIL MEMBER PLUMMER.
SO WE'VE HAD, UM, WE'VE HAD A REALLY PRETTY STRONG ATTENDANCE TODAY.
AND IT'S WHEN WE'RE MEETING VIRTUALLY LIKE THIS, WE DON'T ALWAYS FEEL IT, BUT THEY'RE, THEY'RE HERE AND THEY'RE ONLINE AND, AND I'M LISTENING TO, TO THIS REALLY WONDERFUL PRESENTATION.
DO WE HAVE ANY, ANY QUESTIONS FROM COUNCIL MEMBERS? UM, I WANTED TO JUST SAY THAT, UM, WHEN I WAS A THIRD GRADE CLASSROOM TEACHER, BEFORE I CAME TO THIS ROLE AS A COUNCIL MEMBER, UM, THAT I RELIED VERY HEAVILY ON THE PUBLIC LIBRARIES.
I, I WAS GOING ON A REGULAR BASIS AND CHECKING OUT, UM, UH, 50 BOOKS AT A TIME.
AND I WOULD, I WAS CHECKING OUT THINGS AT, AT, AT VARYING, UM, READING LEVELS THAT WERE IN SUPPORT OF THE CURRICULUM IN WHATEVER WE WERE TEACHING IN, YOU KNOW, IN SCHOOL.
AND, UM, AND IT WAS SO HELPFUL.
I MEAN, IT, IT REINFORCED THE LEARNING AND THEY WERE ALSO, YOU KNOW, UM, IMPROVING THEIR READING SKILLS.
BUT IT, BUT THAT WAS A RESOURCE TO ME THAT, THAT, UM, MY SCHOOL DIDN'T HAVE AND THE PUBLIC LIBRARY DID.
AND I JUST, YOU KNOW, AS YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT SOME OF THESE OTHER PROGRAMS, THE, THE FAMILY PLACE LIBRARIES, UM, YOU ENGAGING FAMILIES IS SO IMPORTANT.
YOU KNOW, THERE'S A LOT OF PARENTS WHO, YOU KNOW, WHO LOVE THEIR CHILDREN DEEPLY, DON'T EXACTLY KNOW WHAT TO DO.
AND, AND, YOU KNOW, AND, AND THAT IT'S REALLY, YOU KNOW, CENTERED ON, ON LEARNING, YOU KNOW, AND HOW TO HELP THAT CHILD.
[00:30:01]
REALLY WHAT PARENTS WANNA DO.SO LIKE TRICIA TO TALK ABOUT THE SPECIAL TRAINING AT THESE FAMILY PLACE LIBRARIES, THAT'S WHY THEY'RE NOT EVERYWHERE.
THEY'RE SELECTED, WE HELP TO INCREASE THE NUMBERS, BUT THERE'S A COST TO IT THAT WE SEND, UM, OUR STAFF OFF TO BE TRAINED.
SO THE FAMILY PLACE LIBRARIES WERE CREATED BY A LIBRARY SYSTEM IN NEW YORK, UM, LONG ISLAND, NEW YORK.
AND THAT IS WHERE WE HAVE TO GO TO MAKE SURE THAT STAFF ARE FULLY TRAINED.
UM, IT'S A WEEK, BUT IT'S AN INTENSE WEEK.
AND THEY GO THROUGH EVERYTHING FROM THE STAGES, FROM WHEN YOU GIVE BIRTH TO THE STAGES THAT A CHILD GOES THROUGH, UM, FROM DEVELOPMENT TO UNDERSTANDING TO RECOGNIZING THE, THE PARENTS' FACES AND ALL OF THAT.
AND SO IT'S A VERY, VERY INTENSE TRAINING.
AND YES, IT'S A VERY EXPENSIVE TRAINING.
AND SO WHEN WE ARE MAKING SELECTIONS FOR WHICH LOCATIONS, WE REALLY LOOK AT THE DEMOGRAPHICS OF THE COMMUNITY, UM, WHAT THE NEEDS ARE AND HOW, HOW MANY FAMILIES ARE IN THAT COMMUNITY.
UM, AND SO WHEN WE COME BACK FROM THIS TRAINING, WE'RE PRETTY MUCH READY TO GO.
