Explanation
This ordinance authorizes Columbus City Council to enter into contract with Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc; Columbus OH Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc.; Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc.; and Brown Girls Mentoring in support of the Commission on Black Girls.
Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc.; Gamma Zeta Zeta Chapter, in partnership with its 501C3 entity, the Gamma Zeta Zeta Education Foundation, serves more than 75 young women of color in its programs. Programs include:
- The From Girls to Pearls Rites of Passage Program
- The Archonette Club
- Zetas Helping Other People Excel (ZHOPE)
The From Girls to Pearls Rites of Passage Program provides a program for female adolescents of color to prepare them - physically, socially, emotionally, intellectually, spiritually, and culturally for passage from childhood to teen. Targeted constituencies: girls age 13 or in the 8th grade.
Archonette Club & Black Girls Programs are high school-aged young ladies who demonstrate an interest in the goals and the ideals of scholarship, sisterly love, and community service. Archonette groups are a nationally recognized auxiliary of Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Incorporated. Funding will support a HBCU College Tour & Enrichment Programs for Black Girls, as well as a Black Girls Curriculum, Youth Summit, & Mentoring.
ZHOPE offers ACT Preparatory Courses, Adopt- a- School literacy & mentoring, and quarterly initiatives. Funds will support college access, soft skill training, and ACT Prep Courses for Black Girls.
The Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc offers two programs The Delta Academy and Delta Gems. The Delta Academy curriculum is centered on activities for young women ages 11 to 14, and focuses on social and emotional development, physiological transitioning and exposure to global ideas and learning objectives. The curriculum focuses on self-awareness and is designed to develop young women with positive attitudes towards themselves and others, and who are effective and optimistic problem solvers, that are confident about their future. The Delta Academy program currently has 55 girls from 31 unique schools enrolled for the 2019-2020 program year. The average age of the young ladies is 12 and they reside in an average household size of 4. 45.5% of participants are from households with less than $50,000 in annual income.
Delta GEMS is an acronym for Growing & Empowering Myself Successfully. Since its inception in 2004, the Delta GEMS youth initiative has served as a catalyst for young African American women between the ages of 14 to 18 to enhance their abilities in order to achieve academic excellence. Funding will support a leadership development retreat, purchasing a formal self-esteem assessment tool for the young ladies, along with sponsorship of 10 girls on a college tour.
The Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. Alpha Sigma Omega Chapter offers the Alpha Sigma Omega Leaders in Training program for middle school girls, grades 6th -8th. The goal of the program is to teach girls the importance of becoming leaders within their schools, communities and families. Its focus is to introduce leadership development and help girls believe they can be leaders now and in the future. Opportunities for community engagement and leadership growth will be explored through service projects; participation in arts and culture events; and the annual Girls Leadership Expo which will showcase what the girls have learned while participating in the program. Funding will support: printing, t-shirts, program supplies and the Leadership Expo.
Brown Girls Mentoring is a leadership development program that is designed to help Black Girls find their voices; teach them how to withstand adversity; introduce them to other Black women who are making changes in their communities; and equip them with tools and resources to lead themselves and others well.
Key areas of the program focuses on the following:
• Inner Confidence
• Leading Yourself Well
• How to Lead Others
• Effective Communication Skills
• Overcoming Adversity
• Respecting Yourself and Others
• Building Trust
Funding will support the program fee for 15 girls, an annual girl’s conference, and operation cost associated with staffing the program.
About the Commission on Black Girls: Racial disparities persist in various economic and social outcomes. Income, wealth, educational attainment, and health all have trends that highlight the persistence of the challenges that have resulted from historical realities. Inequities continue to present significant challenges in the lives of Black women even from their childhood.
In order to change the trajectory of Black women, it is important to focus on Black girls and position Black girls “at promise” as opposed to “at risk”. On July 16, 2018 Columbus City Council adopted resolution 0208X-2018 to create a Commission on Black Girls, sponsored by Council Member Priscilla R. Tyson. The twenty-five member Commission is composed of key community stakeholders representing private, public and non-profit organizations.
The Commission will study and assess the current quality of life for Black girls’ ages 11-22, residing in central Ohio. Intervening in the experiences of Black females while they are still girls may be the most effective way of improving their future outcomes. The Commission has engaged in six months of intensive fact finding and hearing from subject-matter experts on the current issues (social determinants) that impact the quality of life for Black girls. Through the culmination of analytic results from listening sessions, focus groups, literature reviews, expert discourse and survey results, the Commission will develop and implement recommendations to ensure opportunities, successful futures and the achievement of a high quality of life for Black girls.
Emergency action is necessary to avoid causing interruptions in the delivery of program services.
Fiscal Impact: Funding is available within the Neighborhood Initiatives subfund.
Title
To authorize City Council to enter into contracts with Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc.; Columbus OH Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc.; Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. Alpha Sigma Omega Chapter; and Black Girls Mentoring in support of the Commission on Black Girls; to authorize appropriations and expenditures of $30,000.00 within the Neighborhood Initiatives subfund; and to declare an emergency. ($30,000.00)
Body
WHEREAS, the Commission on Black Girls will study and assess the current quality of life for Black girls ages 11-22, residing in central Ohio; and
WHEREAS, to date, the Commission has engaged in six months of intensive fact finding and hearing from subject-matter experts on the current issues and social determinants that impact the quality of life for Black girls; and
WHEREAS, through the culmination of analytic results from listening sessions, focus groups, literature reviews, expert discourse and survey results, the Commission will develop and implement recommendations to ensure opportunities, successful futures and the achievement of a high quality of life for Black girls; and
WHEREAS, Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc.; Columbus OH Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc.; Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. Alpha Sigma Omega Chapter; and Black Girls Mentoring align with the efforts of the Commission on Black Girls; and
WHEREAS, an emergency exists in the usual daily operation of the City Council in that it is immediately necessary to authorize an appropriation to avoid causing interruptions in the delivery of program services, all for the preservation of the public health, peace, property, safety, and welfare; NOW, THEREFORE,
BE IT ORDAINED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF COLUMBUS:
SECTION 1. That City Council is hereby authorized to enter into contract with Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc. in support of the Commission on Black Girls.
SECTION 2. That City Council is hereby authorized to enter into contract with Columbus OH Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc in support of the Commission on Black Girls.
SECTION 3. That City Council is hereby authorized to enter into contract with Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. in support of the Commission on Black Girls.
SECTION 4. That City Council is hereby authorized to enter into contract with Black Girls Mentoring in support of the Commission on Black Girls.
SECTION 5. That the City Auditor is hereby authorized to appropriate $30,000.00 in the Neighborhood Initiatives subfund, fund 1000, subfund 100018, to Columbus City Council, in Object Class 03 - Contractual Services, per the accounting codes in the attachment to this ordinance.
SECTION 6. That the expenditure of $30,000.00 or so much thereof as may be needed pursuant to the actions authorized in SECTIONS 1-4, is hereby authorized per the accounting codes in the attachment to this ordinance.
SECTION 7. That the funds necessary to carry out the purpose of this ordinance are hereby deemed appropriated, and the City Auditor shall establish such accounting codes as necessary.
SECTION 8. That for the reasons stated in the preamble hereto, which is hereby made a part hereof, this ordinance is hereby declared to be an emergency measure and shall take effect and be in force from and after its passage and approval by the Mayor, or ten days after passage if the Mayor neither approves nor vetoes the same.