Vacaville Youth Roundtable
Vacaville REACH Coalition
The Community
Located in northern Solano County in a beautiful rural valley along the I-80 corridor and midway between Sacramento and San Francisco, Vacaville is a bedroom community with a small-town feel and identity, despite its nearly 96,000 permanent residents. Vacaville is a growing biotechnology/pharmaceutical hub with facilities operated by Genentech, Alza Corporation and Novartis International Group AG. The California Medical Facility and CSP Solano are also located in Vacaville. Vacaville has one of the largest shopping outlets in California. In Vacaville, there are approximately 22,500 youth under the age of 18. Two school districts operate public schools in Vacaville, the Vacaville Unified School District and the Travis Unified School District. There are also five faith-based private schools in Vacaville, as well as numerous home-school groups.
The Coalition
The Vacaville REACH Coalition is currently made up of two parts, the Vacaville Youth Roundtable and the Vacaville REACH Youth Coalition.
The Vacaville Youth Roundtable is an 18-year-old collaborative of approximately 30 adults who are key leaders and stakeholders in the community. The Vacaville city manager facilitates the monthly meetings and provides direction for the group. Youth Roundtable participants include the police chief, representatives of the Vacaville City Council, the Vacaville Unified School District, the Vacaville Neighborhood Boys & Girls Club, the Solano Probation Department and other city and nonprofit agencies that provide services to youth in Vacaville. The Vacaville Youth Roundtable promotes a healthy community by engaging all community members, organizations and leaders to develop, support and nurture positive assets in our youth.
The Vacaville REACH Youth Coalition is a subcommittee of the Vacaville Youth Roundtable and is a group of 15 core youth and up to 30 total youth who regularly participate in REACH meetings. Youth Coalition members are supported by Vacaville Youth Roundtable participants and other youth-minded individuals in the community.
The Vacaville REACH Coalition is driven by a mission, a six-part vision, and three guiding principles.
Our Mission
The Vacaville REACH Coalition promotes the physical, emotional and social well-being of all youth by advocating for policies and systems changes that unleash the power and potential of all youth to succeed.
Our Vision
- Youth are valued.
- Youth are safe at all times in all places.
- Schools offer a variety of youth-centered educational opportunities that prepare youth for graduation and provide them with the knowledge necessary to experience a successful future.
- There are leadership opportunities for youth in the community.
- Youth live in neighborhoods that are clean and environmentally friendly.
- All youth have healthy relationships with trusted adults.
Our Guiding Principles
- We recognize the importance of youth in our community.
- We place a high value on diversity.
- We believe that all youth have the ability to make a positive impact in our community.
Vacaville youth interns take part in Festival of Trees
Joining in the holiday spirit and supporting their community, four Vacaville Youth Round Table REACH Coalition interns decorated a tree to be auctioned off at the Festival of Trees, an annual fundraiser benefiting the Opportunity House homeless shelter.
Vacaville Youth Round Table honors outstanding teen
by Carrie Dettmer, Senior Program Coordinator – REACH
Vacaville Police Department
Carlos Barajas received the City of Vacaville’s Youth Round Table (YRT) Youth Recognition Award for 2009. This is the first year there has been a Youth Round Table Youth Recognition Award. The development of a youth award is a reflection of the work REACH has done with the YRT on the importance of incorporating youth on the YRT and increasing youth voice in the community.
Vacaville, Yuba-Sutter coalitions receive REACH grants
After receiving planning grants through Sierra Health Foundation’s REACH program last year, youth and adults in Vacaville and the Yuba-Sutter area worked to find out what young people need and want to be safe, healthy and engaged in their communities. With results from their community assessments, they developed action plans and now will focus on making long-term positive changes for youth.
Vacaville and Yuba-Sutter REACH coalitions awarded three-year funding
As part of its commitment to the health and well-being of youth, Sierra Health Foundation has awarded $450,000 grants to two Northern California coalitions to help improve the lives of young people.
Vacaville REACH coalition holds town hall meeting
by Tammy Buntman, Intern
Vacaville Youth Roundtable REACH Coalition
In order to inform the community of the results from our community assessment and receive ideas for strategies for our implementation plan, the Vacaville REACH Coalition held a town hall meeting on July 15 at the Ulatis Cultural Center. Approximately 50 youth and adults participated in our town hall meeting.
Vacaville REACH Coalition Town Hall, July 15, 2009
For more information on the results collected at the Town Hall and the next steps for the coalition please contact:
Coalition Coordinator - Carrie Dettmer, cdettmer@cityofvacaville.com
Vacaville and Yuba-Sutter share youth community assessment results
As part of their REACH Community Action planning grant work, the Vacaville Youth Roundtable REACH Coalition and the Youth Development Community Action Coalition of Yuba-Sutter earlier this year completed community assessments to determine the strengths, challenges, resources and readiness to improve conditions for youth in their communities.
Vacaville and Yuba-Sutter REACH coalitions complete Community Profiles
As part of their REACH Community Action planning grant work, the Vacaville Youth Roundtable REACH Coalition and the Youth Development Community Action Coalition of Yuba-Sutter conducted community assessments to determine the strengths, challenges, resources and readiness to improve conditions for youth in their communities.
The coalitions each created a Community Profile with the findings from this work. Download the reports below!
Vacaville coalition works to identify youth concerns
by Carrie Dettmer
Senior Program Coordinator – REACH,
Vacaville Police Department
The REACH youth coalition in Vacaville meets every Monday at Vacaville City Hall from 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Approximately 20 to 25 youth attend each coalition meeting, representing local high schools, middle schools and elementary schools. Adult volunteers from the Vacaville Youth Round Table regularly attend the REACH youth coalition meetings, bringing valuable expertise, insight and support to the REACH youth.