People Advocating Change Together (PACT)

What is People Advocating Change Together?

People Advocating Change Together (PACT) is an organizing and advocacy group committed to channeling the power of collective action to help “stop the violence” and “close the gap” among black youth in Pinellas County, FL. The members of PACT understand the importance of working together to help reclaim the future of America’s youth.

Getting Started

PACT was formed in February 2007. By the time it issued its six month action plan in July 2007, it counted over 700 members.

Issues

PACT’s six month action plan confronts the following statistics of Pinellas County:

• The number of black children without mentors. Black children are twice more likely than white children to be wait-listed for a match to a mentor.
• Juvenile crime rates. 49% of all youth referred to the juvenile system come from 3 zip codes, confirming the speculation that black men are 4 times more likely to be imprisoned during their lifetimes than white men are.
• The shortage of advocates “watch-dogging and safeguarding” public policy decisions (like budget cuts to family support programs in light of state property tax reform) affecting America’s youth.
• The low number of students enrolled in after-school programs. After-school programs in midtown only serve 21% of the school-aged youth. Research shows that at risk boys not enrolled in after-school programs are six times more likely to commit crimes and girls are twice more likely to become pregnant, while youth enrolled in these programs are 2.5 times more likely to continue on to higher education.
• The 2 digit black-white achievement gap in reading and math. Only 24% of black boys in this county graduate high school with standard diplomas.
• The number of neighborhoods in South St. Pete that suffer high rates of juvenile crime.

Campaign Goals

PACT understands that reclaiming America’s youth is a LONG-TERM mission that will require a LONG-TERM commitment to establish and achieve the following:

• Universal Pre-K
• Close the K-12 gap
• Universal After-school
• Youth employment, leadership, and diversion
• Parental support and advocacy
• Ex-offender re-integration
• Employment and financial health
• Drug recovery and wellness

PACT gives priority to the following programs and their mission statements:

• Mentors Now! – To eliminate the number of black children awaiting mentors (currently 180) from groups like Big Brothers Big Sisters by Dec. 31, 2007.
• Service Connection - To involve 200 young ex-offenders in community service, volunteerism, and leadership for projects and events by PACT members, together with the Florida Department of Juvenile Justice.
• Collective Advocacy – To engage 200 advocates to positively impact funding and policy decisions that affect the youth by using PACT’s presence and voice at upcoming budget hearings and workshops by the County City, School Board, and Legislature; use petitions as a tool for engaging and educating citizens.

Methods

Involve the Community

Using a 360° Solution Model, the PACT successfully engaged civil rights and social organizations, business and philanthropic leaders, early childhood and K-12 experts, “frontlines” in youth development, media and main communication arteries, the political and advocacy community, ex-offender, drug recovery and family experts, neighborhood associations and ground level organizations, parents, family and youth in a collective call to action; a movement.

Youth and parents are essential to this movement. The youth and parents recruited by PACT will assume an indispensable leadership role because they are able to contribute real-life perspectives on how to reclaim the future of America’s children. By connecting youth and parents to EXISTING programs & services, working together to EXPAND & STRENGTHEN existing initiatives, and launching and layering NEW INITIATIVES in a community blanketed with outreach and evangelism, PACT channels the energy of people who want to help and who need help.

The Council of 100 is a democratic decision-making body created to develop and guide implementation of community-wide collective action. The PACT of 1000 is a larger concentric circle of partners, funders, technical assistance providers, leaders, parents, youth and volunteers who help to feed the collective.

PACT has also created special purpose action groups to enhance recruitment, identify support, develop strategies, improve outreach, and provide assistance.

Provide the Following Infrastructure
PACT channels the power of its collective by providing the following structures:

• Community-wide On-Line Calendar & E-mail Network
• Community-wide Resource Directory
• Collective Support for Individual Organizations:

  - Shared administrative resources
  - Shared marketing support
  - Shared operations infrastructure

Impact

PACT understands the link between education and economics, and it establishes three foundation blocks to achieve its goals:

1. Taking it to the Streets through street corner activism and faith-based festivals and rallies.
2. Building capacity for advocacy by being present and proactive when decisions are made that impact the youth, and by “standing in the gap” when parents lack the expertise to effectively advocate on behalf of their children.
3. Developing the infrastructure for collective action

Through meetings and outreach campaigns PACT recruits leaders committed to collective action by demonstrating that it achieves real results to reclaim the future of the youth.

Click here for PACT’s Six Month Action Plan.

Prepared October 31, 2007