Engage and Excel! Strengthening Your FRYSC Advisory Council to Enhance Center Success

Engage and Excel!Strengthening Your FRYSC

Advisory Council to Enhance Center Success

Cabinet for Health and Family Services

The FRYSC program is built upon the foundation of collaboration.


The Advisory Council is the

catalyst for bringing all

stakeholders to the table.

Importance of Importance of Councils and Councils and Impact on the Impact on the

CentersCenters


Brainstorming

What attributes make an

ideal Advisory Council?


An Effective Council• Engaged council• Diverse council• Council chair IS the chair• Understanding of roles/authority• Well-trained council• Advocacy• Creative


Role of Advisory Council• To provide a broad-based support for the

center.• Assist the coordinator in developing programs

and activities based on needs assessment.• Assist the coordinator in evaluating programs• Serve as a catalyst to link home, school, and

community• Assist with the development of Advisory

Council by-laws


Supporting the FRYSC

• Hands-on involvement in center activities

• Promote center public relations• Advocate for center in school and

community• Assist with center fundraising• Assist in recruitment for center

volunteers

Providing the Providing the Leadership:Leadership:

Envision a More Effective CouncilEnvision a More Effective Council


It’s up to you…

The very essence of

leadership is that you have to have vision. You can't blow an uncertain

trumpet. --Theodore M. Hesburgh


Set the Tone for Effectiveness

Changes in attitude, changes in latitude…


From the beginning…

Talk the talk!

• What do potential members hear when you talk to them about joining the Council?

1. About the importance of the Council2. About their value as a team member3. About their role as a “partner”


Leadership is the art of getting someone else to do something you want done because he wants to do it.

Dwight Eisenhower


Walk the walk!

• Look for diversity …. In thinking! • Build a council of “Partners” • Use your advisory council• Build ownership

The advisory council keeps the Center “community-centered” instead of

“coordinator-centered” or “school-centered”.


Building OwnershipOrient

Provide comprehensive training to new membersCommunicate

Keep council informed of center activities Keep administrators and community informed of council

activitiesEmpower

Turn over some control Give opportunities for council to express ideas

DelegateChairperson – Is KEY

*Confident? *Informed? *Empowered? Other officers; other roles; assigned tasks


What’s in it for ME?

The Downside… With an empowered, engaged advisory council:

►It takes a little more effort ►It’s hard to give up some of that control

►They may discover the limits to their authority


What’s in it for ME? Cont’

The Upside… An empowered, engaged, and energized

advisory council:

♥ Attends and participates in council meetings ♥ Lightens your load

♥ Supports the center

Recruitment, Recruitment, Training and Training and

Orientation of Orientation of MembersMembers


Recruitment

Have a diverse council.Consider the school population

►Socio-economic (people who use your services)

►Gender►Cultural►Ethnicity


Recruitment

Finding your members

►Parents ►Community►School Staff►Students


TrainingYEARLY

(First meeting after new contract year starts)►Overview of council’s role ►PowerPoint►Notebook►Officers’ roles►By-laws

ONGOING►Formal or informal►New members

Maintaining an Maintaining an Effective CouncilEffective Council


Maintaining an Effective Council• Introductions• Agendas/Minutes• Name tags• Providing food• Making members feel welcome and needed• Networking time (meet and greet)• Ask opinions• Value all opinions


• Make sure pencils and paper are available

• Notebooks or folders for each member • Council input on meeting dates/times• Publicize meeting dates several months

in advance• End of year celebration• Certificates

Maintaining an Effective Council cont’


Use member strengths and give them a role:

1. Recruitment2. Organization3. Solicitation4. Creativity5. Fundraising6. Public Relations

Advisory Councils are truly...

Partners in Progress

Documents

Engage and Excel! Strengthening Your FRYSC Advisory Council to Enhance Center Success