THEY TELL US WHAT TOYS TO USE IN THOSE SPACES, THE MANIPULATIVES AND THE, YOU KNOW, THE COUNTING AND TOYS THAT ALLOW THEM TO HAVE REAL LIFE EXPERIENCES LIKE KITCHEN SETS AND ALL OF THESE THINGS.
SO IT'S A VERY INTENSE TRAINING THAT REALLY MAKES SURE THAT WE UNDERSTAND HOW IMPORTANT THIS PROGRAM IS TO NOT ONLY THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE CHILDREN, BUT ALSO FOR THE UNDERSTANDING OF THE PARENTS SO WE CAN AID THEM IN FEELING MORE CONFIDENT ABOUT BEING A PARENT.
WELL, I WAS REALLY PLEASED TO HEAR THAT IT'S, UM, SOMETHING THAT YOU HOPE TO DOUBLE.
IS THERE ANY THOUGHT TO TAKING THAT ON THE ROAD AND, AND YOU KNOW, HAVING A MOBILE COMPONENT THAT COULD, UM, YOU KNOW, TO, TO VISIT THE FAMILY PLACE? THE FAMILY PLACE PARTICULARLY? UM, WE HAVE TO, UH, IT'S A VERY STRICT PROGRAM THAT WE HAVE TO SITUATE AND WITH VARIOUS KINDS OF AMENITIES.
SO WE HAVEN'T DONE SO YET, BUT WE DO, UM, UH, AT VARIOUS LOCATIONS HAVE, UM, OPPORTUNITIES FOR PARENTS TO ENGAGE WITH THEIR CHILDREN THROUGH OTHER PROGRAMS. I ALSO, UM, I WOULD BE REMISS IF I DID NOT MENTION, UM, KIND OF THE ELEPHANT IN THE ROOM WITH THE HISD, UM, UH, CLOSURE OF, OF 28 LIBRARIES.
UM, I'VE ASKED LA TRICIA AND HER TEAM TO, UM, IDENTIFY THE LIBRARIES IN OUR SYSTEM THAT ARE CLOSE TO THOSE SCHOOLS.
UM, WE CAN'T SUPPLANT OR PRETEND TO BE ABLE TO OFFER WHAT THOSE LIBRARIES DID SO WELL WITH THEIR LIBRARIES STAFF.
BUT WHAT WE CAN DO IS WORK VERY CLOSELY WITH THOSE TEAMS IN THOSE SCHOOLS TO, UM, ENSURE THAT THE BOOKS THAT WE ARE ORDERING AND THE RESOURCES THAT WE ARE ORDERING, UM, COMPLIMENT WHAT'S GOING ON IN THOSE CLASSROOMS. I DON'T KNOW IF YOU HAVE MADE ANY OF THOSE, UM, OVERTURES ALREADY.
YEAH, WE HAVE BEEN IN COMMUNICA.
I KNOW THAT WE HAVE STAFF THAT HAVE ALREADY BEEN REACHING OUT SAYING, OH, WE'VE DISCOVERED THAT THIS SCHOOL IS ONE OF THE SCHOOLS THAT HAVE BEEN IMPACTED.
AND ACTUALLY AS WE'RE, UM, PLANNING, PROGRAMMING, ESPECIALLY PROGRAMMING THAT WE CAN TAKE OUT INTO THE SCHOOLS, I'M SPECIFICALLY LOOKING AT THE SCHOOLS THAT DO NOT HAVE LIBRARY SPACES TO BRING THOSE PROGRAMS INTO.
I, I WOULD ENCOURAGE YOU TO, AS YOU I IDENTIFY THEM IN, IN A, IN A PLAN, A STRATEGY TO MOVE FORWARD TO, UM, TO, TO BRIEF THE COUNCIL MEMBERS.
'CAUSE THEY WILL BE REALLY HELPFUL IN, IN COMMUNICATING YOUR INFORMATION TO, YOU KNOW, A BROADER COMMUNITY, YOU KNOW, UM, RELY ON THEM TO, TO, TO BE SUPPORTIVE.
