By Abha Thakkar
Northside Planning Council

New initiatives and opportunities are sprouting up all over the Northside this summer, and the Safe & Thriving Community Initiative just put forward its recommendations for the second round of awards focused on youth violence prevention. Contact the Northside Planning Council (NPC) at 204-7015 to learn more.

Parent Cafes
Through a collaboration with 4-C, Vera Court Neighborhood Center, the Northside Early Childhood Zone (NECZ) and NPC, we will be offering an exciting and free opportunity on August 22 and 23 to be trained in facilitating Parent Cafes. A Parent Cafe is a highly acclaimed circle conversation model that brings parents together to build trust and provide support. The training is open to any Northside parent, leader or school and nonprofit staff member that works with families. Please visit northsideplanningcouncil.org/parentcafe for more info and to register.

Start a Home Daycare Business
One of the most common challenges young families face on the Northside is the lack of quality, local childcare options. With all the demand out there, opening a home daycare is a terrific business opportunity. It’s a win-win situation — you can earn income in your home while providing a much needed service. The NECZ and NPC are partnering with 4-C and Satellite to organize the Northside Child Care Connection  and provide support, including the possible development of a childcare cooperative, for those who are already operating a home daycare or are interested in getting started. Contact Amy Christianson at 469-1199 or achristianson@reachdane.org to learn more.

Northside Works!
Through a collaboration with the WorkSmart Network at Dane County School Consortium, Operation FreshStart, NECZ, NPC, Warner Park Community Recreation Center (WPCRC) and the Northside’s four neighborhood centers, Vera Court Neighborhood Center, Kennedy Heights Neighborhood Center, and the Northport and Packer Community Learning Centers, we are offering a summer series of free, pre-employment workshops for anyone ages 16 and up. The three remaining workshops will be held from 6–7:30 pm and include: The Elevator Pitch Workshop at Northport Community Learning Center on July 26; the In-Demand Jobs Workshop at Kennedy Heights Community Center on August 2; and Mock Interview with HR Professionals at WPCRC on August 9.

Safe & Thriving Community Initiative
In 2016, the City of Madison was awarded a $750,000 grant through the Department of Justice to help mitigate the causes and effects of youth violence and victimization. After a year-long planning process and the first round of grantmaking, the second round of grant recommendations have been forwarded to the Madison Common Council for approval. Keep an eye out for these programs this fall:

Anesis Therapy, LLC: up to $40,000 to engage youth ages 11-14 years, with a priority on youth of color who face multiple barriers to success at school and in the community, in a bi-weekly group with goals of increasing communication, supporting positive peer and family relationships, decreasing oppositional defiant behaviors, promoting problem solving.

Forward Learning Youth & Young Adult (FLYY): up to $40,000 to provide a series of professional trainings in de-escalation, Peacekeeping Circles, nonviolent communication, and conflict mediation for youth and adults to create a change in community culture that moves Northside youth away from firearms and antisocial behavior, while simultaneously engaging adult leaders who will mentor the youth-led initiative of creating a sustainable Peace Program.

Zeidler Center for Public Discussion: up to $40,000 to repair relationships between law enforcement and communities of color in Madison’s Northside through trauma-informed group processes, youth leadership training, youth and adult facilitator trainings, and trust building and humanizing through deep listening and communication in safe spaces. This will prepare a cohort of trained, professional Northside adult and youth facilitators to lead trauma-informed group processes.

Bicycle Federation of Wisconsin: Up to $10,000 to utilize community bicycling as a way to build cohesion and improve relationships among Northside residents and other stakeholders. This work will address cultural norms related to violence and firearms, improve trust and foster community through the Restorative Community Bike Rides and Conversations.  The rides and conversations will promote social justice and equity, repair historical harms, and increase community safety.

Community Coordinated Child Care (4-C): up to $10,000 to expand a community-based approach to supporting social emotional wellbeing and mental health of families and young children through facilitated support networks, addressing the factors that mitigate the negative effects of trauma and reduce abuse and neglect among children.