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Home My WebLink About2024-04-23 Advisory Committee on Racial Equity, Inclusion, and Human Rights Minutes ACREIHR Advisory Committee of Racial Equity, Inclusion, and Human Rights Minutes for the Tuesday, April 23, 2024 Meeting 6:OOp � Council Chambers Members Present: Vice Chair Katie Brydon, Member Andre Chasse, Member Melissa Bulcholz, Member Kathryn Robinson, Member Gabrielle Wiley, Student Rep. Evelyn Marasco Members not present: Chair Liana Fellis, Member Julie Davis, Member Theron Letterlough, Member Jason Canniff, Student Rep. Rebecca Jones City of Bangor staff and guests present: City Manager, Debbie Laurie; Jim Tager, Superintendent of the Bangor School Department; Dana Caver-Bialer, Bangor School Dept. DEIB Coordinator; Paul Butler, Principal of Bangor High School; Robyn Stanicki, Community Development Officer Call to Order Call to order at 6:OOpm Introduction of advisory board members and city members present Minutes • Motion to approve • Passed unanimously DEIB Updates from Bangor School Department Updates from Dana Caver-Bialer, BSD DEIB Coordinator • Three subcommittees of the DEIB advisory committee o Recruitment, Hiring, and Retention o Professional Development o Mental Health & Trauma Inform Practice • School updates will be shared at the June School Committee Meeting • Forty members involved in the committee with different areas of expertise o Authored documentation based on needs requested from the community and the school department • Equity audit in 2022 with the University of Maine o Offered coursework (3 courses offered, presented topics of expertise during the school's professional development days) ■ Creating culture of teachers teaching peers ■ Personnel get to choose what they want to learn • Mental Health offering services to students • $25k to be spent by the Hiring and Recruitment committee • PD group presents teaching to their peers during in-service day • MYHIS Updates from the Principal Butler o Maine Youth Health Integrated Survey, presented for the first time to students in 2023 o Offered during the school day during the school day; students can opt out if need-be o Over 600 students (out of 1150 students total) took the survey— more than 50% of the students took the survey MYHIS Data Review Cluster Take-Aways Information is shared compared to state and county • Nutrition, Physical Fitness, Healthy Weight o BSD consistent with county and state 0 2/3 students self-report healthy BMI o Slightly higher choice to participate in regular physical activity i Advisory Committee of Racial Equity, Inclusion, and Human Rights Minutes for the Tuesday, April 23, 2024 Meeting 6:OOp � Council Chambers o Students reported drinking one or more sugary beverage per day • Alcohol and Tobacco o %z surveyed say alcohol is easy to get; over % have reported using a vape product 0 11% in Bangor report recent vape usage; 16% in the county o % report in binge drinking (5 or more drinks in the past 30 days) • Marijuana and Other Drug Use 0 9/10 students have clear rules about drug use from the families 0 1/3 substance abuse is a problem at home 0 1/3 marijuana use 0 1/7 marijuana use before high school • Sexual Behavior, Suicide and Depression 0 1/5 suicide attempts 0 1/5 note mental health is an issue 0 1/3 have sought help for their mental health, 2-3% seek help from school 0 1/20 speak a language other than English o Bangor was higher on LGBTQ+ self-identifying students (1/3 students in Bangor, % in Maine) • Bullying, Violence, Assets 0 1/5 indicated significant violence at home 0 1/5 have experienced bullying at school 0 1/5 have experienced virtual bullying 0 75% report supportive adult at school 0 80% report consistent family love at home o Higher reporting of Adverse Childhood Experiences (1/3 of Bangor students); might involve traumatic experiences 0 1/3 indicate school rules are not fairly enforced most or all of the time 0 80% of students report feeling safe at school (84% statewide) o Less than 50% say that they have an adult at the school that make them feel supported What happens with this data? • Feedback will be addressed with BHS student council next week o Students will be able to speak directly to the data that needs more information like 'do you feel safe at school' • Mental health subcommittee will be providing support and identifying ways we can make students feel seen and supported • Community Health Leadership Board, CEOs of the hospital will review information Equity: • Equal opportunity was given to take and complete the survey (for students in all students, including students in self-contained classrooms) • Surveys were not offered in any language other than English • Questions