UM, UM, I WOULD ALSO LIKE TO JUST MENTION, WE HAVE, UM, STAFF FROM COUNCIL MEMBER JACKSON THAT'S HERE.
UM, JUST ONE OTHER THING, UM, BE I WANTED TO MENTION THAT TO THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, IN SPEAKING ABOUT THE ALE LIBRARY, ONE OF THE REALLY GROUNDBREAKING THINGS THAT HAVE, HAVE MADE THAT SUCH A SUCCESSFUL SPACE WAS THE COLLABORATION BETWEEN MULTIPLE DEPARTMENTS.
IT WASN'T JUST THE LIBRARY, IT'S ALSO THE PARKS DEPARTMENT, IT'S ALSO THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT.
AND I DON'T KNOW WHO ELSE IS PART OF IT TOO, BUT, BUT THERE WAS A LOT OF HANDHOLDING TO LEVERAGE RESOURCES AND TO, TO, TO STRENGTHEN THE WHOLE.
[00:35:01]
UM, I THINK IT'S A GREAT MODEL THAT, YOU KNOW, THAT, UM, EVEN LOOKING BACK AT, AT, UM, EXISTING LIBRARIES, NOT A NEW LIBRARY LIKE, LIKE ALE IS, BUT YOU KNOW, FOR OPPORTUNITIES WHERE WE CAN, CAN STRENGTHEN THE MM-HMMYOU KNOW, THE WHOLE, THE WHOLE, UM, CITY INFRASTRUCTURE THAT WAY YEAH.
YOU KNOW WHAT WE CAN, WE CAN GIVE TO, UM, YOU KNOW, OUR COMMUNITIES.
AND COUNCIL MEMBER, I JUST WANTED TO SAY THAT PARKS AND HEALTH DEPARTMENT, BOTH THE PARKS AND HEALTH DEPARTMENTS ARE GREAT PARTNERS WITH THE LIBRARY EVEN BEFORE A LEAVE.
AND, AND THAT'S WHY WE KNEW IT WOULD BE SUCH A GOOD MERGER BECAUSE OF THE OPPORTUNITIES THAT WE'VE HAD TO PARTNER AND COLLABORATE THROUGH THE YEARS.
UM, OUR, WE ARE, THE THREE DEPARTMENTS ARE FRONT FACING OR PUBLIC FACING DEPARTMENTS WHERE WE INTERACT WITH THE, UM, WITH OUR NEIGHBORS THROUGHOUT THE CITY.
AND SO INSTEAD OF HAVING THEM GO HERE TO PARKS AND HERE TO HEALTH AND HERE TO LIBRARY, WHY NOT BRING IT ALL TOGETHER SO THAT IT WOULD BE LIKE ONE STOP SHOPPING, IF YOU WILL.
SO WE ARE LOOKING FOR OPPORTUNITIES, UM, TO DO THAT MOVING FORWARD AND ALSO CONTINUING THOSE PARTNERSHIPS THAT WE HAVE IN, UH, SITUATIONS WHERE WE ARE NOT TOGETHER PHYSICALLY.
WELL, THERE ARE NO MORE QUESTIONS, UH, COMMENTS FROM COUNCIL MEMBERS? DID, DID YOU RAISE YOUR HAND? NO.
THIS HAS BEEN REALLY WONDERFUL.
REALLY APPRECIATE YOUR PRESENTATIONS.
UM, AT THIS TIME WE WILL HEAR FROM OUR MEMBER OF THE PUBLIC WHO SIGNED UP TO SPEAK.
THERE IS ONE SPEAKER HERE TODAY.
UM, SO LADIES, YOU MAY GO BACK TO YOUR SEATS.
SO AT THIS TIME I'D LIKE TO WELCOME OUR PUBLIC SPEAKER, ALICE FONTANO, TO THE PODIUM.
UM, UH, YOU WILL HAVE TWO MINUTES TO MAKE YOUR COMMENTS.
THANK YOU FOR JOINING US TODAY.
UM, I AM EXTREMELY EXCITED TO SPEAK.
UM, I'LL GO AHEAD AND INTRODUCE MYSELF.
I AM WITH TEXAS CHILDREN AND NATURE NETWORK.
