State League Convention Tracks on Children, Youth and Family Issues
For some state leagues, workshop sessions focused on issues affecting children, youth and families are a regular feature of their annual conventions. By establishing a workshop track on these issues, leagues can help their members support a municipal agenda for children and families and learn about innovative new practices emerging in communities across their state and the nation.
Georgia
For the past several years, the Carl Vinson Institute of Government at the University of Georgiahas sponsored a pre-conference training on "Strengthening Your Community by Strengthening Children and Families" at the Georgia Municipal Association annual convention. Savannah, Ga., Mayor Otis Johnson and Savannah Alderman Van Johnson served as trainers/speakers at the most recent training. The course examines the impact of child and family well-being on community and economic development, trends in Georgia, state-run programs aimed at reducing the number of at-risk youth and juvenile delinquents, and issues such as teen pregnancies, truancy and teen drug and alcohol use.
Virginia
The Virginia Municipal League's annual convention regularly features workshops on children, youth and families issues. Recent workshops have focused on Virginia's Smart Beginnings program to promote early childhood success, preparing children for kindergarten, improving financial education for local residents, combating predatory lending, reducing juvenile crime, fatherhood initiatives, dropout prevention, and preparing youth for productive lives.