about housing security for students, less than 1 per 33 students reported housing instability 0 3.2%for Bangor; Maine average is 2.6% • UMaine offers consulting for data; you can request support to identify interventions Questions • What are we seeing in this city as far as pushback to DEIB? z Advisory Committee of Racial Equity, Inclusion, and Human Rights Minutes for the Tuesday, April 23, 2024 Meeting 6:OOp � Council Chambers o DEIB is not political but is politicized, per Carver-Bialer. Bangor was the first to create a DEIB Coordinator in the state of Maine; while there hasn't been pushback in the city, there is positive support for this ongoing work. • BSD DEIB will provide resources and support when needed to parents; includes collaboration and involves pointing families in the right direction without taking on areas that we can't fully support • Mental Health Committee o Trauma informed practices under the umbrella of inental health 0 15 people, 3 students, 5 parents with students in the BSD, educators, school committee chair, diversity of career expertise o Is this where Restorative Justice practices fall?June 12t" the reports will share the recommendations for work to be done and may include recommendations for RJ or restorative practices • Recruitment and Hiring/Training o Do we connect our committee with the leader of this subcommittee? o Hiring and Retention Subcommittee for ACREIHR: please connect with Shelly Okere and Tim Surrette on hiring practices for city support • ARPA Funds support the mental health clinic to the middle schools • Will review the flow of the BSD DEIB evolution to what is happening now versus where they started Community Development Engagement and Outreach Strategies Strategic Visioning and Planning for the City of Bangor with Community Development Officer, Robyn Stanicki Works with the city to make neighborhoods, place-making, etc. • Wants to identify ways we can share visioning and ensure we are being inclusive with all stakeholders • How do we make sure these resources are clear, accessible, and able to be found by residents o Includes identifying how the website shares information o Language translations, accessibility • Will host workshops, committee meetings, how to make sure she's in the right spaces • Bangor School Dept. will participate in the consolidated plans; will include housing data o Did we check McKinney-Vento numbers? • Will be hosting place-based listening and community listening sessions o Will be at the space where the conversation is already housing (at Bangor Housing, etc.) o Need to share with Robyn where place-based meetings are happening; where can we invite Robyn to listen ■ Adult Ed, University of Maine IEI programs, Church Bean Suppers for unhoused ■ Make the information accessible by mail, to use a QR code or send out mail with feedback, and a phone number, and a social media blitz, and in-person workshops ■ Reach out to UMaine for interns to support this work (and social media campaigns) • Committee Homework: o By May 2024: reach out to Robyn Stanicki with invitations to meet with stakeholder groups that you have connections with o Email Robyn at Comm.Dev@ban�ormaine.�ov • Tenant Forum o April 12t" with the Bangor Community Development at Together Place o Wants feedback from tenants before rolling out the rental housing program to ensure that everything is identified before program design 3 Advisory Committee of Racial Equity, Inclusion, and Human Rights Minutes for the Tuesday, April 23, 2024 Meeting 6:OOp � Council Chambers o Request that there are more opportunities for tenants to provide feedback and provided opportunities to workshop the feedback Grandview Avenue Parcel • City Council rezoned it to be multifamily housing during March meeting • 10 acre parcel • Options for multi-unit and single family units (mix of single family and multi-family housing) • ARPA funds will be used for roads, electrical, sewer, water, etc. and reverse engineer the housing that is built o City officials will make the plan open and available to the community to discuss the subdivision o Timeline: design in spring 2024, utility construction work will start right after o Prototype of sustainable housing developed by Penquis could be used as a natural partner for this housing model (or tap into UMaine prototypes) • City has not yet determined if the housing will be allocated to specific needs (elderly, low-income, etc.) Subcommittee Work • Events and Education Committee o Wants to host a table at PRIDE o Gabrielle Wiley will complete the registration form to get a table identified for PRIDE Closing • Meeting adjourned; motioned by Member Wiley, seconded by Member Bulcholz • Next meeting Tuesday, April 23 at 6pm 4