I SERVE AS THEIR GULF COAST, UH, HEALTH AND NATURE LIAISON, MEANING I I WORK WITH THE HOUSTON AREA, GALVESTON AREA, UH, FORT BEND COUNTY AND MONTGOMERY COUNTY.
UM, SO TEXAS CHILDREN AND NATURE NETWORK IS AN INDEPENDENT NONPROFIT THAT HAS OVER 600 PLUS PARTNERS THROUGHOUT TEXAS.
AND SO MY SPECIFIC JOB IS TO HELP PROVIDE TECHNICAL SUPPORT, UM, OFFICE HOURS AS WELL AS, UM, RESOURCES TO THOSE DIFFERENT PARTNERS AND HELP THEM PUSH OUR MISSION, WHICH IS TO CONNECT FAMILIES AND CHILDREN TO NATURE LIKE EXPERIENCES OR RESOURCES.
UM, BECAUSE WE ALL KNOW THE RESEARCH BEHIND THE HEALTH AND BENEFITS RELATED TO BEING EXPOSED TO NATURE, HAVING THOSE OPPORTUNITIES TO BE IN NATURE.
TODAY, I ALSO WANT TO PER PRESENT OR INTRODUCE A PROJECT THAT I'M CURRENTLY WORKING ON.
IT IS CALLED LEAP LIBRARY, ADVENTURE LIBRARY, EXPLORE ADVENTURE PACKS.
AND SO THEY ARE NATURE BACKPACKS THAT WILL BE HOSTED AT LIBRARIES.
WE HAVE SUCCESSFULLY PILOTED THE LEAP PROGRAM IN THE RIO GRANDE VALLEY.
UM, THERE THEY HAVE PARTNERED WITH EIGHT LIBRARIES, UM, IN ONE SCHOOL DISTRICT.
AND SO THOSE BACKPACKS STAY AT THOSE POSITIONS AND FAMILIES HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO RENT THEM OUT FOR, UM, ONE TO TWO WEEKS.
UM, AND WITHIN THOSE BACKPACKS, THEY HAVE DIFFERENT THINGS FROM ACTIVITIES, UH, NATURE, TOOLS SUCH AS BINOCULARS, UM, DIFFERENT RESOURCES AND, UM, THINGS OF THAT NATURE.
SO I'M SUPER EXCITED TO INTRODUCE THIS, UH, PROGRAM THAT I'M WORKING ON WITH YOU ALL.
CURRENTLY I'M IN A PHASE OF JUST BUILDING AN ADVISORY BOARD, SO HOPEFULLY THIS WILL REACH THE RIGHT EARS AND HAVE SOME PEOPLE ON BOARD WHO CAN GIVE ME MORE INSIGHT ON WHAT ARE THE CULTURE TRENDS, WHAT ARE THE HEALTH TRENDS IN HOUSTON.
UM, I AM A NATIVE HOUSTONIAN, BUT I HAVE BEGUN FOR TWO YEARS.
I RECENTLY JUST GRADUATED THIS PAST MAY, SO I'M COMING BACK AND LOOKING FOR NUGGETS OF KNOWLEDGE AND HOW TO BEST HAVE THIS PROGRAM SERVE THE COMMUNITY.
UM, WELL THANK YOU SO MUCH MS. FONTANO.
UM, SOME OF THOSE RIGHT EARS ARE SITTING RIGHT BEHIND YOU,
MAYBE THERE'S A WAY TO, TO WORK TOGETHER.
SO AT THIS TIME, UM, I WANNA THANK OUR PRESENTERS AND COUNCIL MEMBERS AND STAFF AND MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC FOR TUNING IN AND PARTICIPATING IN TODAY'S MEETING.
TODAY'S PRESENTATION AS WELL AS ALL PAST MEETINGS ARE POSTED ON THE COMMITTEE'S WEBSITE.
PLEASE JOIN US NEXT MONTH, UM, FOR THE CHILDHOOD AND YOUTH COMMITTEE MEETING ON OCTOBER 11TH.
[00:40:01]
SCHEDULED MEETING OF THE CHILDHOOD AND YOUTH COMMITTEE.