Achieving Youth Results
How Well Are Tompkins County Youth Really Doing?
How will we know when are youth are doing better? Or worse?
The work of Achieving Youth Results is bringing our community together to develop an action plan for the Tompkins County community to more fully support youth and their families.
Achieving Youth Results tracks countywide indicators or data allowing us to build an action plan to support youth as we attempt to reach six goals. While there are no perfect indicators to measure how well young people are doing, this is an opportunity to showcase how the work of various community partners makes progress toward a set of community goals. By tracking indicators and exploring the story behind the data we will be better able to see what additional or changing supports our community may need to achieve the youth results we desire. For more information on the AYR process please visit this presentation provided to the Tompkins County Legislature(PDF, 321KB).
All funding provided to youth service agencies by the Tompkins County Youth Services Department is provided to agencies that are contributing to reach the AYR goals and improve the indicators. Please click on one of the following goals to see the community indicators and how agencies funded by Tompkins County Youth Services are contributing to the achievement of their success. To better understand how the agency report card works, please view our sample(PDF, 443KB).
The six OCFS AYR touchstones were updated in 2023.
Community
Community Goal
Tompkins County will provide children, youth, and families with healthy, safe, and thriving environments.
Current Indicators
Source: Communities that Care Youth Survey, Tompkins County Results - Conducted Biennially
Source: American Community Survey (US Census Bureau)
Agencies Funded by TCYSD that Contribute to Achieving Indicator Success
One-to-One Big Brothers Big Sisters
One-to-One Big Brothers Big Sisters of Ithaca and Tompkins County is an affiliate of Big Brothers Big Sisters of America and the Ithaca Youth Bureau. Our mission is to establish and nurture friendships between caring, responsible adults and children in need of such friendship. Through these friendships, One-to-One seeks to improve the lives of children and their families, enable volunteers to themselves benefit from their relationships with children and families, and bring community members together. Big Brothers and Big Sisters help children learn their own abilities and worth, teach them how to have friends and be friends, and provide them with opportunities for fun and discovery.
Open Doors
Family and Children’s Service of Ithaca announces Open Doors, a Runaway and Homeless Youth program for Tompkins County. We provide services to youth up to age 21, and their families, who have run away or are at-risk of running away and are interested in reunifying with family. We want to partner with the community, accepting referrals of young people and families dealing with these issues, and hope you will partner with us to provide support to families struggling to stay together.
Youth Outreach
The Youth Outreach program of the Learning Web is for high school age and young adults ages 16- 24 who need help with finding housing and jobs, completing their education, parenting, keeping a home, managing finances, and virtually all of the components of independent living.
Economic Security
Economic Security Goal
Youth will be prepared for their eventual economic self sufficiency.
Current Indicators
Source: American Community Survey (United States Census Bureau)
Source: NYS Department of Education Information and Reporting Service
Agencies Funded by TCYSD that Contribute to Achieving Indicator Success
Youth Exploration Program
This Learning Web program is for middle school and high school age Tompkins County youth who are living with a parent or guardian. Tailored to each young person’s interests, YEP's services include career exploration tours, apprenticeships, and community service.
Youth Employment Service
Youth Employment Service of the Ithaca Youth Bureau has been around for more than 40 years. Initially, it began as an odd job service, helping teens and homeowners connect to each other for yard-work, babysitting, moving and other jobs. It expanded to provide subsidized employment opportunities. The first subsidized program, known as the Municipal Jobs Program or MJP, started in the 1980s and still exists today. This program serves over 75 youth and employs them at over 50 different work sites each summer. We have partnered with Cornell University, the Ithaca City School District, Ithaca College, Rotary, GIAC, Southside Community Center, the Tompkins County Chamber of Commerce and many others over the years to provide many different types of job opportunities for the teens of our community.
Education
Education Goal
Youth will leave school prepared to live, learn and work in their community.
Current Indicators
Source: NYS Dept. of Education Information and Reporting Service
Source: NYS Dept. of Education Information and Reporting Service
Engagement
Engagement Goal
Children and youth will demonstrate commitment to their community as contributing members of their families, schools, and neighborhood.
Current Indicators
Source: Communities that Care Youth Survey, Tompkins County Results
Source: Communities that Care Youth Survey, Tompkins County Results
Agencies Funded by TCYSD that Contribute to Achieving Indicator Success
4-H Urban Outreach
The mission of the 4-H Urban Outreach Program is to take the 4-H Youth Development model and make it accessible to all audiences in our community. By providing daily after school and summer programming, the program empowers youth and adults by creating opportunities that build academic and life skills through experiential learning. The aim is to ensure that youth achieve a sense of independence, belonging, mastery and generosity, to develop into positive, caring, and productive citizens.
Outings Program
The Outing Program is based on the idea that everyone learns best when they can actively participate in directing their own learning process. Participants set out on an adventure and engage in activities that are challenging, rewarding, fun, and safe but with a perceived risk. They are asked to stretch beyond their preconceived limitations in order to succeed individually and as a team. Our program attempts to engage the whole person in order to cultivate the qualities and skills that help individuals achieve their greatest potential, while working together to be an effective team.
Family
Family Goal
Families will provide children with safe, stable and nurturing environments.
Current Indicators
Source: NYS Kids Wellbeing Indicator Clearinghouse (KWIC)
Source: NYS Kids Wellbeing Indicator Clearinghouse (KWIC)
Physical & Emotional Health
Physical and Emotional Health Goal
Children and youth will have optimal physical and emotional health.
Current Indicators
Source: Communities that Care Youth Development Survey, Tompkins County Results
Source: Communities that Care Youth Development Survey, Tompkins County Results
Agencies funded by TCYSD that Contribute to Achieving Indicator Success
Recreation Support Services
Recreation Support Services (RSS) at the Ithaca Youth Bureau strives to help individuals, primarily those with disabilities, achieve their goals for happiness and well-being. We do this by creating leisure opportunities for active participation, making friends, fostering independence, and community inclusion.
2018 Providing Resources for Achieving Youth Results
The work of Achieving Youth Results brought our community together to develop an action plan for Tompkins County which may more fully support youth and their families. Through over seventy sessions our community spoke clearly about ways to build on current success to provide further opportunities for young people to thrive. As the community experts we now reach back out to you to make these ideas a reality.
In the spirit of innovation and growth, the Youth Services Department hosted a community-wide AYR Pitch Contest in February of 2018. This was an opportunity for Tompkins County non-profits to compete for funding “Shark Tank” style. Those competing were matched with community coaches, leaders in the community that could support and help prepare the non-profits presenting. Read more about the Pitch Contest for the featured article in Tompkins Weekly by Jamie Swinnerton.